Petit Baigneur
Monday, February 2, 2009
Le Petit Baigneur
10 rue de la Sablière, 14th
M° Pernety, or M° Alésia
Tel 01 45 45 47 12
Review and photos by Sue Nally
Tucked in an out of the way corner of the 14th, Le Petit Baigneur provides a very French experience without the Parisian prices.
This small restaurant is big on charm with its rustic decor – think small wooden tables and chairs, vintage tin advertisements, and wine crates. Far from tourist throngs, it feels more “neighborhood-y” than “kitschy”. Plaid tablecloths with paper covering set a casual tone while the smallish tables make it well suited for cozy dinners for two.
The menu offers French home cooking-style dishes with a 2-course lunch menu for €14, 50 and a 3-course dinner menu for €19,50.
While not exactly a vegetarian’s delight, there are one or two fish dishes to select on the menu. The menu is strong on simple meat dishes such as Lapin à la Moutarde, Steak Haché, and Entrecôte Sauce Roquefort. The rabbit in mustard sauce was tender and delicious while my French companion was very content with his rib steak with blue cheese sauce (Entrecôte Sauce Roquefort). During two recent visits, the wine was well matched to our choices, and exceeded expectations.
The desserts range from cakes and tartes “du jour” to lighter fruit dishes and fromage blanc. The rich moelleux au chocolate didn’t disappoint and the creamy fromage blanc à la crème de marron (chestnut cream) tasted like anything but “diet” food.
The restaurant clientele was predominantly local with one or two Anglophones who seemed to have been brought by a local in the know. Service was consistently warm and friendly. We chatted amiably with our host after the first visit and he let us know that an American flight crew makes regular stops at Le Petit Baigneur.
Le Petit Baigneur does fill up after 20:00, even during the week. They don’t accept reservations for couples, so your best bet is to go early.
They do accept Ticket Restaurant and credit cards. Reservation recommended for 3 or more. Closed Saturday lunchtime and Sundays.
A Boston native and relative Paris newcomer, Sue Nally is the somewhat proud owner of a patchwork resume of jobs, interests, and previous addresses including New York City and Galway, Ireland. Frankfurt, Germany was most recently “home” for 9 years, where she gained writing experience with the former Woman Abroad magazine and coordinated a professional women’s networking group. She finds Paris inspiring as a graphic designer, and especially loves that it provides endless material for her hobby: collecting useful info on all places and things deemed cool and unusual.
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