Restaurant Le Dauphin - 75011, Paris

We were very eager for our lunch today at Le Dauphin after meeting chef Franck and his team at Le Verre Vole. And, their food more than lived up to our very high expectations!

The menu at lunch is simple, an entrée/plat or plat/dessert for 23 euros or an entrée/plat/dessert for 27 euros. There are only two choices in each category and we sampled both first and main courses and loved every bite.

My foie de volaille avec salsifis (chicken livers with salsify; photo below) was rich, warm and tremendously satisfying.  The chicken livers were perfectly cooked and the salsify was served both sautéed and as chips, adding flavor and a nice crunchy texture.  Thinly sliced mushrooms were also served two ways, raw and marinated in a vinaigrette.  All of this was sprinkled with fresh tarragon and chervil, and the result was divine. 




The macquereau and betterave (mackerel and beet; photo below) first course was also a delightful mixture of flavors and textures.  Very succulent fish with crispy skin and red and yellow beets, which were served two ways, roasted and pickled, was a real treat. A small amount of a soy foam added just the right amount of salt.  Yummy!

When our main courses arrived we were blown away by the beauty of the food.  Both the bar (sea bass; photo below) and the veau (veal) were served with the most colorful and flavorful carrots I have ever tasted, again prepared two ways, cooked and marinated.  Another burst of flavor and color was the pumpkin puree, which was a nice complement to the carrots.  This kitchen truly has a way with vegetables, which take center stage here and are not offered as decoration only, although they are beautiful.

We enjoyed a fruity Cotes du Rhone, La Sagesse 2009, Domaine Gramernon with just a hint of spice which went perfectly with our meal.  I’ll be back again soon, as Le Dauphin is truly another little gem.