Lined with garlands of scarlet lightbulbs, the bohemian courtyard of this neighborhood restaurant is a striking contrast with its interior that’s dressed like a freshly minted dime – all clean paneling and white tablecloths. But the radiant human warmth of Bénédicte Migliaccio, who takes care of guests, and the orchestral plates by Frank, her husband, largely make up for it… Take the day we went for lunch as proof, and the pyromaniac flambéed tarts, prepared using the classic recipes, with farm-fresh Munster cheese, or “fresh from the forest”; a presidential cordon blue with chicken, farm-fresh bargkass cheese and cured Alsatian ham, a mushroom sauce, spätzle and vegetables glazed in butter – preferred, wrongly or rightly, to the local Elsass burger with homemade fries, or the (dry-aged) T-bone steak with marchand de vin sauce, which had the next table over licking their lips. Not to mention the comforting French toast style kouglof, enriched with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon cream for dessert. // M.J.-D.
FEELING THIRSTY? La Renardière, a Pouilly-Fumé (€5 a glass), a Corbières red from the Château La Baronne (€4), an Alsace Riesling from Paul Buecher (€30 a bottle) or an organic Costières-de-Nîmes red from the Domaine Galus (€30).
PRICE: Flambéed tarts €8-11, à la carte €27-57.
