Vin sur Vin (7ieme)

Rue Montessuy, close to Champs de Mars

This is a charming little bistro that is a better bet than its more celebrated neighbor, Au Bon Accueil. A big part of the draw is the maitre d’, an elaborately moustachioed fellow who took great pains to describe every part of every dish for us, including what he saw as the relevant details of the preparation. Rabbit wasn’t just rabbit, it was rabbit nestled in a pastry shell, inside of which were to be found various herbs, some chopped and some whole. And asparagus wasn’t just asparagus, it was instead the tiny fresh tips of the asparagus, stood up around a creamy center concoction that I am sure is on every triathlon website's "do not eat" list. It was, of course, delicious, as was everything there.

The table centerpieces include hundreds of little peppercorns arranged in swirly patterns, making it irresistable for guests to rearrange the peppers into whatever designs best represent their moods. Nice touch. Perhaps the restaurant owners discuss the diners after everyone has left? "Ah oui, that Canadian one, see how his pepper pattern resembles un puck de hockey."

The food is a step up from a typical bistro, without becoming knowingly outrageous. No artichoke ice cream here. The wine list was extravagant, as the name implies, so we threw ourselves on the mercy of the maitre d’, who produced a perfect complement to the main course.

A note on the name – Vin sur Vin. “Vin” is the French word for wine, but when spoken sounds just like the French for twenty, “vingt.” So think of the name as code for the perfect wine score – vingt sur vingt, or twenty on twenty.

I'm not usually big on numerical ratings for restaurants, but since in this case they are kind of asking for it, I’ll give it a 17. Price came out to 125 Euros per person, including good wine and service, so it's not a cheap place, but it's a reasonable value nonetheless.