4.9 Le Cafe des Musees, 49, rue de Turenne in the 3rd (Metro: hummmm, St Paul), open 7/7, was reputed and reported to have had a changeover of management and chef as of September, and I had to meet with my longest friend in Paris, who just happens to live and work around the block and had to get back to her cabinet afterwards, so...... She was sitting "in a quiet spot" (oh yah) and sipping water when I arrived. The crowd looked largely French with some Anglos and Asians and the decibel level went from tolerable to 88 dB.
Both of us have been here more than a half-dozen times but stared at the chalkboard waiting to find things we'd like to order. Not much actually. Finally, on the printed menu I found a mushroom soup and it was good but hadn't been heated uniformly, so 1/3rd was cold, 1/3rd was lukewarm and 1/3rd was warm. Then we both had wonderfully sourced scallops with chopped leeks and salad that merited a star. But then I convinced my friend, who's been here for over 50 years, to share something she's never had - a Paris-Brest. "What is it" she asked - "Something, with a lot of dough and cream, that's not good for you." "Why not?" Why not because it was awful. Awful, awful, awful.
Then we had coffee and her noisette was not noisette it was cafe au lait and cold to boot.
Our bill, picked up by her (it was her "turn") was 102E.
Go back? No way. Although they are trying, the front room man and rest of the staff were great but the new chef needs to shape-up.
