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Le Poisson Rouge - Window

View of Rue Canal St. Martinl from the restaurant

For the last two years,  I have been staying in a little hotel near the Canal St. Martin.  I like this area a lot.  It is young and hip, but not too young. So I can fit in.  My favorite artisanal bakery is here. So are a couple of wine bars. One is Le Verre Volé on 67, rue de Lancry, 75010 but basically it's impossible to get a table there, unless you go there around 10pm, and if you try going there alone, most likely never.  One of the guys at Le Verre Vole recommended another wine bar/cafe nearby. It is  Le Poisson Rouge, on Rue de Jemmapes, facing the Canal.   

At Le Poisson Rouge, I usually sit outside.  I love watching the  people stroll along the canal, play music, drink wine, eat.  But this area never gets too noisy. I like to come here at dusk when the street lights come on.  Inside seating is also good. It is comfortable and cozy. The red wall matches the name of the bistro. It's an earthy red.

They have a nice selection of country wines, vin de pays

Their speciality is fish, but they also serves meat and a variety of seasonal vegetables. The size of their menu is just enough to fit the fish shape chalk board, and it changes seasonally. Their wine selection is three times larger, so you know where they put their emphasis.  I come here to enjoy just as much as the food as I do the wine. They have a decent selection of vin de pays.  I tried a  glass of Minervois , Cuvee "La Nine", a full bodied red wine from the south of France, near the border of Spain. It was the wine that the people next to me were drinking, and what the waiter recommended.  The wine was dark ruby. It was juicy and aromatic. I enjoyed it a lot.

 

The menu

I usually order the octopus salad to start with, but tonight  I went for the artichoke caviar. Since I began growing artichokes back home, I have been looking for recipes using artichokes.  The artichokes were pureed like eggplant caviar and mixed with a little cream. The seasoning was very mild. There were some small artichoke pieces in the puree, which gave it a nice texture.  The side of fresh greens was nice.  I ate the caviar with French bread. Ate too much bread. This always happens to me when I am in Paris.

I had a glass of Alsatian Riesling with the artichoke caviar.

Artichoke caviar

For the main course, I ordered a grilled monk fish on a bed of fennel rissoto.  Bite size pieces of the fish were served on skewers.  The risotto was a little mushy but I liked the taste of the fennel.  The for 2 glasses of wine, 2 dishes came to 37 euros. I've been here with friends and alone.  Today was my night alone. 

Le Poisson Rouge

112, Quai de Jemmanpes

75010 Paris

Tel 01 40 40 07 11

Metro: Jacques Bonsergent

Le Verre Volé.

67, rue de Lancry, 75010.

Tel: 01 48 03 17 34.

Métro: Jacques Bonsergent.