Le Bal Cafe is the scrumptious new English eatery attached to the equally new cultural space,
Le Bal, just behind the bustling Place de Clichy in Paris' 17th arrondissement. On a quiet mews, just opposite a pretty little park, the popular Cafe is on the ground floor of the arts building and comes fully equipped for summer with its own cute little
terrasse.
Managed by two
Willi's Wine Bar alumni and with two ex-Rose Bakery chefs in the kitchen (both Anglo eating establishments
par excellence in Paris), it's no wonder that top notch traditional British fare is the order of the day here. Brunch and lunch classics include kippers on toast, Ploughman's and kedgeree (the latter being an Anlgo-Indian rice and haddock breakfast combo for those of you not from the UK and/or born in colonial times), and the scones have already earnt themselves a Paris-wide reputation, resulting in them selling like, well, proverbial hot cakes, throughout the day. All of this can be washed down with a lovely pot of tea, organic juice or even wine from the superlative wine list if you feel like bringing the whole experience back across the channel to France. Cappuccino is also available and much lauded by those who lament Paris' standard sock-juice of an excuse for coffee.
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The airy decor is simple with mostly monochrome features, a vast blackboard announcing the fare of the moment, and a large shelving unit behind the counter houses delicious English condiments such as marmite (disclaimer: we appreciate the use of the word delicious in the context is highly subjective). Overall, a great place for a casual brunch or tea with friends before or after a little jaunt around the latest exhibition at Le Bal (or not as the case may be).
6 Impasse de la Defense, 75017 Paris
Open : Weds/Fri Midday - 8pm, Thurs Midday-10pm, Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm
all images copyright Kim Laidlaw Adrey
'sock juice' funny! :) i don't drink coffee but will keep it in mind for friends who do and bemoan the situation in Paris.
ReplyDeletei've been wanting to go here for awhile...and reading this post motivated me to get something actually in the books - just made a date with a friend here for a bit of saturday lunch or brunch.
I'll have to go and try the Ploughmans one day, although I can't really imagine eating one without a warm pint of bitter!
ReplyDeleteForest - hee hee! For the record, I actually love standard Paris coffee, but I am aware that it's not got a particularly good reputation! Let me know how you find it - I have a feeling you'll like it a lot!
ReplyDeleteAdam - I haven't tried the ploughmans but I have a feeling it'd be a posh version that'd go nicely with a glass of wine, rather than the authentic luke warm semi-flat pint...although if they start doing half pints of shandy, I'd definitely order one to go with!
That looks so yummy and thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI just thought I recommended an exhibition that is happending now in Paris and I thought you might be interested to see as well - the Mobile Art and if you are interested, here are some photos I found posted on this blog I follow
http://www.cliff-lee.blogspot.com
Have a good night
xo Caro
Looks like a great place!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Caroline and Tschitschi for your comments!
ReplyDeleteIt looks a lovely place, and the food looks fab too, but I always go for the French cafes when over there :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, Thanks for your comment. It's a great place to visit but I guess it depends on what you're looking for - we seek out the best of contemporary Paris, the places where it's happening now in Paris - and this is the kind of place you get local peeps hanging out in and that, despite being resolutely anglo-influenced, is an interesting and authentic part of contemporary Paris, right now... But I can completely understand that it might not be on the agenda for a weekend trip to Paris if you're coming over from the UK! --Kim xx
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