5.3 Leo Dupont, 16 Rue de la Grande Chaumiere in the 6th, 01.43.29.43.31, closed Sundays and Mondays (Metro: Vavin) opned about a month ago and got reasonablly good writeups by the boys at Figaro. It's a really nice looking, clean decored "bistrot a (bons) vins" with an interesting menu. (that is, carte).
On the table when I arrived were slices of sausage that were really, really good and I thought that boded very well for the meal. Then we had our firsts: an onion soup the color of tired dishwater with the oversalted taste of well, dishwater and my heart sank; but my male friend had thick slices of gravelox with delicious warm potatoes such as come with herring andI had very nice tempured shrimp with a really spicy (good) sauce and salad - and we were back on track.
Then Madame had some slices of very fine qulity foie gras on a bed of haricots verts and M. and I had the calamari, which was frankly, disappointing and orinary, with a sauce which, with the rice, made the dish. At this point I called for a vote: 0-10. He 5.3, she 5.1, me 4.8. He: "Lets cut our losses and get out." Me: "I dunno." She: "Order the moelleux and we'll see how it goes."
With a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage, pathetic bread in my mind but not my guests, 3 coffees and the meal as described, the bill would have amounted to 79.66 E a couple (but they did take the onion soup off the bill after Madame remonstrated, so in actuality it was less).
Go? Tough call. They're trying and when they're good they are very very good, but when..........