Philou

Formerly of Le Square Trousseau (pre-Costes brothers) and Le Crillon Hotel, Chef Philippe Damas opened Philou, a restaurant in the 11th arrondissement between the Canal Saint-Martin and the Hopital Saint-Louis. 

Finding a good bistro in Paris is not hard, but Paris by Mouth named it the best value of Paris 2011 - must mean a lot . The service is friendly (there were about 2 attentive waiters and the chef popping in and out of the kitchen). The decor is very modern; the menu is written on the blackboard (it apparently changes daily), a little round bar at the entrance and a cool Ingo Maurer lighting fixture brightening the room. In the summer, I'm sure the large terrace outside will be very pleasant. 

Entrées:

Foie gras de Canard, pain d'épices et salade d'haricots verts
Duck foie gras, cinnamon bread and green bean salad


It was mi-cuit, silky and smooth. 

Poêlée de cuisses de grenouille et pleurotes à la truffe
Pan-fried frog leg with pleurotes mushrooms with truffle sauce


The pile of pleurotes with truffles didn't hurt as it soaked up the flavor of the frog leg and added a nice golden color to the plate 

Plats:


Rognon de veau et boulangère de céléri
Veal kidneys with celery


Perfectly cooked and rosé, it had a little gamey taste to it which was pleasant. The celery was tender, sweet and soft. 

Faux filet, grenailles et champignons
Faux-filet steak, baby potatoes and mushrooms


Nicely saignant, the roasted potatoes added crunch. 

Gelée de clémentines et riz au lait 

Clementines gelée and rice pudding

Here you'll find classic French cuisine renewed with fresh seasonal ingredients and serving natural wines for not much money. 15 - 30 euros for 1-3 courses. Thank god!


Philou
12 avenue Richerand, 75011
Tel: 01 42 38 00 12
Metro: Goncourt (Ligne 11)