Chef Mathieu is the kind of chef I can relate to – he puts his head down and delivers real, delicious food with substance. There is no tasting menu (a sensible move). You will find all the à la carte choices on a blackboard, so just be sure you know your French so you can read it!
For this trip, I didn’t choose restaurants that hold stars. I know that Michelin stars are the holy grail and the ultimate reference to guide you in the “so‑called” right direction. But after over a decade of eating all over the world (and becoming older and wiser along the way), I’ve found that the Michelin Guide is not always completely accurate. It differs so significantly from country to country, and the only way to understand this is by going to these countries and seeing for yourself.
Because of that, places without stars—despite cooking extremely well—often don’t get a look in. I want to make you more aware of this: there are chefs out there cooking fantastically, especially in the high‑end bistros of Paris.
This brings me to Le Bon Saint Pourçain. This is exactly how I want to eat most of the time in a restaurant: just give me a couple of starters, a couple of mains, and a few desserts to choose from. A lot of chefs and restaurateurs think they need to make things awfully complicated by offering a tasting menu, then a set menu, and let’s not forget the “bread course,” all alongside à la carte. Phew… it’s just too much!
If you ask me, never change this concept. It works, and it makes perfect sense for the size of the room. It enables the chef to deliver taste and quality without juggling too many unnecessary balls.
We were welcomed with a glass of wine, which started the night off perfectly. Thank you. For my terrine starter, I appreciated the little sprinkling of salt on top. You might be surprised, but chefs often forget to place it there—it really lifts the terrine. Spread some on the bread, add a smidge of the chutney, and don’t look back.
The egg with espuma was flavoursome, with those all‑important girolles adding texture to break up the soft egg and ‘sauce.’ Who doesn’t love girolle mushrooms? We were lucky to have them tonight—they are one of my favourites.
As we moved on to the main courses, you can see that the cooking is set up to be exactly what it is supposed to be. You’re not seeing flavour combinations or elements that don’t belong, or some weird out‑there crazy stuff. Everything is exactly as it should be. Even the dessert held its own and the meal flowed until the very end.
This is my kind of cookery: tasty, bold, and satisfying plates, elegantly put together. With an excellent standard from chef Mathieu. The guy can cook.
