L'Absinthe, 24, Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, Paris 1
I felt like trying some place new, so I checked my list of restaurants to try. As my list is organized by arrondissement and then alphabetically within each arrondissement, l’Absinthe came up early on the list. A little research indicated that this restaurant was started by Michel Rostang, and when he sold his eponymous two-star restaurant, he kept this one (and others), and it is run by his daughter Caroline. A number of reviews from French sources were very positive on it. So L’Absinthe it was for lunch!
From the outside, it looks like a dream restaurant in the provinces:
Inside the traditional restaurant theme continues:
The lunchtime crowd is about 85% males in their 30s through 50s, casually dressed, looking like they have well-paying jobs. Some came in groups, a few solo and spent their lunchtime looking at their phones.
The carte is ultra-traditional:
There were no daily specials.
The wine list has good selections at fair prices, all established names, nothing edgy.
As the carte appeared rather heavy and it was a hot day, I chose to skip the entrée. My first course, therefore was the veal from Brittany:
Although it’s not apparent from this picture, the portion was huge — double what I would consider normal. The quality of the meat was good, although it was under-seasoned.
With the veal I chose a glass of 2021 Savigny-les-Beaune from Antoine Olivier:
The wine was fairly-priced at 12€ for a pour that I think was more than the advertised 14 cl. The wine was floral with red fruits, simple, good, and easy to drink.
I chose the cheese plate for dessert:
Once again, the portions served were huge. From left to right: Brillat-Savarin, Chèvre Saint-Maure, and, Fourme d’Ambert. All were correct, although they could have been riper.
With the cheese I took a glass of Quincy, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. It was white and wet, but otherwise forgettable.
Following the cheese course, I had a correct espresso.
The bill:
Contrary to the many positive reviews I’ve read of L’Absinthe, I found the food correct but boring. Prices were fair, especially considering the size of the portions. Given its location, I would place it as recommendable to tourists who are staying in the area and don’t want to run any risk of getting out of their comfort zones. Otherwise, I’d pass.
L’Absinthe
24, Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
Tél: 01 49 26 90 04
Monday-Friday lunch and dinner, Saturday dinner
Métro: Tuileries, Pyramides