The Prince and The Hawker

In Paris, you can often walk into a random restaurant and find excellent food without having to do any research (at least away from the main tourist areas). Le Trousseau d’Or was one of these hidden treasures that I was lucky enough to stumble upon during my last trip to Paris.

It was Saturday at the end of the August summer holidays. As a result, many restaurants in the city were still closed for the break. We happened to walk past Le Trousseau d’Or and saw its bustling dining room and terrace and decided to see if they had a table available. Luckily for us they did.

We were greeted very warmly and seated at a table inside. Paris was in the middle of a sweltering heat wave, but the open doors and windows at the front of the restaurant provided some ventilation.

The server came over with the menu on a large chalkboard. Though the menu was in French and I have limited ability, the server was incredibly friendly and enthusiastic in translating the entire menu for us. We felt so welcome in the restaurant and experienced none of the anglo-phobia that Paris is something notorious for.

The service was a little slow, but the restaurant was completely full. Speaking with the server, they are family owned, and he was really the only one serving the entire restaurant (with occasional help from his young son ferrying bread to tables). We could see him working tirelessly throughout the night, so we couldn’t fault him. Apparently, this was their first night opening after coming back from holiday in the south of France. Good thing for us that they did!

Time to Eat at Le Trousseau d’Or

I started the meal off with a humble gazpacho. I know the photo below is not the best, partially due to the unfortunate colour of the dish against the gazpacho. But the cold soup was flavourful. It was light and garlicky. The combination of tomato, watermelon, and cucumber was refreshing, and just the thing to cool off in the summer heat.

I’ve written before about how much I love monkfish. So when I saw it on the menu, I had to order it. I wasn’t disappointed. The monkfish tail was delicately cooked so it stayed meaty but tender. The sauce vierge was the perfect summer sauce for the fish. With herby tomato and olive oil flavours, it continued where the gazpacho left off.

They also had a selection of desserts that the server dictated. I ended up ordering a special dessert that he said was a specialty for the restaurant: coffee ice cream on a meringue base topped with chantilly cream. The dessert sounded like it is composed simply of three components, but the combination was magical. The flavours really complemented each other and the contrast of textures and temperatures was perfect. It resulted in bite after bite of heaven.

Final Thoughts

What a great find in Paris! Le Trousseau d’Or is a gem of a friendly, family-run restaurant. The cuisine is classic and simple French food. The flavours are uniquely French without feeling too heavy, which I appreciate.

The price point is not too bad either, and definitely worth it considering the quality of the food. The service was friendly and familiar, and the whole restaurant had a lively buzz to it. I imagine it was filled with locals from the area. I’d definitely return next time I’m in Paris.