Paris Insights - The Restaurant Review

Flocon

posted November 04, 2024

75, rue Mouffetard

75005 Paris

Phone: 01.47.07.19.29

Metro Station: Censier Daubenton (Line 7)

Type of cuisine: French

Days & hours of operation: Wed to Thurs 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Fri to Sun noon - 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Credit card: Visa, MasterCard

Flocon stands on rue Mouffetard midway between rue de l’Epée de Bois and rue Ortolan.  Its sober, ivory-colored façade gives no indication of the enticing fare that is prepared and served within.

We entered on a recent Saturday and found ourselves in a starkly-decorated dining room with a terra cotta tile floor, beige walls, an open kitchen, butcher-block style tables and wooden chairs, and taupe wall benches.  The waiter offered us a table at a spacious niche near the back of the dining room.

The apéritif
We sprang for a sparkling wine – Domaine Les Pierres Ecrites from the Loire Valley – to begin the meal.  Coral colored with fine fizz, it was quite dry with what I described as a green-apple flavor and my partner thought tasted more like red fruits.

The menu
There is a three-course fixed-price menu for 30€ at lunchtime, but we were there in the evening.  The carte offers three starters ranging in price from 13€ to 15€, three main courses from 22€ to 28€, three “pre”-desserts from 7€ to 9€, and three desserts from 10€ to 12€.  In the evening, whole cuts of beef (ribeye or tomahawk) can be ordered (minimum weight 1 kilogram).

The starter
We decided to split a starter: Mousse de foie de volaille et condiments.  The waitress served us a plate displaying a mushroom-shaped ramekin in which a smooth mousse of chicken liver had been mounted.  Around the base were small portions of various minced condiments:  cooked egg white; cooked egg yolk; salt; red onion; capers; and raw carrot.  We spread portions of the mousse with a knife on warm, crusty country bread and savored the earthy flavor of the chicken liver.  Very nice, and for us an unusual dish.

The main course
For the main course, I chose Lieu jaune breton, courges en deux façons, jus de crabe vert et garniture grenobloise.  The waiter served a plate containing a generous slice of saithe (coalfish) nestled against squash prepared two ways:  mousse and firm-to-the-bite.  Resting in a gravy from the cooking juices of green crab and garnished with a caper and lemon sauce, the fish was fork-tender and appetizing.

My partner opted for Magret de canard fermier des Landes servie rosé, maïs à la sauge, granola, figue et jus réduit aux champignons.  The duck breast, cooked rosé, was topped with corn mousse flavored with tonka bean.  Accompanied with small dollops of fig purée; whole yellow corn kernels; quartered button mushrooms; roasted, caramelized hazelnuts; and dark-pink edible flower petals, the portion of duck was a satisfying dish of the fall season.

The bread
Warm, thick-sliced country bread with dark crust and soft, chewy crumb was served alongside in a breadbasket.

The beverage
We ordered a bottle of Abatilles, a sparkling mineral water from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. 

For the wine accompaniment, my partner selected a glass of Côtes de Rhône – Metaphysique des Cuves, a medium-bodied red with stewed red fruit notes.  It was smooth and silky and accompanied the duck marvelously.

She requested a glass of Les Cannonières - Saint-Nicolas de Bourgeuil to accompany the “pre”-dessert cheese that we ordered.  The wine had a red-purple robe, a spicy nose, and slightly tannic finish that she found to be a perfect match for the cheese. 

The “pre”-dessert
We decided to split the “pre”-dessert: Crème de Brillat Savarin.  The waitress brought us a heavy wooden bowl containing a large dollop of Brillant Savarin, a soft triple-cream cheese, which we proceeded to spread on the country bread.  So rich was this cream that we were left with no appetite for dessert.

The digestif
I ordered an after-dinner glass of Chartreuse Verte.  This herbal beverage expressed sharp notes of pepper and menthol.  It was the perfect pick-me-up after the satiating meal.

The bill
The bill for two, including one bottle of mineral water, two glasses of sparkling wine, two glasses of red wine, one digestif, one starter, two main courses, and one “pre”-dessert, came to 140.00€

The service
The service was courteous and helpful.

The ambiance
Lounge music played in the background while we dined.  Even though the restaurant was almost full, the level of conversation was not too loud. 

The waiter told us that the restaurant can accommodate diners in wheelchairs, although we noted that the WC is too small for wheelchairs.  Diners should call in advance to arrange entry into the dining room.

The waitsaff speaks English.  We were offered a menu in English.

Travelers to Paris in search of a truly extraordinary meal will enjoy dining at Flocon.  The carte can be downloaded from the restaurant’s website.