Our party of six was soon tended by Zoe the waitress, a sight for sore eyes. This smiling brunette is married to the Chez Georges restaurant manager, a friendly fellow who tends the bar and the cash register. Zoe has a nice word for everyone, can explain the menu in details, recommends what’s right for you, and moves about diligently.
The menu at Chez Georges is as varied as appetizing. Everything on it spells French tradition. We decided to order a large selection of appetizers to share, including rillettes (a sort of pate made with pork, duck or goose), pink radish, herrings, museau (beef head pate), potato salad, and other delicacies.
The goods came in generous portions, and a couple bottles of white Sancerre helped us gulp all this down. (Sancerre is a light red or white wine. It is made from black pinot or white sauvignon, and is grown in the Touraine region.) We were served two different types of fresh bread, including a delicious Poilane bread.
We then attacked the entrees: duck filet with potatoes for me, please, served pink. (In my book, duck cooked to "done" is unpalatable.) Soon came the plates, full up.
My duck filet was perfectly cooked, and thick and tender as it should be. A wonderful abundance of gorgeous food! We accompanied the main fares with a bottle of red Chinon, a wine grown in my hometown. Things to get damned for!
All is well that ends well
The dessert was as succulent as the rest of this hearty meal. I had a Tarte Tatin, an caramelized apple pie baked upside-down. Apple slices are first baked on sugar, then covered with dough, and put in the oven again for a short while. When baked, the pie is turned over so that the dough now supports the apples.
The result is a very tender pie, with a sweet but not overpowering taste of caramel. It is served with vanilla ice.
We all finished the meal on a good espresso. The check was very reasonable: it came to about $60 per person, for an unforgettable meal that included a ton of appetizers, six main fares, seven servings of dessert, 3 bottles of wine, and espressos for everyone. Expect to pay USD 30 on a lighter fare and less wine.
Though very hearty, my meal was easy to digest. I didn’t feel bloated afterwards, just slightly tipsy thanks to multiple servings of light wine. The products used were of very good quality, the bread freshly baked. The service we received was diligent and friendly.
Definitely a place I recommend you, my traveling friends!
About Chez Georges
Chez Georges
1 rue du Mail
75002 Paris
Tel: 33 (0)1 42 60 07 11
Lunch and dinner
Closed on weekends and holidays
Book a table at least 48h in advance
About the author
Phil Chavanne lived 30 years in Paris, and knows the French capital throughout. He acts as Senior Editor of two Paris guides: www.Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com (in English) and www.Parismooz.com (in Japanese). Currently residing in the Tampa bay area, he travels and writes mostly about Paris.