Review: Bistrot Victoires

The look on their faces: that’s the satisfaction that comes from getting what you want.  Which, in this case, was a good time with food and wine to follow a tasting at Spring Boutique. We hadn’t reserved, it was spur of the moment, and we were suffering from post-Bigarrade poverty disorder.

In Paris, no money + no reservation is usually a recipe for disaster. If something is cheap, it is often disgusting. Few options exist between the falafel and the €40 carte. The rare exceptions – restaurants that are both delicious and cheap – are always booked.

Photo: Hidden Kitchen/Flickr

Enter Bistrot Victoires, a bustling place three doors down from Les Fines Gueules and just off the place des Victoires. Two friends, who eat out more than anyone I know (save Mr. Talbott), had recommended it several times.

Photo: Hidden Kitchen/Flickr

We poked our heads in around 9:45 and were greeted with a smile. Our waiter arrived, wearing a cloud of herbal smoke and fresh from (we assumed) a joint  in the alley. It turns out that the smell was actually from a burning branch of thyme that topped the steak with hand-cut fries. It was an honest mistake – he was friendly… in France! Anyone would assume that he had to be high.

The food is fine. It’s not creative, not life-changing, not divine. But it really is quite fine and it costs almost nothing. We four girls each had a main (steak frites, duck confit, roasted chicken), split two desserts (apple tart, profiteroles), and shared two bottles of Morgon. With flattering globe lighting, nostaligic decor and friendly service, it was everything we needed.

And the price: €22 each. A victory indeed!

Bistrot Victoires
6 rue La Vrillière, 75001
01 42 61 43 78
Open every day