Les Terrines, a bistro in the hands of a master

After heading up les Trois Marches at the Trianon Palace in Versailles for thirty years, Gérard Vié has  set up shop less than five minutes on foot from the Hotel Aviatic in the rue du Cherche Midi, probably attracted by the reputation of our hotel and – more seriously – by the beauty and calm of the neighbourhood.

Like many great chefs who have spent years giving everything to haute cuisine and then decided to go back to basics without the constant pressure of Michelin stars, Gérard Vié has chosen to open a bistro, one of those lively places where it’s possible to serve food that’s both simple and high quality. The team running the show is obviously a group of friends for whom setting up a restaurant is above all else a wonderful adventure to share.

The minute you walk through the door you can tell how much they enjoyed setting the place up. An enormous jambon de coche (leg of pork), rare in Paris, from la Maison Laborie (a renowned French charcuterie from the Auvergne region) takes pride of place and diffuses its perfume around the room, already full of regulars and future regulars such as ourselves, the Aviatic receptionists, who have come to pay a neighbourly visit.
Our hosts are in the prime of life. You can guess their profession from their bon vivant attitude. A friendly and attentive energy demonstrates their desire to please. We are thirsty. The sommelier opens us a bottle as he’s so good he knows exactly what we want even without asking. He’ll come back to see us again when we are ordering our meal and, with confidence and good humour, help us to choose. The chalkboard is only a tiny part of a menu which is still being developed.
Of course, as a starter we order terrines - rabbit terrine with offal and haricot bean and pig’s trotter terrine, both absolutely top notch in our opinion. It’s good, honest food, perfectly prepared and subtly traditional (in that the “country cooking” style isn’t overdone as it is in so many bistros).
As a main course, go straight for the scallops with aniseed-flavoured lentils. If you’re more of a meat person, go for the slow-cooked Limousin veal with endives and orange. It melts in the mouth and is so good it brings tears to your eyes.
For dessert, if you have fond memories of your grandmother’s poached pears, don’t worry, it’s the same sweet song remixed with blackcurrant and violet ice cream. It’s just perfect.
We linger at the table a while longer to make the most of the joyful atmosphere in the room, buzzing with that lively yet unobtrusive style of conversation that Parisians have mastered so well.
And lastly the prices are reasonable too (starters from 9 to 12 euros and mains from 18 to 22 euros. The set menu is 34 euros and the lunch set menu is 24 euros).
Recommendation of the month…book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Practical info
Les Terrines
97, rue du Cherche-Midi 75006 PARIS
Open from 12:00 to 14:30, and then 19:30 to 23:00 from Tuesday to Saturday
Tel : 01 42 22 19 18