Le Metropolitan in the 16th: Old Money Nabe, New Money Resto.

By Johntalbott

6.0 Metropolitan, 10 Place de Mexico in the 16th (NOT to be confused with the noisy one in the 4th), 01.56.90.40.04 (Metro: Rue de la Pompe) is so understated from outside that once again I walked by it without knowing.  But on entering it I was enchanted - lovely decor, lovely dining partner, lovely if not beautiful people - wished I'd worn a tie.  How were we there?  (1) She needed a place near work, (2) The chef Stephane Pitre (ex Cinq, Estaminet, Ritz (London) and Senderens) supposedly came end of 2011, thus it was relatively new, (3) It's been on my famous "list" for much too long.

Neither of us wanted the 28 E forced choice menu (soup, chicken parmentier, watermelon) so we ordered cautiously off the carte.


She ordered the soup of the day - a wonderully thick white bean almost puree with nice herbs and I had the mixed seafood (really just mussels and razor clams) with a terrific sauce .

Then she, who is training for a big 10 K and eating sensibly, had Joel Thiebault veggies both cooked and cru that were damned good and I, who am in training for lasting a bit longer on earth, had the cod with green noodles and fluff and a wonderful sauce.

Neither of wanted/needed dessert so we had coffee with the house marshmallows, quite respectable.

The bill with a bottle of wine was 110 E.

Go?  Among all the frou-frou fancy places in the 16th, you can't do better.