Le Cristal de sel: the up-and-coming little eatery!

Eric Boucher-2008-08-15

The frontage isn't much to look at, but a glance through the window reveals a pretty room in the updated bistrot style: forty or so place settings, zinc tables, the menu on a slate, light-coloured beams and parquet, and an open-plan kitchen visible to diners.

 

You receive a friendly welcome as soon as you push the door, and attentive and diligent service all through your meal.

 

The menu counts above all on the excellence of the products, even if they are the most ordinary. The bread is the naturally leavened 'big country loaf' by Jean-Luc Poujauran, thickly sliced and still warm when served to us. Beef is of the Simmental race, of German origin, cooked pork meats are by Camdebordes, sardines are Ramon Peña presented in their can, water is Chateldon, and butter is by Bordier... Good classical stuff, guaranteed quality.

 

After the material, the technique. Éric Fréchon's former righthand man at the Bristol, Karil Lopez participates in the 'gentrifrication' of bistrot cuisine at it is to be found at Camdebordes' or even at Hélène Darroze's Toustem: a falsly simple cuisine that reinterprets the classics of popular cuisine, glorifies the terroir and favours emotion and the taste of products rather than intellect.

 

On the menu you'll therefore find,  pot-au-feu, rib of beef, rice pudding, and financier, but sublimed, lightened, and even with an exotic note  like the half-cooked tuna with citronnella or the terrine of shin, foie gras and oyster mushrooms, to die for.

 

For our part, we opted for ravioles with langoustines, buttered cabbage and beurre nage; the freshness of the produce and the precision of the cooking preserved all the substance and flavour of the langoustines. This was followed by a Simmental beef rib steak served with onion puree and grenaille potatoes.

 

A disarmingly simple dish if ever there was one but the entire interest of which resides in the precision of its cooking: the tasty and very juicy piece of beef was simply seared no more than needed to express its character and retain the juice.

 

Following the 400g of beef rib which we had some difficulty finishing, it didn't seem reasonable to us to continue with the rice pudding with citrus fruits and raspberry sorbet. We were nevertheless rewarded for our temerity as this dessert finally proved to be quite light and above all very fresh owing to the lemon peel.

 

An address to be placed among those we like therefore. We would however liked to have seen a  25 or 30 € menu, because with a glass of wine (from 4 to 9 €), a dish and a starter or a dessert, it's difficult not to spend less than 40 € per person.

 

 

- Smoked salmon waffle, 12 €

- Scallops, cress, 14 €

- Sea urchins in their shells, 16 €

- Pot-au-feu, 20 €

- Pheasant pastillas, 18 €

- Piece of bass, baby artichoke, 20 €

- Purse pancake caramelised apples salted caramel, 11 €

- Mandarin financier, 11 €

 

Portions are copious.

 

13, rue Mademoiselle

75015 Paris

Tel.: 01 42 50 35 29

Metro : Commerce

Open daily except Sundays and Mondays.