THE PLACE: Paris is magical so it’s hard to not discover a gorgeous little bistro with all the atmosphere you’d hope for in an airy local spot in the City of Love. They’re on every corner. Yet La Marine, which was recommended to me by the one and only Peter Shelsky, was even more special because it felt like a true undiscovered (at least by tourists) gem right alongside the Canal Saint-Martin. It was our first day in Paris so perhaps we were hypnotized by the jet lag, yet the service was impeccable and friendly, and we felt right at home when we stopped by for a leisurely lunch.
THE MENU: La Marine’s menu was unfussy and featured lots of the traditional bistro fare you’d expect from roasted chicken to steak tartare to foie gras. The lunch prix-fixe was a great deal and allowed me to try a beautiful herring salad and a nicely sauced lemony trout at a great price.
THE DISH: You know how it is on that first meal in a foreign city. You might accidentally order the entire menu due to over excitement. Thankfully I restrained myself to a point, but I had to have the Wild Burgundy Snails, which featured beautiful shells of escargots stuffed with butter, garlic, herbs, and that chewy delectable meaty slug. My niece, perhaps due to the same excitement of having just arrived or the magical French surroundings, tried her first snail. She did not love it nearly as much as I did, but she found it impossible not to be swept away. Price: 14/28 EUR
| LA MARINE |
| 55Bis Quai de Valmy (at Rue Dieu), 10th Arrondisement. Paris, France +33142396981 |
| lamarinecanalsaintmartin.com |
