Paris 20th: a good bistro called Darsy | Gilles Pudlowski's blog

A charming island on a square in the old village of Ménilmontant dear to Maurice Chevalier: it is the Bistrot Darsy, at the corner of rue Panoyaux and rue Victor Letalle, where Paris retains a populous and rural charm. It was once called the Bakery, then the Canailles-Ménilmontant. Pierre-Antoine Darsy, who once held tables on rue Saint-Sauveur in the 2nd, near rue Montorgueil – he was “Monsieur Printemps” – renamed it in his name, reheated it, keeping the mosaics on the ground, repainting the facade in light tones, decorating the walls of the back room with toile de Jouy paper. And welcomes you, with the exquisite Candice, as at home.

Country terrine © GP

In short, the place with its beautiful semi-circular counter, its mosaics on the floor, its walls partially decorated with toile de Jouy type wallpaper, its wooden tables, its collection of boxes of Camembert on the staircase leading up to the room on the first floor lacks neither warmth nor character… The cuisine is simple and flawless, the lunch menu angelic, the wine list is a little too “natural”. But we easily enjoy vegetable terrine (served as an appetizer), egg mayo with celery remoulade and red onion pickles or Basque blood sausage and gundillas as a starter.

Oeuf May © GP

The main dishes are well sourced, solid and flawless, like this chicken from a farm in Perche, served simply roasted, this sausage from a good maker, also from Perche, with its apple purée, duck confit and lamb's lettuce salad, before the chocolate profiteroles, offered with the ice cream of your choice, for example vanilla and black sesame. Or the boozy rum baba.

Pureed sausage © GP

We then drink one of the wines by the glass of the moment, a Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil in a bottle or a Morgon Côte du Py from the Gaget estate while toasting the health of the old quarter which has hardly changed since Charles Trénet (“Ménilmontant, but yes ma’am/That’s where I left my heart/That’s where I come to find my soul/All my flame, All my happiness “). Beautiful terrace on the square in summer.

Candice and the baba © GP

Bistrot Darsy

15 Rue des Panoyaux
Paris 20th
Such. 01 43 58 45 45
Menus : 19.50 (lunch, formula) €
Carte : 40-55€
Schedules : 12h-14h30, 19h-22h30
Weekly closing. : Saturday, Sunday
Nearby metro(s): Menilmontant
Site: www.bistrotdarsy.fr