There are some restaurants we’re chuffed to see multiply in numbers. Not Quick Burger, no, we’re talking about Christian Etcebest’s canteens, the south-western French chef for whom bistro cuisine is more than just a word. His latest restaurant, La Cantine du Cherche Midi (the fourth after Pernety, Dupleix and Daguerre) is slap-bag in the middle of the 6th arrondissement and ticks all the boxes with its generous, well-executed fare.
His newest addition is all wooden tables, red benches and a chalkboard menu, comprising five starters, mains and desserts. Hard-boiled eggs served with homemade mayonnaise were unbeatable (€5), while the hare parmentier (the French version of a cottage pie) was soft and superbly spiced (€25) – comfort food at its finest. The same goes for the homemade apple pie and whipped cream. And because no true bistro functions without cheap plonk, the selection of wines here is as generous and honest as the rest of the affair, like the Rhône Ardèche La Souteronne 2013 (€7 by the glass).
If prices were a little more wallet-friendly, this is the kind of bistro we’d hole up every single lunchtime.
TRANSLATION: MEGAN CARNEGIE