After an absolutely rubbish steak by a random restaurant at Eiffel tower the night before, I was more determined than ever to have a proper meal. My research game was strong and brought me to a little tapas bar in town called L'Avant Comptoir in Odeón.
Hidden behind a takeaway Creperie, this is a stand only tapas place and strictly no reservations. How to order? L'Avant Comptoir’s standard menu is hung from the ceiling with a price and picture while everything seasonal is written in chalk on a small blackboard.
This rule applies no matter how sure you are that you were the first in line lol.
Bread, butter and condiments are communal (and seriously good too) so do not freak out should someone reach over your shoulder to take a slice of bread or smear butter from your tray haha.
The tapas at L'Avant Comptoir is simple, interesting and extremely flavourful. My first dish was a bowl of super sweet shell fish right which was a seasonal special off the black board.
Cooked in a tomato based sauce with wine and finished with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley, the shell fish was faultless. Sweet, juicy and mildly briny, this was a great finger food.
The second dish I got was a classic favourite for the table, creamy potato croquettes with bits of yummy ham.
Creamy potato on the inside, crisp on the outside makes the croquette a tapas that is hard to beat. Its seasoning too was balanced and really quite tasty!
The Jamon de Paris at L'Avant Comptoir to share with paprika and horseradish.
Its hard to explain how a humble ham can make an good lunch become an amazing lunch. But if you appreciate your ham slightly juicy but not wet, mildly salted and intense in flavour, then you will enjoy this a lot! A pinch of horseradish drops a load of kick so do not put too much!
My fancy pants attempt at L'Avant Comptoir before dessert was a Foie Gras Meringue with Citrus Jam.
Creamy, fragrant and a sweet altogether in one bite. What can I say? Wow. It will be overwhelming for those who dislike the richer things in life but this was a seriously interesting morsel. If I had one criticism, it would be that the macaron could be a little thicker! I think there was more Foie Gras than Meringue in this dish haha.
There is no better way to end a great meal but with a sweet ending and when in Paris, eat Burnt Cream or Creme Brûlée.
The twist? Creme Brûlée at L'Avant Comptoir is not a really sweet dessert but instead is velvety smooth and simply fragrant. You could smell the burnt sugar the moment the dessert hits the table. After hearing the beautiful crust break, its time to explore the beautiful cream. Spiked with a little coffee, the cream has an aromatic kick that paired perfectly with the burnt sugar. An amazing dessert over all.
The wines were pretty good too according to the boys. I thought it was OK but nothing life changing. No discrimination of prices between per glass and per bottle, so do not hesitate to try all the different wines L'Avant Comptoir has to offer :)!
The L'Avant Comptoir was packed at 1pm and several patrons who waited to get in were visibly frustrated by the lack or service or rather no service. So be sure to come 5-10 minute before they open at 12 or risk having to wait. The more popular sitting restaurant next door L'Comptoir St Germain Bistro had people waiting in line since 11.30am!! Paris is a big city with plenty of good food. But it has plenty of people too. So queues are a norm and bookings essential where possible.
WenY
