Though I’ve eaten there twice and enjoyed both meals immensely, I have no photos to share of Le Cotte-Rôti. It’s not because I didn’t have my camera: I have learned to take it everywhere I go. The fact is that I don’t really enjoy taking pictures of my lunch or dinner. I mean, who does that? Who takes pictures of their asparagus soup?
Oh right. I do.
Still, I do it reluctantly. Most of the time, I’d rather just enjoy the meal, get lost in my thoughts, or continue the conversation. I hate saying, “Wait! Don’t touch that, I need to take a picture,” my friends’ forks caught in suspended animation above their plates.
Don’t get me wrong, I like having the photos, and sharing them with you. The visual aid jolts my memory, and helps me to write. I just don’t like taking them.
It’s a shame, really, because the food at Le Cotte-Rôti is both delicious and beautiful.
The restaurant sits on the corner of Rue de Cotte and Rue Charenton in the 12th arrondissiment. (Its name is a play on the famous Côte Rôtie appelation of the northern Rhone.) The block is lively during the day thanks to the nearby Aligre market, but at night this a sleepy little pocket of Paris, albeit one with its own dining scene: Rue de Cotte is a sort of restaurant row in this quiet, decidedly non-touristy quartier.
I ate here by myself one afternoon in February — it was by far the best meal of that short trip — and made a point of returning earlier this month for dinner.
The serveuse actually remembered me. Maybe because I had had three courses and two glasses of wine for my solo lunch. But seriously, how could I have said no to dessert when the first two rounds had been so, so good? I was a goner after the appetizer, a rich “onctueuse” of chestnuts. Onctueuse is exactly what it was: Thick, silky, and savory, garnished with lardons and topped with unsweetened whipped cream. My main course was a crisp-skinned chicken thigh over celery root purée and dessert was a spiked and spiced compote of prunes with a slice of french toast.
You know, just a little lunch. (At a little price: The midday formule was only €19.)
Dinner was as good or better. There was a creamy pumpkin soup with a plump ricotta dumpling. There was cod topped with elegant pleurotte mushrooms and tarragon. There were sweetbreads. There was a truffled potato purée. There was a white Burgundy from a somewhat obscure premier cru that had some truffle aromas of its own. There was riz-au-lait with salted caramel.
Of course, I have no proof of any of this. You’re just going to have to take my word for it.
Le Cotte-Rôti, 1 Rue de Cotte, Paris 75012, +33 (0)1 43 45 06 37
Hi, Barbra. I went to this restaurant in February and also found the food good, and the welcome unusually pleasant. We probably the same serveuse. We did not overlap any dishes except the delicious riz au lait.
Have you tried the Sardinian restaurant next door? It is really excellent, although expensive for what it is; still, it’s always packed. Sardegna a Tavola, also at 1,rue de Cotte, 75012 Paris, +33 01 44 75 03 28.
Bobby Jay- I haven’t been there but it’s on my (ever growing) list.
I went to le cotte roti 2 years ago and it was wonderful. I returned last night and it is a bit more upmarket – the table of papers and magazines to read has been replaced by the new Paris essential of a share bench table with stools – but it was still wonderful. In essence we had Tomato salad, lamb shoulder and creme brulle for me and fish terrine, slow cooked pork and strawberries for my husband. Sounds boring but I can’t describe the amazingly beautiful textures and flavors. Also it was a hot night and the food was fresh and light. We sat in the street and were lucky to get a table without a reservation. Service it great too! Heathee
Heather, that’s great news. They seem to have had some ups and downs, but I’ve had great meals there. I haven’t been back since they redecorated (they surely needed it!), but it’s on my list.