5.1 The Tavern' Cafe, 17-19 Boulevard Montmartre in the 2nd, 01.42.61.82.88, open 7/7 (Metro: Richelieu Drouot) is place that's been rattling around in my brain; it keeps popping up in articles and the Curious George in me wanted to know why. One enters and it looks like a 1,000 other old-type bistros, excepting the host - who like Bobose or Alain Passard, dominates the scene. Ushered to a table I looked at the menus of the day and always and knowing full well they were probably from Metro, was still enthusiastic.
My "date," an old friend from the 14th, and I had a serious miscommunication about where we were to meet and 40 minutes after being seated I ordered - Magic, she appeared instantly afterwards. She had the pate de campagne withe salad and I had the rillettes with salad, both quite acceptable with what I but not she thught was great dressing (a few minutes before mein host was seen mixing a dressing for a bunch of suits, apparently showing them it didn'y come out of a bottle). BTW, the clientele was all local, no Yankees, all working, except for one Scandanavian family, and all serious about eating every last morsel.
For mains, my friend had a perfectly acceptable quiche with salad (except for an out of season tomato, which they were spreading about like flower seeds) and I had a fine cassoulet with confited duck; terminating with a more than standard floating island that we shared.
Our bill, with a bottle plus of wine, no bottled water, rather good crispy-srusted bread and one coffee was 68.90 E - dB level 78.8 despite its being packed.
Go again? I think not, but the friendly service makes it a place one could well go to after a show nearby.
