PARIS - France 2014 - page 280

of wines by the glass, and crêpes are made fresh to go (daily 12:00-23:00, 9 Carrefour de
l'Odéon, tel. [phone]).
$$ Brasserie Bouillon Racine takes you back to 1906 with an Art Nouveau carnival
of carved wood, stained glass, and old-time lights reflected in beveled mirrors. The over-
the-top decor and energetic waiters give it an inviting conviviality. Check upstairs before
choosing a table. Their roast suckling pig (€20) is a house favorite. There's Belgian beer
on tap and a fascinating history on the menu (€18-23 plats , €30 menu, a few fish options
and lots of meat, daily, serves nonstop between lunch and dinner, 3 Rue Racine, tel. 01 44
32 15 60).
$$ La Méditerranée isallaboutseafoodfromthesouthservedinapastelanddressy
setting...with similar clientele. The scene and the cuisine are sophisticated yet accessible,
andtheviewoftheOdéonis formidable .Thesky-bluetableclothsandthelovinglypresen-
ted dishes add to the romance (€28 two-course menus , €33 three-course menus , daily, re-
servations smart, facing the Odéon at 2 Place de l'Odéon, tel. [phone], www.la-
mediterranee.com ).
$$ Café de l'Odéon offers a great chance to savor light meals with a classy crowd
on a peaceful and elegant square in front of a venerable theater. Though limited, the menu
is accessible and decently priced, and you'll feel like a winner eating so well in such a
Parisiansetting.FromMaytoOctober,thecaféisoutdoors-onlyandserveslunchanddin-
ner—or just go for drinks (good €14 salads, €17 plats such as salmon and steak tartare;
May-Oct daily 12:00-23:00—weather permitting, no reservations, Place de l'Odéon, tel.
01 44 85 41 30). In the winter (Nov-April) they serve lunch only inside the palatial theater
lobby.
$ Restaurant Polidor, a bare-bones neighborhood fixture since 1845, is much loved
for its unpretentious quality cooking, fun old-Paris atmosphere, and fair value. Stepping
inside, you know this is a winner—noisy, happy diners sit tightly at shared tables as
waiters chop and serve fresh bread. The selection features classic bourgeois plats from
every corner of France (€12-17 plats , €25-35 three-course menus , daily 12:00-14:30 &
19:00-23:00, cash only, no reservations, 41 Rue Monsieur-le-Prince, tel. [phone]).
Next door you'll find the restaurant's wine shop, Les Caves du Polidor , where you can
sipwineandnibbleoncheese-and-meatplates(daily,wineandsnacksserved18:00-20:00,
opens earlier when weather or owner is feeling sunny).
Between the Panthéon and the Cluny Museum
(See “Restaurants near the Luxembourg Garden” map, here . )
Toreachtheserestaurants,usetheCluny-LaSorbonneMétrostoportheLuxembourgRER
stop.