Chez la Vieille

The latest food buzz in Paris is the reopening of an iconic city-center bistro under the auspices of American chef Daniel Rose. Situated in the Les Halles quarter in central Paris, Chez La Vielle is across the street from Rose’s acclaimed Spring restaurant. Restaurateur Stephen Starr and Daniel Rose have already racked up the awards for their New York restaurant Le Coucou, and now they’re reviving this legendary haunt, which first opened in 1958 and was famed for the house matron Adrienne Biasin. Inside the historic 16th century building, you’ll find the original counter bar downstairs, while upstairs is a small, elegant dining room with vintage photographs framed on the walls.

We dined here shortly after the autumn reopening and enjoyed the food, ambiance and friendly service. It’s hearty French fare that can be shared; we split entrées of lentil and foie gras salad and the hareng pommes à l’huile. A hit was the Bouillon de la Vieille (11 euros) – a traditional bouillon brimming with spatzle pasta, pork belly, and an egg. You’ll also find classics like terrine de canard (11 euros), blanquette de veau (20 euros), and, for dessert, a magnificent pot de crème with Madagascar vanilla (6 euros). We ended up spending about 30 euros each for lunch including a glass of wine.

Chez La Vieille, 1 Rue Bailleul, 75001. Metro: Louvre-Rivoli. Tel: +33 (0)1-42-60-15-78. No website. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

The bouillon at Chez la Vieille. Photo: Bonjour Paris

Lead photo credit : Chez La Vieille. Photo: Bonjour Paris