Andreas Mavrommàtis arrived in Paris 30 years ago from Cyprus to study Psychology and thankfully got sidetracked into cooking. Today the Mavrommàtis banner flies over two restaurants in Paris, eight traiteurs and the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus.

Another celebration at Mavrommatis

Hard to believe but M has endured me for seven years-albeit my visa is only valid from sundown on Friday until after breakfast on Sunday, with occasional exceptions.

Recalling our last experience, I confidently booked another evening at Mavrommatis in recognition of M's stamina.

Our waiter/sommelier, Facile from Athens, suggested a Retsina PAGIAMAKOS that destroyed any memory of those cheap wines that accompanied moussaka at mom and pop Greek restaurants across America. It was a refreshing apéritif and so good that we stayed with it until the bootlle was empty.

To optimize our experience we shared two different Découverte des Mézédes that included carpaccio de daurade, aubergine pissalidière with shrimp & encornets, ravioli with creamy parmesan and swiss chard, tartellete de artichoke with manori cheese and creamed spinach, zucchini flowers stuffed with crab meat and shot glass of baby pea soup-magnifique or megaloprepís!

I continued with plat du jour, a seafood stew of langoustines and mussels while M hit the jackpot with sweetbreads with thyme potatoes, black truffles and greeen and red swiss chard. We moved on to a red from St. George Skouras.

M was presented with a candle topped thyme and honey yogurt with roasted walnuts while I  loved my confit of quince with goat's milk yogurt, almond ice cream, sweet wine and spices.

Chef Mavrommatis sets a beautful table that features tableware designed by the great singer and friend of la maison, Georges Moustaki and artistically presented cuisine. I may have to give in and take M to Greece.

Return to Mavrommàtis (scroll down for original review)

Andreas Mavrommàtis arrived in Paris 30 years ago from Cyprus to study Psychology and thankfully got sidetracked into cooking. Today the Mavrommàtis banner flies over two restaurants in Paris, eight traiteurs and the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus.

Jean-Luc Petitrenaud had recently broadcast a show featuring Andreas and his family including his mom who was brought in from Cyprus to add an historical link to Andreas’ cooking style–my mouth watered until I booked a table.

It was M’s birthday and Sortiris who has a genial smile to compensate for his bodyguard physique selected a table by a window and poured a 2005 Domaine Parparoussis Muscat de Rio Patras that was fuller than its French cousin.

Before reading remove any thoughts of avgolemeno soup, greasy spanikopita and moussaka–this was Greek haute cuisine.

We allowed Sortiris to create our meal and it started out splendidly with a plate of appetizers: crunchy gambas with a concasse of tomato, grilled octopus, millefeuille tarama of cod, marinated octopus with smoked eggplant purée and a pissaladière of calamari and basil.

Fortunately, not a drop of Retsina was to found, instead, our sommelier Eugenia, dug into her cave to continue our education about Greek wines and produced a 2010 Domaine Iselopos Mantinia that M found to be full, floral, and fruity and long on the palate.

M’s grilled gambas were accompanied by a 2005 Nemea (Rouge) from Domaine Parparoussis and my dégustation d’agneau (saddle and stuffed with mint and rolled) with grape leaves were savored with a 2007 Cava Mercouri (not Melina) that was full-bodied, redolent of red berries and long on the palate.

The elegantly light desserts were crème brulée pistache and a Greek version of strawberry shortcake. The Parparoussis family provided a 2003 Mavrodafine that resembled a Banyuls for the “shortcake” and a 2003 Domaine Sigalo facilitated the crème brulée sacrifice. We of course swapped glasses.

I eased back in my chair to reflect on this lovely meal when Andreas abandoned the stoves for the night and patrolled the dining room exchanging bisous with friends and customers, eventually joining us and commandeering more wine and some nibbles.

Don’t ask me what we were drinking but I refused nothing and when the best feta I’ve ever tasted was drizzled with Greek olive oil I reached for my refilled glass of red and told myself how lucky I was to be living in Paris.

42 rue Daubenton Paris 5eme

01-4331-1717

 Original Review

My Beau Fils  was visiting Tante Yvette at La Chazotte so my daughter had invited me for dinner in a delayed celebration of my birthday.Her choice was Mavrommàtis, the Greek restaurant favored by her English student and my culinary rabbi, Albert Nahmias.

It was brutally hot and we were offered a refreshing ouzo and chateau 5eme (tap water) followed by coupes de champagne.

Patricia ordered for us. To start a tzatziki consisting of a croustillant de gambas au basilic, dolmades of grape leaves with pine nuts and dill and keftédès d’agneau avec échalote confites et menthe fraiche.
The main course was a perfectly grilled bar resting on a pissaladière à l’ognion doux et olives kalamata, roquette. It was all eased down by a Greek red from Péloponnèse at 8 euros the glass.

I continued to follow Patricia’s cues and finished with Yaourt de Brebis au miel de thym and milk shake de noix torréfiées.

A lovely evening and only 35 euros per person plus wine.

42 rue Daubenton, Paris 75005
Tel: 01-4331-1717
Lunch: Tuesday-Sunday
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday
Metro: Censier Daubenton