The restaurant, owned by the Michelin star chef, Christian Constant, requires no reservation, which is good as long as you arrive early. We went on a Saturday for lunch, arriving about 5 minutes after it opened. The wait staff swiftly seated us.
One thing I should mention is the seats are like bar stools, in other words you are sitting high and your feet do not touch the floor. Due to this it is not a restaurant which would suit anyone with a mobility impairment. As it was I felt very clumsy trying to get into the seat, but that is because I feel clumsy all the time.
Note: Our ability to speak French is very, very limited. The wait person picked this up very quickly and kindly explained the menu to us as well as the specials of the day. This post will not appear on Zomato as apparently Paris, Illinois, United States, Paris, Texas etc are the only Paris’s that are recognised. France is not included as one of the countries which can be reviewed by that website.
Jamie
I chose the asparagus wrapped in ham, for an appetiser which was the special of the day. It arrived and my only criticism was there could have been more ham. The ham was almost crispy and added a depth of flavour to the asparagus. It was light and fresh and a perfect starter. The asparagus had been cooked just enough so there was some resistance when it was cut and eaten but it was not cooked to the point where it was squishy.
For the main I chose another special which was Roast Lamb which was served on a bed of cheesy pasta. This dish was served in a cocotte, as most meals as, hence the name of the restaurant. To be honest, when it arrived at the table, I wondered if I would be satisfied with the amount it contained.
Lamb is not my favourite meat but as we are travelling and people keep encouraging me to try new things, I cut off a small piece and ate it. My recent experience of trying lamb at Blackfire in Canberra convinced me that cooked correctly, lamb can be a very tasty meat. The lamb at La Cocottes only reinforced this belief. It was not overcooked or undercooked and had a lovely flavour without the aftertaste I often associate with this meat. It was so well prepared that the fat, which I normally remove, was eaten.
To balance my enjoyment of the lamb I tried the cheesy pasta. I really liked the lamb but I loved the cheesy pasta. It was rich, not too dry or oily or any of those other things pasta can be but tasted of butter, oil, cheese and excellence. Grudgingly Harper was offered a taste on the understanding that it was only a taste and further tastes were not forthcoming.
After eating everything I was saddened to realise there was no room left for dessert.
I cleaned my plate and would return again for the cheesy pasta.
Score: 5/5
Harper
I ordered the Butternut Squash soup which was served with crushed chestnuts. The soup was light, creamy with a beautiful flavour and the crunch of the chestnuts was a much more pleasant accompaniment than normal croutons. I thought there was only a hint of pumpkin and the overwhelming flavour that was neither pumpkin or chestnut but something distinctly rich and comforting.
For the main I ordered the Lobster Ravioli in foam. The foam had a distinct and very rich taste, while the lobster was very mild almost to the point of being overwhelmed by the flavour of the foam. The foam was a very enjoyable experience but I could not have eaten any more of it, although I enjoyed what I had.
Score: 4/5
Overall
The chairs were not wonderfully comfortable but the excellence of the food makes up for it. We enjoyed the food so much that later in the week, we had dinner at the cafe owned by Christian Constant, a few shops up from Les Cocottes. It also was of a very high standard and I hope to revisit both of these restaurants when we return to Paris. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, the staff are efficient and it is a wonderful experience.
Overall Score: 4.5/5
Clean the Plate 