L’Oiseau Blanc, Paris

Our first meal in Paris was completely unplanned, and it turned out to be one of the most delightful.

Since I wasn’t sure when we’d make it into the city and be ready for lunch, I didn’t make a reservation; I had a vague idea that maybe we could go to the Peninsula’s rooftop bar for a welcome-to-Paris drink.  So we hopped into a taxi and made our way to the Peninsula and up to the roof, where we were led out to a low sofa, only to realize that we were hungry (and hot), and ask if they could seat us for lunch instead.

I wasn’t overly optimistic about the chances for two slightly disheveled tourists without a reservation – and to be honest, I wasn’t too optimistic that it was a great plan to have lunch in a hotel restaurant.

But I was wrong on both counts.  The gracious hostess led us into the cool dining room and lunch began.

First of all, the service at L’Oiseau Blanc was among the best of our entire trip – attentive, warm, and eminently professional.  The sommelier stopped by immediately with menus and the wine list.  We discussed our wine preferences with him and settled on a bottle of very nice (and icy cold) Montrachet, which immediately made the experience even better.

Then it was onto the food.  I ordered from the market menu (a three-course lunch with two choices for each course): rabbit with violet mustard, red mullet with flavors of bouillabaisse, and a strawberry dessert.  By the way, notice the plates decorated with tiny airplanes?  They’re custom made by Bernadaud, designed to match the restaurant’s name, which is in honor of the lost plane L’Oiseau Blanc.  It was flown by a pair of French aviators who attempted to cross the Atlantic in 1927; unfortunately the flight was lost, though there is some evidence that they made it to Maine before crashing.

D honed in on some of his favorite things from the main menu: sweetbreads and frogs’ legs.  For dessert, he had the aeronautically-themed L’Envol (take off), a chocolate, peanut, and banana concoction in the shape of a propeller.

By this time, the dining room had filled up, most notably with a large group of fashion types all dressed in Dior.  And the sun had shifted enough that the shades were lifted, so that we could enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower.  (There’s an even better view from the restrooms, looking at the tower beyond the replica Oiseau Blanc plane, that’s at the top of this post.)

After dessert, we were invited back out onto the roof deck for coffee and mignardises, a thoughtful touch.

Then, refreshed and refueled, we walked back to our hotel, passing the tower again from the street.  Bienvenue à Paris!