6.7 (I wavered between ratings, but all in the 6.0-7.5 range*) Le Tourbillon (which means whirlwind), 116, rue des Dames in the 17th, closed Sundays (Metro: Villers) 09.83.01.10.81 is a whirlwind in this very trendy/hopping part of the 17th. The exterior is once again, zen, the interior the same but the menu is intriguing.
I was eating alone so I ordered some "bio" Cotes du Rhone which came with some lovely amuse-gueules of sardine mousses on toasted baguette pieces and a cheese "cookie."
I started with gambas tempured-style that were perfectly sourced and cooked with a "chutney" of mangos and raisins on top of spicy rocket, or maybe that's vice-versa; then quenelles de brochet in not a Nantua sauce but one of an essence of green crabs that sopped up with the OK bread or spooned was simply delicious, with a mixture of white and crisp grilled rice; and ended with an array of sorbets, the most interesting of which was, of all things, strawberry.
My bill, with nice coffee and even nicer mignardises, 50cl of wine and no bottled water comes in at 56 E but for a couple would be 101 E and with the 22 E menus, 73 E. Noise level 64.1 playing the American Song Book but not intrusively.
Go? I'd say so. Yes, definitely. Go!
* PS. I pretend to rate only the food, not the decor, welcome, ambiance, silverware, prompt delivery of plates, niceness of the staff and chef, reasonable prices, etc., and I argue with my friend and fellow blogger R. who insists on rating the "whole experience" but it's all a bluff, all those things really do count. And here everything was aligned in the right direction - that is - Up!
