7.5 Le Servan, 32 rue Saint-Maur (not rue Servan, a block away, but more on that later), closed Sundays and Mondays, 01.55.28.51.82, (Metro: Pere Lachaise and then a bit of a schlep downhill) has gotten rather good press since it opened a bit ago - I suspect because it's run by two very attractive Filipino ladies, one of whom is the consort (remember, no one in France wants to marry anymore, except gays) of Bertrand Grebaut (of Septime) who has spent time in the kitchens of Arpege and Astrance (which thankfully she does not imitate). The outside is zen-minimalist without signage, the inside likewise and the ceiling would be at home in Vivant.
The menu is simple but adequate, giving folks fish and meat alternatives (the deconstructed poitrine of pork looked mighty tempting). I really did have a hard time deciding, especially when informed that there was a third plat - merlan.
I decided to go with the cuttlefish and grapefruit and spicy greens (rocket mainly) - and marked 7.0 on my trusty Rhodia pad; then the merlan coated with an incredible favorful concoction and acidulated purple spinach and big, fat frites which were not the usual Paris/Metro junk - noting 7.25 on my pad; then the rhubarb tart with strawberries - oh my - up to 7.5.
A bill for a couple, which I was not today, with the 23 E three-course lunch, a bottle of wine (when I ordered the ZigZag, the waitperson asked if I "knew it?" and I said "yes" which was the truth, but do some people not like Syrah or Grenache or both?) and 2 coffees (which coffee was extraordinary) would come to 77 E. Not bad eh?
Go? You'd better soon; today the place was jammed with the owner, one fellow blogger/tour guide, one critic, one magazine photog, some gay couples, some Bobo's and at least one fellow restaurateur. dB level was pretty bad - 88.2 dB (that's a motorcycle).
Coda: Oh yes, why is it called Le Servan when it's one block away from the rue Servan? My fellow blogger/tour guider, who has eaten here a dozen times says it's their way of saying this is "the place in the district" not up there (my wording.)
