FRANCE - Best of Europe 2014 - page 390

Chez Georges is a bohemian pub lined with black-and-white photos of the artsy and re-
volutionary French '60s. Have a drink as you sit in a cool little streetside table nook, or ven-
ture downstairs to find a hazy, drippy-candle, traditionally French world in the Edith Piaf-
style dance cellar (cheap drinks from old-fashioned menu, Tue-Sat 14:00-2:00 in the morn-
ing, closed Sun-Mon and in Aug, 11 Rue des Canettes, tel. [phone]).
Near Boulevard St. Germain: A five-minute walk from St. Sulpice Church, this ven-
erable boulevard is home to some of Paris' most famous cafés and best pre- or post-dinner
strolling. Consider a light dinner with a table facing the action at Hemingway's Les Deux
Magots or at Sartre's Le Café de Flore (figure about €12 for an omelet and €18-28 for a
salad or plat ). A block north (toward the river), Rue de Buci offers a lineup of bars, cafés,
and bistros targeted to a young clientele who are more interested in how they look than how
the food tastes. It's terrific theater for passersby from 18:00 until late.
$$ La Cigale Récamier, near the Sèvres-Babylone shopping area, is a classy place for
a quiet meal at reasonable prices with appealing indoor and outdoor seating. It's about 10
minutes west of Place St. Sulpice, on a short pedestrian square a block off Rue de Sèvres
(€20 plats , à la carte only, closed Sun, 4 Rue Récamier, Mo: Sèvres-Babylone, tel. 01 46 48
86 58).
Near the Odéon Theater
(See “Restaurants near Luxembourg Garden” map, here . )
Toreachthese,usetheOdéonorCluny-laSorbonneMétrostops.Inthissameneighborhood,
you'll find the historic Café le Procope, Paris' more-than-300-year-old café.
$ L'Avant Comptoir is a little stand-up-only hors d'oeuvres bar serving up a delightful
array of French-Basque tapas for €3-6 on a sleek zinc counter. The menu is fun and ac-
cessible; it has a good list of wines by the glass; and crêpes are made fresh to go (daily
12:00-23:00, 9 Carrefour de l'Odéon, tel. [phone]).
$$ Brasserie Bouillon Racine takes you back to 1906 with an Art Nouveau carnival of
carved wood, stained glass, and old-time lights reflected in beveled mirrors. The over-the-
top decor and energetic waiters give it an inviting conviviality. Check upstairs before choos-
ing a table. Their roast suckling pig (€19) is a house favorite. There's Belgian beer on tap
and a fascinating history on the menu (€18-23 plats , €31 menu, a few fish options and lots
of meat, daily, 3 Rue Racine, tel. [phone]).
$$ La Méditerranée is all about seafood from the south served in a pastel and dressy
setting...with similar clientele. The scene and the cuisine are sophisticated yet accessible,
andtheviewoftheOdéonis formidable .Thesky-bluetableclothsandthelovinglypresented
dishes add to the romance (€28 two-course menus , €33 three-course menus , daily, reserva-
tions smart, facing the Odéon at 2 Place de l'Odéon, tel. [phone]).