I didn’t think Laurent Dubois’ croque monsieur could improve. I’m so glad to have been proven wrong.
Back in 2018, when I was working on an article about the revival of the croque monsieur in Paris, I visited Laurent Dubois’ restaurant at the top of the Printemps department store. Boasting views over the Opéra, it featured a cheese-focused menu suiting the expertise of the MOF fromager, including a hearty menu of croques monsieur. The selection included a classic version made with Dubois’ own aged Comté and walnut mustard, all served atop a salad boasting raw beet carpaccio. In breaking with trends in favor of country bread, Dubois had already opted for pain de mie, aka sandwich bread, as the vessel to hold all that luscious cheese and ham.
In the four years since, however, he’s upped his game considerably.
These days, the sandwiches are the focal point of the plate, with salad served on the side (see above, to find it looming in the background). The plate is replete, then, with a massive sandwich made on a round of sandwich bread (made by Jérôme of the Boulangerie Leparq) brushed generously in butter – and this, whether the croque contains the classic Comté, walnut mustard, and jambon de Paris combo or a marriage of rich, tangy Saint-Nectaire and truffles.
(Little Sister and I tried both – though there’s also an ever-changing vegetarian option and a pastrami-cheddar situation on offer.)
The quality of the ingredients here is just unparalleled, which means that you end up with a sandwich that boasts both phenomenal texture and flavor.
I’m not gonna lie: These are intense sandwiches. You will need a walk after. But it’s one of my favorite ways to eat cheese (aside from straight off the knife), and sharing this experience with the same person who was there to witness my very first discovery of this spot (which I contend is one of Paris’ best-kept secrets) was just the icing on the cake.
A word to any cheese-ambivalent readers (…why are you here?): The cheese restaurant at Printemps shares a dining space with the meat-focused restaurant run by Regain, and diners can order from either menu. So bring your lactose intolerant friends along for the ride, if you like!
Laurent Dubois au Printemps du Goût – 64 boulevard Haussmann 75009