Allard

The cuisine at Allard represents French bistrot cooking at its most authentic and satisfying. Under chef Pauline Berghonnier's direction, the kitchen honors the restaurant's nearly century-long tradition while maintaining the quality and technique that have kept guests returning generation after generation. This is cooking that doesn't chase trends but instead perfects the classics that define French gastronomy. The menu showcases the kind of dishes that have become increasingly rare in modern Paris—preparations that require skill, time, and respect for tradition. The cuisses de grenouilles stand as one of the restaurant's signatures, prepared with the delicacy this classic dish demands. The canette de Challans aux olives demonstrates the kitchen's ability to source exceptional ingredients—Challans duck being among France's finest—and prepare them with the technique they deserve. The cassoulet, that hearty southwestern classic, receives the slow-cooked attention it requires, while the fricassée de rognons de veau appeals to those who appreciate traditional French offal preparations. Beyond these signatures, the menu explores the full repertoire of French bistrot cuisine. Foie gras de canard appears in various preparations, showcasing this luxury ingredient. The sole meunière represents classic fish cookery at its simplest and most elegant. Escargots, pâté en croûte, and poulet au vin jaune round out a menu that reads like a greatest hits of French traditional cooking. Even the starters embrace tradition, with options like œuf mayonnaise and terrine de campagne offering simple pleasures executed well. The dessert selection maintains this commitment to classics. The savarin au rhum with crème montée provides a boozy, indulgent finish, while profiteroles offer chocolate-covered satisfaction. These aren't reinvented or deconstructed versions—they're the real thing, prepared as they should be. Seasonal ingredients influence the menu, ensuring that while the style remains traditional, the cooking responds to what's best at market. The kitchen's approach respects both the restaurant's heritage and the quality of French products, creating dishes that taste as they should—familiar, comforting, and expertly prepared. This is the kind of cooking that reminds you why French cuisine earned its reputation in the first place, executed in a setting that has been perfecting these dishes for generations.