My family, girlfriend, and I all loved this place. What a unique dining experience! Very relaxed and non-touristy and local. A French take on tapas: wonderfully executed; yet the food is uniquely French. The owner himself graciously attended to us with great care and enthusiasm for us Americans. He explained the unique ordering process, which is simple - you order something like 12 or 24 good-sized shot glass- or test tube-type containers each filled with amazing small tastes of gourmet food of your choice; if you like something a lot and want a larger portion of it, just order several servings/glasses of it. The owner reminded us of this several times, knowing that many people prefer larger portions of particular items. He also kindly allowed us to move to an inside table after my mom noted to him her discomfort from the cold. (It was June and not cold, but that's my mom.) The owner happily obliged.
THE FOOD: We enjoyed the ham and potato au gratin; the sweet potato; the eggplant; the chicken satay curry; the shrimp; the prosciutto with salmon mousse; the chorizo/cracklin; and the mushroom risotto. All the desserts were incredible, as one expects dining in France. And all the food came out FAST!!
After the meal the owner brought us Carambar candies, which he explained hold nostalgic value for him and people his age (35 or so). They're like Sugar Daddies but with jokes like our Laffy Taffies or popsicle sticks have here. He also offered me an American-sized coffee! Without us even mentioning it. My girlfriend often lamented the scarcity of large coffees in France, but the owner read her/our minds! His English was so impressive; he told us he learned by watching Homeland, True Blood, and 24. He was so kind to us tourists and spent so much time with us - such a sweet guy. I'm so sorry I waited 6 long months to put this review up, but Playfood is such a great place that I had to (finally) follow through!
TARGET AUDIENCE/AMBIENCE: Playfood was great for a tired tourist family of 5, but it would also be great for a fun and romantic date - lots to talk about with the great variety of interesting and unique food combinations and preparations. Also present were many old-school children's toys (e.g. a red Fisher-Price toy telephone, Rubicks Cube, etc.). Very sheik decor and modern style, but very comfortable nonetheless!! I think half of our party sat on a low, cozy couch at the table. It seemed popular among young locals, but not too stuffy and hip for regular folk. I can't say enough about how kind, attentive, and eager-to-please the owner was.
LOCATION: It was less than a 10-minute walk from the beautiful main city plaza (on the side with the playground/fountain).
To the owner: Nous sommes tous Charlie!! We are Francophiles (and readers of "The Onion") and we stand firm by your side in brotherly spirit, with love, and with great sadness today. Thanks for making our trip that much more special with your abundant goodwill and creative, delectable culinary talents! Best wishes for joy and success in 2015! read more
