La Mère Lachaise, 78 boulevard de Ménilmontant, Paris 20
As you might expect from its name, La Mère Lachaise is located quite close (one block) to the famous Père Lachaise cemetery. It makes a worthy spot for lunch or dinner, or just a drink on the terrace when visiting the cemetery.
Guy Martin, best known for taking over Grand Véfour, includes La Mère Lachaise in the group of restaurants for which he is listed as chef. This one opened in early 2022. It is on a corner and has a spacious, light and airy interior.
In addition to à la carte, at lunch, there is a regular menu and a menu découverte du chef:
We decided that L would take the menu découverte (without dessert) and I would take the regular menu, and we would share the dessert from my menu.
The wine list is short and correct. Most of the wines on the list are also available by the glass:
L started with the canelloni with chèvre, honey, and mousseline of beets:
She found it too intense, but I tasted it and found it delicious.
For my first course, I took the salad of quinoa and fresh vegetables:
It was just what I wanted: crunchy, fresh, light, and lively with a lemony seasoning.
L was happier with her salmon with roast vegetables in a passion fruit emulsion:
And I was most happy with the ballotine of stuffed chicken, puréed potatoes with pesto, with violet mustard sauce:
The dish was flavorsome and filling without being heavy.
We each took wine by the glass, L a Reuilly (Sauvignon Blanc from near Sancerre in the Loire Valley), and I took the Sablet (white wine from the southern Rhône Valley) and then with my main the Brouilly from Château de la Chaize. As I said above, they were correct, but nothing terribly exciting.
The mi-cuit au chocolat with streusel and caramel ice cream was an excellent finish to the meal, each of the elements providing flavor and contrasting texture, especially the cake exterior of the mi-cuit and the warm sauce interior:
The tab:
As I stated above, La Mère Lachaise is an excellent location to keep in mind when visiting Père Lachaise. The food is well-prepared, fresh, and interesting, and the prices are modest. It’s not a gastronomic restaurant, but rather the relatively unassuming place that the French can do so well with high quality all around.
La Mère Lachaise
78 boulevard du Ménilmontant, 75020 Paris
Tuesday-Saturday lunch and dinner
Tél: 01 40 30 26 00
Métro: Père Lachaise, Ménilmontant, Saint-Maur