Modern seafood bistro
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| crispy egg yolk, leeks vinaigrette, seaweed, baked hake |
Les Fables de la Fontaine is a small modern casual restaurant not far off from the Eiffel Tower, it was awarded a Michelin star from its last guide. The restaurant is known for taking seafood central stage, with specials such as whole turbot cooked on the grill. One of the main reasons for me to book Les Fables is after an extensive research on Michelin restaurant across Paris, this place appear to be the cheapest one, with a set lunch menu only costing 24 Euro and mains from a la carte about 25 Euro. Many other 1 star Paris restaurants would cost north of 40 Euro just with main course alone so I was keen to test out if the quality of Les Fables can match some of the other 1 star venues I have tried.
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| oysters, cucumber jelly, green apple, lemon caviar |
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| raw salmon, cream cheese, beetroot, watermelon radish |
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| skated wing, spinach, capers, citrus |
The best starter was the crispy egg with haddock, it was beautifully crafted and the salty baked fish along with the seaweed created a well constructed plate of good cooking. My skate wing main was a major let down, the sour element from the caper and lemon was far too aggressive and overtaken the entire dish. The seabass on the other hand was a contrast, the meat was really moist and sweet, with the natural flavours of the shellfish plus the mild flavours from the green curry emulsion really enhanced the whole plate with a great combination of textures. The Desserts were magnificent, the lemon pie's pastry was faultless, crispy and refined with the perfect balance of sweet and sour tastes.
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| seabass, shellfish, green curry emulsion, powered shallot |
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| cod fish, aioli, steamed vegetables, olive oil |
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| Breton shortbread, lemon tart |
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| banana souffle, rum ice cream |
I really liked what I have encountered at Les Fables, apart from the very questionable Skate wing main, everything were very enjoyable. At first I feared the restaurant would be a 1 trick pony and would be only good at seafood and nothing else, but I was proven wrong with some of the finest desserts I have tasted from my Paris trip. The star quality was clearly shown, this restaurant can easily rival any 1 star restaurants over in London and at such an affordable price, it would be no surprise for me that the place would be extremely popular in the summer. After all, who doesn't like a great fish dish with a fine glass of white wine?
Food 4/5
What I paid:
£50 per head with a glass of wine
Average cost without drinks and services:
50 Euro
131 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France
http://lesfablesdelafontaine.net/?lang=en
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