An eternal slice of France, La Fontaine de Mars rolls out the gingham tablecloths and old-fashioned objects on the shelves for the pleasure of tourists on a Parisian pilgrimage, old-timey celebrities and youngsters with cleverly messed up hairdos. The chef, Pierre Saugrain, has plenty of tricks up his sleeves when it comes to serving classic dishes on vintage plates and using well-sourced ingredients – boudin from Christian Para, asparagus from Sologne, duck from the Vendée… For our last lunch there: a timeless porcini mushroom tart topped with a fried egg – just like grandma used to make; beautiful roasted cod with coco de Paimpol beans stewed generously with tomatoes; before an XXL millefeuille with a vanilla-heavy cream – instead of the famous praline floating island, wolfed down by Barack himself. // R.deC.
FEELING THIRSTY? The wine selection goes cock-a-doodle-do: a Gaillac red from the Domaine Rotier (€5 a glass), a Provence rosé from the Château de Selle (€13.50), Les Caillottes, a Sancerre white from Pascal Jolivet (€47 a bottle) or a Brouilly Vieilles Vignes from Lapalu (€34).
PRICE: Dish of the day €23, à la carte €39-101.
