Review: Tartes Kluger

I began to wonder, while sitting at the communal table and trying to fork the last stray strands of an arugula salad, could Tartes Kluger be the most bobo meal I’ve ever had? Before I continue, let me define that term. The word “bobo” – a contraction of bourgeois and bohemian - is one that we use often around these parts. It was coined by David Brooks to describe a new sort of upper class who “grow affluent while remaining opposed to materialism,” who “live amidst commerce while admiring art and intellect,” and who “cultivate ever finer tastes about ever more simple things.”

My experience began when I first learned about Tartes Kluger from Le Fooding, a primary source of continuing education for our local bobo community. While watching the website’s video cooking series on my laptop (from a café equipped with Illy beans and Wi-Fi), I was seduced by the simplicity of Kluger’s carrot and coriander tarte.

The day of my visit happened to coincide with a hopping brocante (flea market) on and around the rue de Forez. The Bugaboo strollers were backed up for blocks behind stands selling vintage “decorative tools.” I escaped into the loft-like space to find two old friends waiting for me:

Two American food mags touting the simple pleasures of (local, sustainable, seasonal) eating. I mean, seriously – how bobo is that? I ordered my tarte and began to flip through the pages while my neighbors discussed the upcoming ventes privées (private sales). When lunch arrived – an individual tarte with salad in a gleaming metal bowl – I ate carefully to avoid dribbling on the final issue of Gourmet. The tarte – an incredibly simple combination of crust and eggy filling – was one of the best I’d ever had. Of course, the full-size version is something that any French woman could assemble for less than €5. But who has time to cook? Modern bobos are more than willing to pay €9 for a small bite, and €25 for a party-sized tarte. Madame Kluger and her minions will even deliver.

I capped my experience with a visit to the art gallery next door, but others might prefer a trip to the design bookshop on rue Dupetit Thouars. Either way, it’s a perfectly bobo afternoon in the beating heart of bobodom.

In a nutshell: Tartes Kluger produces delicious tartes for takeaway and delivery. They also serve a great and girly lunch with a side dish of cooking magazines.

Tartes Kluger
6 Rue du Forez, 3rd arrondissement
01 53 01 53 53
Open Monday to Saturday from 10am-8pm, and Sunday from 11am-4pm

If you like the sound of Kluger but want more quirk:
Le Loir dans la Théière
3 rue des Rosiers, 4th arrondissement
01 42 72 90 61

> Read other trusted reviews on Tartes Kluger at Paris by Mouth