Henry Beach

Review of Le baratin creperie

As an Englishman, walking into La Baratin is what ...

As an Englishman, walking into La Baratin is what one expects from Paris. Greeted with immediate ambivalence, you are ushered into mahogany seats as the bad cop bar tender tutters at your linguistic impotence and the good cop waiter soothes you, offering cute descriptions of the illegible chalk board menu. The food itself is a delicious blend of old and new French cuisine. Where Bordeaux flows as freely as a magnum of Sardinian blanc. Starters (14 euro approx) were slimy and satisfying - carpaccio oysters brought alive by flakes of coriander, tartare of fish with nutty root veg. Mains were bold (24-32 Euro), buttery staples of sweetbreads and lamb - no frills with the garnish. It s all about the main event. Desert was chocolate mousse, dark silky and moorish and a pear sponge, unctuous and caramelised. A place well worth the trip.