5.6 L'Aller-Retour, 5, rue Charles-Francois Dupuis in the 3rd, 01.42.78.01.21, closed Sundays and Mondays (Metro: Republique), is a place that crept by me upon its opening although I see in retrospect, good notes in L'Express and Figaro from critics and readers. So how did I tumble on it? Easy: Each month I get together with the person I've known the longest in Paris (since 1957) and since she still works, I have to find a place near her Marais cabinet. My place of choice today told me the chef was ill so a quick search turned up Aller-Retour as in Round Trip or steak cooked quickly on one side and the other, in this case as a meat joint, its reference was clear. Gun-metal exterior. deep railway car interior with two groups of 6-8 and a comptoir that was zinc, in this case on the front not top.
The place was jammed with locals, with good reason; the formulas at 11.40 E for one dish and a glass of wine or 12.50 E for one dish and coffee was a crowd-pleaser for folks working nearby but my friend and I went for the carte which was a bargain as well.
Eschewing the largely beef carte, my friend ordered the magret de canard with fried potatoes and I had the duck hearts on skewers with a most filling green salad. I topped the meal off with a strawberry tart which was clearly made in house.
Our bill, with no bottled water but one of Marcilliac and 2 coffees was 66 E. dB level despite all the seemingly loud talk around us, was only 83.2 dB.
Go? People want to know (1) where the French go and (2) where to eat in the Marias - L'Aller-Retour is the answer to both questions.