Chez la Vieille Two Americans in Paris

Elliott Barnes has delightfully renovated this historical Parisian bistrot with the savoir-faire of showcasing original elements while adding tasteful touches of modernity, such as the kitchen countertop on the ground floor, inspired by the original house bar which has been revisited in light wood and tin and rests on a pedestal lit by diamond-shaped medallions as it was back in the olden days. He’s kept the original flooring as well, with it’s grey, black, and white cement tiles. Up the stairwell on the first floor is the cozy yet rustically elegant restaurant dining room, done in a sophisticated matt “steel blue” shade. A particularly lovely hand made metal beaded chandelier is the room’s centerpiece, transporting us back to Roaring Twenties Paris.

“La Vieille” literally means “Old Lady”, but years ago French cook Adrienne who first opened the place was only 25 at the time. She was known for her strong, authentically French temperament and her cuisine that reflected it. Daniel Rose fell in love with the place, and carries on the tradition with dishes evocative of the old Halles market era with starters such as the lentils and foie gras for 13€ or the herring and potato for 8€; main dishes like the blood sausage from Basque country served with apples for 9€, or the delightful made-the-way-your-French-grandmother-would-make-it-if-you-had-one La Vieille’s blanquette de veau for 20€; and ultimate comfort desserts such as the rice pudding with pink pralines for 6€ or the little pots of cream for 6€. To top it off, the cooks are very accommodating of any dietary restrictions.

Open from 12:00pm to 2:30pm for lunch and from 7:30pm to 10:30pm for dinner
Closed on Sundays and Mondays