Big fat oysters. Hate ‘em. For some reason, European oysters tend to come in massive, meaty heaps of oyster stuff, that’s just too much. So we didn’t order any at Le Goumard. Nonetheless, it’s one of our favorite places in Paris, so I was ecstatic when Karin decided to take me there again for my birthday.
Our table wasn’t quite as nice as the first time we went, and unfortunately their constantly smirking (and hilarious) waiter was gone — but seeing as how I’d somehow misunderstood his (tragic) story of how the name came across as something terribly funny (leading him to look at me like I was something week-old they’d found in the back of the fridge) that’s probably not a bad thing.
For starters, the foie gras confit aux fraises des bois (okay, we’re having heart attacks from the food if Karin’s job and INSEAD don’t kill us first) and fleur de courgette farcie de chair de tourteau are brilliant and nice for splitting. The main courses were roast sea bass and sautéed encornets (squid) — the restaurant specializes in seafood — and for dessert we split the canneloni d’abricots mi confits, all with a 2001 Fitou Les Vendageurs de la Violette (languedoc-roussillon) that was brilliantly complex.
If you can’t find this restaurant (it’s right by La Madeleine; helpful tip: rue Duphot is off the SE corner of the square), it’s the dignified and discrete entrance with the valet parking. It’s enormously elegant without being stuffy. Top notch, enjoy for a special night out.
9 Rue Duphot
75001 Paris
+33 (0) 1 42 60 36 07
http://www.goumard.com
