It may come as a surprise that one of Paris’s three official ‘relais routiers’ (restaurants catering to truck drivers) can be found in the 16th arrondissement, just behind the Musée d’Art Moderne and the Palais de Tokyo. The spot is definitely an original with its blue and red ‘Les Routiers’ logo, red-checked tablecloths, and a menu that features classics like oeufs mayonnaise, veal brains and baba au rhum. On the day we visited, the lunch menu listed a salmon tart and a veal stew for €18, a price that’s certainly in keeping with its Parisian location and bourgeois clientele.
But we were charmed by both the décor and the dishes, the former harking back to the France portrayed in films by Claude Sautet or Henri Verneuil. We were impressed with the oeufs mayonnaise, eggs with a homemade mayonnaise sauce with just the right amount of mustard, as well as the poireaux mimosa, leeks topped with a vinaigrette and chopped eggs. Also delicious are the veal brains and steak au poivre, served with matchstick French fries. For dessert, the profiteroles come enrobed in a homemade chocolate sauce: the perfect ending to the meal.
TRANSLATION: MARIA THOMAS