Indulge at a traditional French bistro in Paris!

Continuing our Paris-themed week, where you can win return Eurostar tickets to Paris, we thought we’d write about one of the restaurants on our Plus Gourmet programme…

Everyone knows French food is well-renowned, but there’s so many restaurants in Paris, it’s hard to know which will be making the most of the seasonal produce and giving you a delicious meal, and which restaurants aren’t really worth eating in. Particularly in summer, when the food on menus reflects what’s seasonably available – and often products which need to be particularly fresh – it’s important to go to restaurants where everything is freshly cooked.

An excellent example of this is Aux Bons Crus, a traditional French restaurant which is just a short walk away from the Louvre. The restaurant has modern fixtures and fittings, but it’s in an old 16th century building and it’s a really atmospheric place to eat. There’s a downstairs bar which has its own ‘snack’ menu, and also an upstairs dining room, which serves traditional bistro food, impeccably done.

Highlights include vast plates of fresh cheese and charcuterie, as well as rustic French dishes like duck confit – it’s hard to know exactly what to expect, as there’s always interesting things on the menu each day, depending on which ingredients the chef has managed to buy.  Aux Bons Crus attracts those who know about their wines, and with the strong flavours which comes from the cheeses and meat, the restaurant does an excellent job of supplying wines which will match perfectly to your meal.

The traditional Parisian bistro is often written about in novels set in Paris, but many tourists come to Paris and leave disappointed, having had a poor bistro experience – a visit to Aux Bons Crus should ensure you’re not of them.

Aux Bons Crus is one of a number of restaurants which you can get 50% off at, with Eurostar Plus Gourmet. Find more information here.

Photo: ‘Delicious Cheese‘ by Chris Buecheler