Bistrot d'Orsay

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Bistrot d’Orsay provides more echoes of Paris than just its name. It’s tiny, cosy, dimly lit, handsomely decorated (check out the ceiling frescoes) and is possessed of as much buzz as any busy bistro in the home country. Its location – part of the Athenaeum building opposite the Regent Theatre – means that it is always busy in the evenings before and after a show.

The great location is matched by what is offered here. The food range is broader and rather more exciting that most bistros in Paris since it extends to Italy and the Mediterranean and includes some smart extras. One example is Tom Cooper’s smoked salmon that appears on the breakfast menu and as an entree during lunch and dinner. There are some nice things to share before a meal, such as salmon rillettes with toasted country bread and cornichons, and though the menu changes according to what’s in season, look out for such treats as roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese tart. The bouillabaisse is a knock-out of flavour and presentation with mussels, scallops and fish enhanced by tomato, saffron and fennel. The only thing missing is the French price-tag. Bistrot has a fine wine list too, with good things to drink from France, Spain and Italy and an enterprising selection by the glass.

Rita Erlich