Review: Restaurant Perraudin
by Elena Greco
May 2017
On my first, all-too-brief visit to Paris, I was looking forward to some excellent French home cooking of the sort you don’t find in the restaurants tourists frequent. Unfortunately, I did not have any—until I arrived at Restaurant Perraudin (www.restaurant-perraudin.com). This is a bistro in the 5th arrondissement (Latin Quarter) with a charming décor, small and unpretentious, but warm and inviting. I was pleased to discover that everyone in the restaurant when I ate lunch there was a local, no tourists in sight, and did not hear any English being spoken—a positive sign when looking for good, local food. You can order from a prix fixe menu or à la carte; either way, the prices are reasonable. The salad and vegetable plates that some of the patrons were enjoying looked beautiful, but I had a 12+-hour day of traveling ahead of me and didn’t know when I might eat again, so I chose something heavier, pasta in cream sauce with smoked salmon. That was the most delectable smoked salmon I have ever tasted—and I live in New York City. The simple dish was beautifully presented and tasted wonderful. I ended with homemade chocolate mousse, also delicious. The server was a lovely woman who provided excellent service. I was upset with myself because, as I started to exit, I realized I hadn’t left a tip for her, but when I turned to go back, discovered that my place had been cleared, and I suddenly felt awkward in contemplating walking up to her to hand her money, especially since I wasn’t quite sure of the appropriate amount. I beat myself up later for not doing so. So, dear woman, if you happen to read this review, please accept my apology, and also my thanks for your service, and I will make it up to you when I am next in Paris, because I will certainly visit this restaurant again!See Elena’s bios for more information about the author.