La Petite Cour

On a warm evening, there's nothing better than a nice glass of wine and outstanding French food on a Parisian terrace. La Petite Cour just off the marché St Germain came highly recommended from several sources and it certainly did not disappoint us. We had a couple of friends in town, one of whom had just run the Paris Marathon in 25 degrees heat that day, so after sharing a bottle of champagne at the fantastic Point Bulles, we headed off to dinner in good spirits, light heads and empty stomachs.

La Petite Cour is situated on a lively street and the courtyard itself is actually below ground level. In the daytime it can benefit from the sunlight but by evening time it is shaded by the building so make sure you go on a warm night! The restaurant and courtyard are both beautifully decorated and give an air of tranquility in a busy area of revellers.

Starters:

A foie gras terrine with roasted pineapple, as a foie gras should be. Rich and velvety and well balanced with the sweet and acidic pineapple. Simple but effective.

Pan sauteed razor clams with meat juice and Italian bacon. The razor clams were absolutely delicious. The sauce was a touch salty, given that the razor clams and bacon both had a natural saltiness but this was a meaty dish to start with and went really well with the Bourgogne we chose.

Slices of smoked duck breast with pineapple tartare. Another great French starter made to seem completely effortless but excellent in its execution. I guess they had a job-lot of pineapple that day, but it did go well together.

Main course:

Roasted shoulder of milk-fed lamb in rosemary juice. As mouth-wateringly tender as it sounds.

Veal rib steak with green asparagus and pureed peas. I didn't try this but I am assured that the veal was moist and tasty, and the vegetables refreshing.

Roasted milk pig with trotters and black pudding potato. A curious dish. The meat was again excellent. The potato seemd to have been sliced several times and smeared with black pudding before being put back together again. It worked! The crispy little round thing in the background held the soft meat of the trotters in a light emulsion. Absolutely delicious.

After all that, we really didn't have space for dessert but from the look of what was being served, it's well worth a try next time. All the French classics like Baba au rhum, creme brulee, white chocolate mousse, ice creams and sorbets.

The service was also excellent, which is sometimes a rare thing in Paris. The waiter was polite and friendly, the service efficient. All in all, a very good meal which I can highly recommend. In terms of price, not the cheapest but reasonable: 200Euros for 4 people.

I may not have run a marathon that day but that dinner was worth a gold medal.

http://www.lapetitecour.fr/
8, rue Mabillon - 75006 PARIS
Tel: 01 43 26 52 26