Le Bistrot de l’Université

Went here for lunch — my wife enjoyed the escargot and pâté but found her duck seasoned only with cayenne pepper. My omelette with cheese and mushroom was good but not anything to write home or even to Unilocal about. Decent fare and good but slow service. Atmosphere was cute and homey with pots hanging and the menu brought to your table was a huge chalkboard of today’s specials — that was fun.

Cute little (40 seats) place on a quiet street. Blackboard menu changes almost daily, prepared with the fresh market items. 12 page wine menu with elevated prices. But 8 wines by the pitcher with more reasonable tariffs.
Congenial owner /​chef and amiable waiter. Both reluctant English speakers. They both will open up their smiles & become chatty if you speak French.
Bambie & I each had a opening entrée and generous sized main dishes with a half liter of decent wine. Cooked competently if a bit over salted. Not a stellar meal, but healthy, authentic and satisfying. Out the door for 70 euros.
On a Wednesday evening the place was only filled 40%, so it was pleasantly quiet with middle age Parisians. Bambie & me were the only tourists.
If you want to experience a quieter corner of «real» Paris, this place will give you a glimpse.

On our last night in Paris, we walked down the street and found this little neighborhood gem. Though the only ones seated (it was fairly early by Paris standards), there was something about the warm hospitality of the host, the charming décor, and the delicious smells emanating from the kitchen that made us sure of a great meal. Le Bistrot de l’Universite did not disappoint. The menu, presented in french on a chalk board, was explained in detail by our wonderful host. My leeks in a mustard vinaigrette, tender roast chicken and basil flecked potatoes were delicious. Absolutely the best simple, true bistro fare we had been on the search for all week. But the dessert… who knew a poached pear in red wine could be so satisfying. By the time we left, the place was filled — neighborhood regulars as well as those passing through. If you are looking for a taste of real bistro fare, go to Le Bistrot de l’Universite. Good wine list and digestives as well — 15 year Calvados was smooth.

Like a lot of jet-​lagged Americans, our party of 6 was hungry pretty early. This worked to our advantage, because we arrived here (sans reservation) at 7:30pm to a nearly empty restaurant and they were able to seat us. By the time we departed 90 minutes later, the place was packed.
The menu is filled with incredibly creative French cuisine. For appetizers we marveled over the savory crème brûlée (with purée of peas and torch-​toasted cheese crust) and panna cotta. All of our entrees were excellent. Our server spoke English and was very helpful in recommending dishes. We had a great time here

A little, cozy neighborhood gem.
Yummy French food, a warm ambiance, and *fantastic* (and friendly!) service.
A lovely evening.
Will definitely be back. (Especially for the mushroom risotto! Wow.)

Boiseries, dorures, rideaux rouges… très 18ème ce bistrot.
Il a une gueule sympa, voyons ce que ça vaut.
On s’installe à l’étage, et du coup on se sent un peu délaissés. On passé enfin commande, et je me dis qu’il devrait peut-​être changer de nom, car «bistro» (rapide), n’est pas ce qui définit le mieux le service.
Mon boudin noir aux pommes n’est pas très mauvais, et la purée maison carrément bonne, mais les portions ont l’air un peu radines, chiches…
Desserts pas très réussis. Ma crème brûlée est d’un jaune inquiétant, d’une consistance bizarre. Le crumble, raté (les fruits né sont pas assez sucrés et il n’a rien de croustillant).
L’addition monte vite, même sans vin. Et le patron m’informe d’un air hautain que les tickets resto, il connaît pas.
Une fois suffit…