Chez Julien

Though efforts to modernize Parisian dining with slick interiors and fusion cuisine should be commended, if you’re a visitor with only a few days to dine there, what kind of restaurant do you really want? Chances are it’s the beautiful Belle Epoque setting and bistro food of Chez Julien.

This gorgeous, mirrored jewel box of a restaurant, with a private upstairs dining room that’s often reserved by a fashion crowd during Paris fashion week, was established in 1780. It was revamped in 2007 by the Costes group, which seems to be snapping up Paris restaurants with the speed of Michael “Bao” Huynh in New York. (Given my previous experience that week with a Costes restaurant, I might not have gone had I known this, but Chez Julien is a radically different type of endeavor than Delaville.)

Quiet yet buzzy and seriously romantic, this bistro-with-a-spin is the perfect place to while away an evening over candlelight and a good bottle of Bordeaux. The foie gras appetizer is a good start: nicely done in the mode of “the thing itself,” without too much seasoning one way or the other, just super velvety paté. (By this point in the Paris trip I was already slightly jaded about foie gras – the best I had was the cognac-laced, shalloty seared foie gras at La Ferrandaise.)

Chez Julien’s escargots were a radical departure from the classic Brasserie Lipp version. They arrived in a pool of slightly foamy mushroom sauce that conferred a nice earthy flavor, though it could have used the extra oomph of more garlic or salt.

A special of very good sea bass came decked out in foam – this time a creamy, buttery one that nicely complemented the fish in the French manner.

The memorable chateaubriand au poivre was the food equivalent of the interior: it delivers exactly what you crave. A textbook au poivre sauce got a lift from this perfectly seasoned, excellent cut of meat, which was a step above the usual hanger or entrecote cut you find at Parisian bistros. And of course, it came with excellent crispy, slightly meaty fries, which were probably cooked in suet.

Rounding off the three-course prix fixe dinner, we ordered a classic creme brulee and some very good cheeses – though it’s hard to go wrong with either in this town.

The bill was quite chère at about $275 for two, including wine and a champagne apertif, but you’re seeking a beautiful old Paris atmosphere and the food to match, Chez Julien is a must-visit.

Chez Julien
1 rue du pont Louis-Philippe
4th arrondissement, Paris
01 42 78 31 64