Passiflore * (16ieme)

Highly recommended, despite being three-quarters empty on the Thursday night we visited (I am no fan of eating in empty restaurants).

Passiflore has one Michelin star, so there wasn't much question the food would be good. It was. From a vichysoisse amuse-bouche through to main course beef and lamb, it did not disappoint. The chef likes to use Indian spices, though the cuisine is definitely French. It's a nice combination. Imagine a French-style roast lamb on a bed of curried beans, as opposed to what you might normally think of as lamb curry, where the meat would be cooked in the curry along with the beans.

The most traditionally French touch was my starter - an intimidatingly large block of terrine de foie gras. Despite my best efforts and a nice glass of Sauternes for lubrication, there was just no way I could eat the whole darn thing.

The decor is nice, airy yellow and orange, and provides a nice respite from a harsh Paris winter evening. It's only a three block walk from our apartment, but it wasn't a pleasant one.

We liked the service, mostly because Passiflore doesn't seem like the kind of one-star that is pulling out all the stops to get another star. There was very little of the pretentiousness that can kill a simple place that serves really good food. In fact, our young waiter seemed genuinely confounded when I couldn't finish the terrine de foie gras. He asked with great concern whether something was wrong with it, and didn't at first seem to accept my explanation that I just wasn't up to the task at hand. Which I suppose was a sort of compliment.

When he came back to the table with the main courses I thanked him for recommending the Sauternes with the terrine, at which point he relaxed a bit. I wouldn't be surprised if they had been talking about it in the kitchen. The chef probably doesn't like to see the plates of foie gras coming back anything other than clean.

A great choice for a neighbourhood dinner that is a solid cut above bistro fare (and proportionally more expensive). We both liked it much more than Paul Chene, which seems fusty by comparison. We'll go again.

Erik