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Dining Out and About (Paris): So British!
By Ann | March 24, 2010
The French have a term to describe things we think of as stereotypically British: “so British.” Fish and chips, Agatha Christie mysteries, pints of stout, cups of tea, cozy pubs, bad teeth — all can be labelled “so British.”
Note: The British themselves are called rosbif. The term “so British” is more of an adjective. Last year, I went to an film festival entitled “HITCHCOCK SO BRITISH: 3 Chefs d’oeuvre du suspense.” There’s no denying Hitchcock is British. But is he so British? Are suspense films so British? Your guess is as good as mine.
Anyway, this is all to say that I have found Les Deux Abeilles, a new salon de thé that is charmingly cozy with flowered wallpaper and a gentle, feminine air, serving tea and tarts and cakes that have all the sturdiness of an English meal with the flourishes of the French. In other words, it’s so British.
The lunch formule is 19€ and comes with a beverage — we opted for the ginger lemonade, tangy with a gentle kick.
The lentil salad (top) is part of the set lunch — warm Puy lentils stirred with a spoonful or two of mustard vinaigrette and topped with a subtly spiced curry carrot purée. The feuilleté aux poireaux et au saumon fumé (savory tart with leeks and smoked salmon) is not on the set menu, but it’s rich and savory, the aromatic leeks offset by the salty bite of smoked salmon. Also on offer are hearty salads, omelettes, and quiches.
But who can think about the main course when there’s a cart of house-baked desserts?
It was like choosing between children, but we finally settled on two (neither on the set menu). The lemon meringue tart is a perfect balance of tart and sweet, creamy and crumbly, with a melting meringue topping.
The chocolate cake with almonds is made with deep, dark chocolate that gives it a tiny haunt of bitterness. I loved the contrast of the molten center and the crunch of almonds.Yes, it’s a lot of food. Yes, after eating such an enormous lunch I was tired for the rest of the day. But is there anything more so British than a hearty mid-day meal? The French would argue no.
Les Deux Abeilles
189 rue de l’Université
Paris 75007
tel: 01 45 55 64 04
Continuous service from 9am-7pm
Closed Sunday
Topics: Dining Out and About |
9 Responses to “Dining Out and About (Paris): So British!”
Comments
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March 25th, 2010 at 12:18 am
This place looks divine! Do you think the British have a “so French” phenomenon? All I can think of are those Maison Blanc bakeries in London. As for “So British” movies, in the minds of the French, nothing could compare to “Kind Hearts and Coronets” and “Passport to Pimlico”!
March 25th, 2010 at 12:22 am
PS — Apologies for generalizing about French views of “So British” movies. This really reflects my thinking, not just French moviegoers’. Give me an Ealing comedy on a damp afternoon any day!
March 25th, 2010 at 3:51 am
ooh, you know where you need to go? L’Oisevethé in the 13th . . ..now there’s an American tea shop that serves FABULOUS lunches and divine baked goods . . .in a sunny corner of the Butte aux Cailles in the 13th. Yum!
March 25th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Love that taosted meringue!
And it’s funny, but I always thing of a ridiculously gut-busting lunch as a French thing…
March 26th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
[…] Dining Out and About (Paris): So British! | Ann Mah annmah.net/2010/03/24/dining-out-and-about-paris-so-british – view page – cached Freelance journalist Ann Mah has contributed to Conde Nast Traveler, the International Herald Tribune and many other publications. This blog features her articles and also discusses food, restaurants and Filter tweets […]
March 27th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
it is evil evil when waiters roll out a whole cart full of desserts and sweet goodies. good kind of evil though.
March 29th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Another place to add to my list of places to eat when I get back to Paris. It looks just so yummy and that chocolate cake–simply sinful! Can’t wait to order one for myself!
March 29th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I biked by here once and nearly fell over, braking so hard. I was so intrigued, trying to straddle my Velib in the street, but also catch a look inside the window. The owner came out and handed me a business card and I’ve been wanting to go ever since… that was almost two years ago! With these photos as a reminder, I will have to get over there… a bientot!
March 30th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Chris — “Passport to Pimlico” introduced me to one of my favorite words ever: Burgundian.
Kim B — Thanks for the tip!
Camille — Your allegiances are showing!
Lil — Evil, evil, mmmmmm.
Cheryl in STL — The cake is SUBLIME! One day I will screw up my courage and ask for the recipe.
Sweet Freak — How sweet of the owner to come out with a card. Let us know if you try it!