Le Comptoir is so conveniently located for tourists and shoppers and has such a good food reputation that magazines, guidebooks and blogs trip over themselves to say nice things. It’s an understatement to say dinner reservations at the tiny bistro are hard to come by, so it’s pretty excellent that the bistro doesn’t take reservations for lunch.
I hadn’t planned to re-visit Le Comptoir this trip (can it really be, already, a year and a half since I was last at Le Comptoir?), but Jon and I found ourselves seized with hunger at around 3 pm on Easter Sunday, and every shop and cafe we sought out was closed for the holiday. So, knowing that the very-French-looking Le Comptoir is open a very un-French-like 24-7 (even holidays!), I walked us over Le Petit Pont and down to Le Comptoir.
Oeufs mayonnaise (the name is the recipe: hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise) may be simple and not much to look at, but I love them. It’s the homemade mayonnaise that makes Le Comptoir’s version a standout – extra yolky with a vinegar tang and black pepper kick.
Jon’s tranche du lard de cochon (“slice of pig fat”) had the goodness you can get only from braising pork belly for a gazillion hours until it’s so soft it’s almost translucent.
Sadly, Jon was not a fan of his creme lentilles soup, and the vegetables piled onto my onglet (hanger steak) were soggy and flavorless. Limp, tasteless veg was the same problem I had the last time I was at Le Comptoir, so maybe it’s a chronic problem and not a one-off.
Still, we were so glad Le Comptoir was open for lunch; service was fast and friendly; and our tab came to 60 euros for two starters, two mains and a carafe of house red, so I understand Le Comptoir’s enduring popularity.
Le Comptoir du Relais, 9, Carrefour de l’Odeon, +33 (0)1 44 27 07 97. Closest Metro: Odeon
For a few extra bucks, or euros in this case, I recommend the boutique hotel Relais St. Germaine owned by the chef. Adjacent to the restaurant and reasonably priced as boutique hotels go, it has its superb location, and a stay there guarantees evening seating at Le Comptoir on Mondays, breakfast, and a knowing smile from the waiters when you decide to have lunch there. When we stayed at the hotel rates were 275€ per night.
Hi Parishomeshares, I’d read somewhere that part of the reason Yves Camdeborde gave up La Regalade was so he could try his hand at running a hotel, too, so it’s nice to hear his hotel is worth the money. The photos on the hotel’s website make it look gorgeous: http://www.hotel-paris-relais-saint-germain.com/
I might offer a comment on the limp vegetables you had….I went to a cooking school here in Paris and our class was taught that the french way to cook vegetables is to make them all soft & limp…as if they are over-cooked. Well, that’s the American perspective since we tend to like ours al dente. My vegetables were always considered undercooked at school, but I found that so much better than limp!! This might explain what you experienced, but I can’t offer anything about the tasteless part! I was just at Le Comptoir du Relais last week, and I enjoyed every bit of the oeuf mayonnaise that I ordered that day! Your picture looks great!
girl cook in paris – that is a great insight (about the French tradition of cooking veg softer than an American might prefer). That said, I did find Le Comptoir’s veg to have lost its flavor, and at other Paris restaurants I’ve enjoyed (Itineraires, L’Astrance), the veg may have been softer than I’d cookit myself, but it was still tasty.
I will keep a lookout, though, next time I’m in Paris, and bear in mind your comment. Thanks for commenting, and I’m glad you’re also a fan of the oeuf mayonnaise. : )
I dont get it.
On most websites I read that there is only a set meal for dinner with reservation.
I had dinner several times here. And there was a full menu and making a reservation was impossible.
Only one time they made up the tables for the set meal. Only possibility was to sit outside but i was too cold.
What is the deal? Only a set meal on certain days?
I didnt find out.
Harry – “the deal” is that the Comptoir takes reservations for dinner on weekdays & does not take reservations for lunch or dinner on weekends. Was there last week & decided to wait a little longer for a table inside – virtually everyone else, however, was willing to eat outside in gigantic coats and scarves. Incidentally? The best apple tart for dessert that I can remember eating. Would have sat under blankets for the privilege.
Thanks so much for this blog, London!
[...] Itineraires was just as (if not more) delicious and wonderful an experience as it was last November when we first ate there. Le Comptoir, however, was much less appealing than it was last March. [...]
Please e-mail info re availability for 9/21-9/28/10 as well as current rates. Thanks. Jan
Hi Jan, I think you’ve mistaken me for the restaurant!
Kind regards, Alice
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I love the pic of ouefs mayonnaise — such a great and simple presentation.
Vegetables in France are usually overcooked by American tastes, the real secret to good vegetables is they should be braised — look for telltale little brown spots. Braising brings up the sugars in vegetables like green beans and carrots. If they aren’t braised then they are most likely just boiled, and not that great.