This is the out-of-the-way-of-all-the-tourists place to go to on a warm summer weekend afternoon for large helpings of gut-burstingly good steak tartare or cheeseburgers (assuming you remember to tell them to leave off the damn ubiquitous cocktail sauce. Why does everyone in Europe put that crap on perfectly good burgers?)
Plus, you get crayons to draw on your tablecloth with. And that is awesome, especially considering that the inside is about as old-school brasserie as it gets, including the cantankerous bathroom faucet that’s as likely to blow off your pants in a military-grade eruption of Eau de Paris’ finest vintage as it is to let you peacefully wash your hands of the inevitable burger-grease from upstairs.
The wine list has some great small finds, along with the usual bistro fare (can’t go wrong), and for dessert, they serve gigantic pots of delicious chocolate mousse. Which is a bit difficult to deal with on a hot late afternoon, but fuck it, you only live once. And their logo is really cool.
Square Trousseau
1 Rue Antoine Vollon
Métro Ledru-Rollin
F-75012 Paris, France
www.squaretrousseau.com
+33 (0) 1 43 43 06 00