Quite Simply, the Best Steak Frites I Have Ever Had…read more
Our lunch at La Bourse et La Vie was truly exceptional -- one of those quintessentially Parisian dining experiences that we will remember long after our trip is over.
From the moment we walked through the door, we were greeted with genuine warmth and made to feel completely welcome. We arrived just before the lunchtime rush and were shown to a wonderful, comfortable table. The hospitality was gracious and effortless from the very beginning... warm and attentive without ever being overly formal.
After a brisk hour-long walk through Paris, two beautifully chilled glasses of Sancerre were exactly what we needed. With fresh bread and still water on the table, we settled in and immediately felt that we had found someplace special.
We began with the selection of hors d'oeuvres, including a wonderfully fresh tomato salad and the poireaux vinaigrette with Piedmont hazelnuts. The leeks were superb, and the tomatoes were beautifully dressed, with an almost buttery richness that made something so seemingly simple absolutely delicious. Another creamy, almost tzatziki-like preparation was irresistible spread over the fresh bread. Every bite reminded us how extraordinary simple ingredients can be when they are treated with care.
Then came the faux-filet de bœuf maturé origine France, sauce au poivre, with frites.
I can say this without hesitation: this was the best steak frites I have ever had in my life.
The French beef was cooked to absolute perfection, deeply flavorful, beautifully prepared and wonderfully tender. But the sauce au poivre was in a league of its own. Rich, savory and perfectly balanced, it was quite simply the finest peppercorn sauce I can remember tasting.
And the frites! Absolutely scrumptious. Perfectly crisp on the outside, tender inside and not remotely greasy. They were magnificent on their own and even better used to soak up every last bit of that extraordinary sauce au poivre. My husband and I both ordered the same dish, and we were equally blown away.
For dessert, we shared the crème brûlée and the chocolate mousse. The crème brûlée was wonderful, but that chocolate mousse was something else entirely. It is easily one of the three best chocolate mousses I have ever eaten... intensely chocolatey, beautifully textured and somehow rich without being heavy. An extraordinary ending to an extraordinary meal.
The service throughout was excellent. The young woman who looked after us was attentive, gracious and lovely, and the gentleman who greeted us, whom we believe may have been the manager or owner, could not have been warmer. We felt genuinely welcomed and beautifully cared for throughout our lunch.
Paris is filled with restaurants, but there is something particularly special about a place that combines superb cooking, gracious hospitality, an intimate and comfortable atmosphere, and food that makes you stop mid-bite and look across the table at the person you're dining with.
La Bourse et La Vie is that kind of place.
Five stars without hesitation. We left completely delighted and still talking about that faux-filet au poivre. An exceptional Parisian lunch and a restaurant to which we would return in a heartbeat.
