I was pondering for some time before writing a post about this restaurant / bistro. The reason ? It’s a chain restaurant in France. So, it is sort of like blogging about McDonald’s or TGIF or Italiannies (Malaysia). But, it’s French!!! they do food so well…And, I do drop by Bistro Romain at least once every time I am in France. So… it’s only fair I write a post about it.
Bistro Romain have about 14 or 15 chain within Paris itself and another 10 or so outside paris (the whole France). I think almost every major city in France (tourist area) has one Bistro Romain. But, the most frequented by tourists is the one located along the Champs-Élysées. (It’s even on lonely planet). If you like to get the address, you can google online and even find their menu and prices there. Quite good if you would like to know in advance what you are eating. ;p
Personally, the price is reasonable and the service is passable. Just don’t expect it to be value for money with top quality french services. It is a chain after all. But, if you wish to avoid slow service, the trick is to have dinner early and avoid the dinner crowd. When I say early, I meant somewhere around 6:45 – 7:15pm.
To tell you the truth, the only thing which brings me back to this place time and time again is their beef carpaccio (thinly slice raw beef). It might not be the best I had, but, it is good enough. Not to mention, it is the most thinly sliced I have ever come across. I love the simple way it is prepared with some pesto sauce and olive oil served with wedges of lemon. You can add parmesan cheese and rocket salad if you want. But, I prefer it with some sprinkle of salt. That way, I can fully enjoy the freshness of the beef by itself. Another reason? It’s eat all you want !!!
Foie Gras de canard serve with toast. (Duck Liver Pate style) Yum yum…
Tortelli cèpes et foie gras de canard (Tortelli with mushroom and duck liver). Definitely amazing on the first bite. But, you can only take so much of richness. One whole plate is just too heavy (in my opinion). But hub enjoys it all the way. Yes – he lick up the plate with the bread (how French. Hahahha).
Pavé de saumon rôti (Roast Salmon Steak) it’s ok. Nothing to rave about. The meat was cooked just right. Nice and moist. So many people tend to overcook salmon steak.
As for their dessert, it’s nothing to rave about. Most of the time, I’ll just go with their ice cream or classic tiramisu. But, hub wanted to try their tiramisu special of the day. For me, it was some tiramisu ‘wannabe’ with pear (fail).
Overall, it’s a nice restaurant. I usually like to sit upstairs by the window and look down the street. It’s very beautiful at night. And, if it gets too stuffy, I could sneakily open the window to allow some air in. ;p
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