There are a number of reasons for choosing a certain restaurant to review; word of mouth, area, décor… Here, it was the grand reputation of the chef that led us to book a table, but is his cooking better than his interior design? Frankly, how could it be worse?…

photos: JasonW

We know the tiny rue Christine for its great arthouse cinema, a mecca for anyone wanting to rediscover a classic on the big screen, but until recently we hadn’t discovered the two restaurants on the same street run by chef Jacques Cagna. His main restaurant is a very chic affair (and thus, fairly pricey, with main courses starting at 50€), so we decided to try his second restaurant, practically opposite, with more reasonable prices and a more down-to-earth attitude.

The building itself looks very smart, and looks to be the old workshop of Gilles Taller, a brand of early 20th century cameras. However, inside the interior design anything but photogenic; peach walls, odd paintings or framed over-colourful Chagall posters, furniture that wouldn’t be out of place in a cantine. The site calls it « rustic », but « eyesore » would be nearer the mark.However, after being welcomed, we sat down and tried to keep an open mind – after all, décor isn’t everything. Some nice bread was served warm (although as soon as it cooled down it was distinctly more difficult to eat) accompanied by some salted butter, presented in a small industrial portion. Rustic.

We concentrated on the menu, sipped some very lovely wine and started perusing the menu (you can check it out in English here). It’s a selection of fairly classic dishes, with the accent on fresh ingredients, and before long our choice was made.Here’s what we decided on for the first course:

- Seabream and salmon tartar with guacamole.
- Fresh frog’s legs sauteed with garlic and fresh herbs.
- Cold spicy tomato soupe, mango and basil.
- Mixed rocket salade, string beans and raw mushrooms, virgin oliv oil and soya dressing.

The guacamole overpowered the fish in the tartar, but was refreshing, and the slightly exotic gaspacho went down well. As for the frogs legs, this is probably the first time I have ever seen someone eat them (I actually had to look away), but apparently they are appreciated more for the texture than the taste (lots of garlic). The rocket salad was crunchy, not too greasy, and of a very decent size.

Presentation was impeccable for each dish, as you can see below. A good start!Time for the main course:

- Poached pike mousse, served in a crayfish sauce
- The plat du jour – Roasted cod loin, langoustine and red wine sauce
- Spanish pork fillet, grilled vegetables and Catalonia virgin olive oil
- Crispy pastry filled with guinea fowl, honey-flavoured onions, eggplant and pine nuts

The « quenelle » – poached mousse, contained small pieces of prawn which added variety to the consistence. This dish can sometimes be too spongey, but here it was soft yet firm, with a delicious sauce. The spinach atop it was devilishly peppery too!

The dish of the day was chosen – we have to say – because its presentation, seen at a nearby table, impressed us immediately, with the crayfish tail upended in some delicious-looking mashed potato and served as a sort of Vietnamese-style spring roll. It didn’t disappoint.

We were told that the pork – pata negra – was from wild pigs and was best as raw as possible. This proved a little too much for us, and we ordered it à point nonetheless. It was indeed tender, with a strong taste of Espelette pepper.

And the tender guinea fowl was securely encased in its crispy pastry, served with a side salad with a honey and pine nut dressing.The servings are pretty generous, but as always, we had kept just a tiny space left for desserts!

- The Traditional Paris-Brest by Jacques Cagna (chou pastry with almond and nuts cream) – apparently his signature piece
- Home made strawberry tart with vanilla whipped cream
- Soft-centered “Valrhona” chocolate cake, served with vanilla ice creamI think we can say that Jacques Cagna excels in his desserts If you’ve ever tried a Paris-Brest from an ordinary boulangerie, you will hardly recognise this version, light and creamy instead of being stodgy and full of butter (even if it does probably contain quite à bit!). The strawberry tart was a mountain of creaminess and fresh fruit, and just look how perfectly the chocolate cake was cooked…

Delicious stuff.

So, after our initial wariness, we have to say that Jacques had won us over. The neutral décor and safe selection of dishes are there to reassure you, but after ordering, you will thankfully be more concentrated on what is on your plate than your surroundings.

Prices are reasonable for the area, with more expensive dishes and wines if you feel like splashing out. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, service is good. Apart from the peach walls, there’s a lot to like

La Rôtisserie d’En Face is at 2 rue Christine (here)

Open every day except Sundays and Saturday lunchtime, from midday – 2.30pm and 7-11pm (11/30pm Fridays and Saturdays). Tel. +33 (0)1 43 26 40 98

Official site: www.jacquescagna.com/To check out our complete photo gallery, click the play button on the slideshow below, followed by the four little arrows bottom right to go into fullscreen mode.