Le Tire-Bouchon Rodier -- 47 rue Rodier, Paris 9

(Note: I will be away from Paris until the last week of March. During that time, there will be no restaurant reviews, but I will continue writing about wine.)

Tire-bouchon means corkscrew in French. And as one would expect from the name, Le Tire-Bouchon Rodier is a wine-centric bistrot on rue Rodier. It is located in the Pigalle section of Paris’s ninth arrondissement, an area that is rapidly becoming a center of good food and wine at interesting prices.

The restaurant opened in July of last year, and the word seems to have gotten out fast. With only about 24 seats (including six at the counter), there was scarcely an empty seat to be found yesterday at lunch.

The lunch formule, which I took, is indeed a bargain at 21/26€, and offers agreeably sophisticated food, to boot:

In addition, the other dishes that are available both at lunch and in the evening:

The first course was a most delicious and beautifully-presented lobster bisque with fennel, shrimp, and fresh herbs:

The wine list has, as you would expect, plenty of interesting bottles at reasonable prices, but as I was dining solo, I went the wines-by-the-glass route. There is no list of wines by the glass, instead the wine server opens whatever he feels like and thinks is interesting. He presents the wine blind, and you can say whether you want it or would rather have something else.

With the lobster bisque, he served me a Muscadet (not Muscadet Sèvre et Maine and no sur lie) that was attractive and unusual in the sense that it was not austere and taut like most Muscadet, but instead round and fruity.

Next was lamb simmered in coconut milk and curry with sautéed rice:

This, too, was an excellent dish with plenty of flavor and fine overall balance. It was a good dish for emphasizing that we are still in winter, but spring is on the way.

A red Côtes-du-Rhône would be a logical choice to go with this dish, and indeed that is what was initially offered. But I turned the wine down, finding it too alcoholic for my tastes. Next, I was presented a 2024 Beaujolais-Villages which did the trick with its forward, simple fruitiness:

Dessert was a financier (a dense almond cake) with pistachio cream and a sorbet of mint and orange flower. This was a lovely mixture of flavors and textures that was overall light and flavorful.

I finished with an espresso.

The bottom line for an inventive three-course lunch, two glasses of wine, an espresso that was comped (and of course, tax and service):

Le Tire-Bouchon Rodier is a great place for a very good but inexpensive lunch, and I look forward to returning in the future to explore dinner options and the wine list.

Le Tire-Bouchon Rodier, 47 rue Rodier 75009 Paris

Tuesday-Saturday lunch and dinner

Telephone: 01 86 04 27 17

website: letirebouchonrodier.com

Métro: Anvers (2), Barbès-Rochechouart (4), Cadet (7), Pigalle (2, 12), Poissonnière (7), Saint-Georges (12)