Paris Insights - The Restaurant Review

Terronia

posted December 16, 2024

9-11, rue des Boulangers

75005 Paris

Phone: 01.42.38.42.63

Metro Station: Cardinal Lemoine (Line 10) or Jussieu (Lines 7 and 10)

Type of cuisine: Italian

Days & hours of operation: Tues to Thurs noon - 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Fri to Sat noon - 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Credit card: Visa, MasterCard, American Express

Terronia stands on the cobblestone slope of a side street near the Jussieu campus of the Sorbonne University.  Buildings along this street are quite old, as the street dates from the 14^th century.

I entered the narrow restaurant without a reservation on Wednesday at lunch and was immediately invited to sit at a table in the upper-level dining room.  There, I had a table large enough for four to myself.

The menu
The restaurant does not have a fixed-price menu.

The carte offers five starters ranging in price from 18€ to 21€, five pasta dishes at 26€, two main dishes at 37€, and five desserts from 12€ to 14€.

The amuse-bouche
After I placed my order, the waiter brought me an appetizer consisting of a small portion of diced marinated mackerel garnished with leek sprouts and purée of Romanesco broccoli.  The dish was tasty and, as intended, it whetted my appetite for the meal to come.

The starter
For the starter, I selected Supions croustillants servis avec “Puntarelle à la romaine,” a dish of small breaded deep-fried squid served with a slice of lemon and a salad of shredded chicory and red cabbage.  The supions were piping hot, crispy, and delicious.  I squeezed a bit of lemon juice over them, although this was not required to enhance my enjoyment of the dish.

The main course
For the main course, I chose Calamars grillés et ses légumes de saison.  This was also a squid dish, except that the calamars of the main course were larger than the supions of the starter and they were grilled, not deep-fried.  Along with the seafood, I enjoyed its accompanying salad of grilled onion bulb, red carrot, cauliflower, Romanesco broccoli, and asparagus.

The bread
Slices of fresh country bread were served alongside in a basket.

The beverage
For the wine accompaniment, I selected a glass of Grillo DOC Feotto Qimanu “Nature,” a natural white wine from Sicily.  I had requested a wine with mineral notes, and this is what I received.  It was a delightful wine with fleeting citrus notes – to me, it was almost a magical beverage.  I tried to identify all the ephemeral flavors, but finally gave up. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a second glass.

The dessert
Feeling sated after a full meal, I forwent dessert.

The coffee
I ordered a coffee following the meal and received an espresso serré.  It was served topped with a beautiful layer of crema in a tiny espresso cup accompanied by a single cube of brown sugar.  I drank it without sugar at first; it reminded me of the espressos that I dared to try years ago in the cafés of the North Beach district of San Francisco.

The bill
The bill for one, including a starter, a main course, two glasses of wine, and a cup of espresso, came to 77€.

The service
The service was friendly and helpful.  Before I sat down, the waiter placed my jacket in a closet.  He made a considerable effort to answer my questions about the food and wine before I placed my order.

The ambience
The restaurant is quite rustic with two levels for dining:  a ground-floor level at the entrance and an upper level (three steps up) at the back.  There are exposed beams on the ceiling (painted white) and bare-stone walls.  I sat comfortably on a cushioned wall bench at an old-fashioned dark-brown wooden table.  Next to me was a handsome marble-topped table.  While I dined, lounge music played over the sound system. There are framed photographs of Paris on the wall of the upper dining room and framed abstract art images on the wall of the lower dining room.

The menu is in French and English.  The waiter speaks English.

The waiter told me that customers in wheelchairs can dine in the lower dining room, but access to the WC by wheelchair (located three steps up in the upper dining room) is not possible.

Travelers to Paris who enjoy Italian fare will enjoy coming to Terronia for lunch or dinner.