Auberge de la Reine Blanche @ rue Saint-Louis en L'ile

Traditional French food in a quaint hole in the wall restaurant.....

While researching for places to eat in Paris, I found this highly recommended eatery on Trip Adviser so I decided to try it out. Loved the location! - on a small isle in the middle of the Seine River, in a quaint area filled with narrow streets and shop houses:
The restaurant from the outside...
Inside, the restaurant is pretty cramped but somehow feels cosy rather than claustrophobic (although admittedly, I didn't really enjoy being quite that close to my fellow diners):
All the tables were packed within inches of each other!...
The menu and daily specials are mostly in French (and some English) but the wait staff here speak really decent English (AND are really friendly) so there's nothing to worry about in terms of language barriers. :)

I asked for my waiter to recommend a proper French meal to me, so he suggested I start off with the Pastis (Euro 7++) apéritif from the Marseilles region:
Pastis!...
Wowza - it was strong.
(I learnt later on Wikipedia that Pastis is generally between 40-45% alcohol!)

Hmmm,.. I didn't really like it though because there was a very strong taste of star anise and licorice (which I am ok with, but don't really love) but my intention was to try something different so I was happy with it. :)

Quickly feeling the effects of the Pastis (on my empty stomach) I started shoving the free crusty bread with the accompanying mild cheese spread down my throat (aka. Attempt at damage control! Haha...):
Bread & cheese - French staples!...
Luckily the Duck Salad (part of 3 course set, Euro 19.50++) came pretty quickly or I may have been stuffed with bread due to my own folly:
The duck salad...
When I saw the dark and shriveled looking pieces of duck sparsely scattered in the fresh greens, I was a bit disappointed....

I thought I was in for a jaw breaking session, but was surprised to find out the duck was actually moist and yummy. It was also pretty salty, so the small amount went well with the simple vinaigrette dressed salad. I think it would have been better without so much cheese though, because it made it a bit too salty at times.

The red wine (Euro 8++) recommended by the waiter went very well with the duck (and I was starting to get a bit drunk by that point):
More alcohol...
By this time, my expectations were very high... but I ended up being a bit disappointed with my main, the Bouef Bourguignon (part of 3 course set, Euro 19.50++):
French beef stew...
This is a very simple classic French dish, pieces of beef stewed with vegetables, but the beef texture was a downer and the stew was kinda tasteless... :( :( I tried explaining this to the waiter at the end of my meal (just as feedback, not a complaint) but I guess they are not used to getting bad feedback here as he didn't understand the words "bland", "tough" or "dry and a bit stringy".

Luckily, the Dessert of the Day (part of 3 course set, Euro 19.50++) was pretty good:
The delightful dessert of the day...
It was a mix of 2 slices of cake/ pie with a small serving of raspberry custard on the side - overall, simple and refreshing! :)

Despite being quite stuffed and a bit tipsy by then, I did not want to back down from having the full, proper French meal so I ended with a Douce (Euro 9++) digestif:
Alcohol, food, alcohol, food, alcohol - layers of sin in my tummy...
Yummy. :D
It was (again) really strong, but I loved the really intense flavours of fruit - peaches and pears, I think. It was also super sweet though, so I could only attempt small sips at a time.

Later, I stumbled out of the restaurant, (...trying to look graceful while I'm at it) and ambled along the river bank, enjoying the sunshine and trying in vain to "walk off" the calories. :)
(Sure, the meal wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it anyway.... I just wish I had the time & money to go back for a second round)


So, it's: Adorable hole in the wall restaurant, good range of traditional French cuisine, restaurant staff speak English! :) BUT it can be a little too cosy, especially during peak hours (tables are packed very, very closely)....

Summary Information:
Auberge de la Reine Blanche @ rue Saint-Louis en L'ile, Paris

Opening Hours: Open 7 days a week (12noon - 3pm, 6pm - late).
Phone: +33 146330787
Address: 19, rue Saint-Louis en L'ile, Paris 75004, France

NOT SURE WHETHER HALAL

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Paris, Auberge de la Reine Blanche , Restaurant, Paris, France