La Bonne Franquette

This typical Montmartre bistro that periodically becomes a cabaret, has stood on this site in various permutations for over 400 years. Being the snob that I can be, that was reason enough to avoid it, but on this crisp fall morning I popped in to take off the chill with a café/calva, and met owner Patrick Fracheboud who went the extra mile and served me a glass of calvados with my coffee.

02

 AUXBILLARDS_000.jpg

 
 
It was almost lunch time and feeling a good vibe I grabbed a seat and ordered an unexpectedly good meal that began with a Crémant de Bourgogne from Albert Bichot from Patrick's cave. As a recipient of Le Grand Prix de la Presse du Vin en Retauration I knew that Patrick's selections would be excellent, again a welcome surprise from a bistro in such a tourist dominated environment.
 
terrine
 
For starters I had  terrines de lapin et volaille served with a sauvignon blanc 2014 from Domaine Michel-Viré Clesse.
 
This was followed by sautéed girolle mushroooms for which I switched to a wonderful Haut-Médoc 2011 from Chateau Malecasse that was an ideal partner for Boeuf bourgignon à la Bonne Franquette.
boeuf

I soldiered on with an assortment of bries: Meaux, Melun et Nangis but had no room desert.

I will climb the mountain again to enjoy this charming bistro.

 

01

La Bonne Franquette • 18 Rue Saint-Rustique, 75018 Paris


Events

icon events

Regularly scheduled literary salons with guest writers, private dinners, restaurant openings, wine tastings,market visits and cooking classes attract a discerning, sophisticated crowd who love to have a good time while they learn. Our cadre of Paris–based colleagues happily share their passion for this magical city.
   

The Paris Insider Newsletter

THE PARIS INSIDER family of weekly newsletters,Including THE PARIS INSIDER (Tuesday,) THE PARIS READERS CIRCLE (Wednesday,) THE PARIS WEEKENDER (Thursday,) and THE PARIS INTERVIEW (Friday) offer freshly written reviews about restaurants, museums, books, events, showings and what's on in Paris. Arriving at 9:15 AM Pacific Time you'll receive all of this plus tips on excursions to the surrounding regions from Champagne to the Loire Valley and much more. Thank you for subscribing.

Bistros

icon bistro

No one should have a bad meal in Paris! Whether a 2-star restaurant or a local bistro there should always be an excellent rapport qualité prix– relationship between price and quality. At my favorites you will be treated as a regular and have a satisfying experience. Just tell them  “Terrance sent you.”