Les Bougresses, rue de Jarente, Paris

It was a sub-zero freezing day and my colleagues and I were wandering around the Le Marais area in Paris. Close to dinner time, we decided to dine at Les Bougresses, a cozy little corner restaurant in that area.

The entrance. I like the potted plants hanging overhead.


The beautiful dining area. The ambience was perfect, cozy and candlelit, with music wafting through the air.

The small bar.

View of outside from within.

The set menu (24 Euros) that I chose out of.

We snacked on cut carrots and creamy herb dip while waiting for the appetizers to arrive.

From the set menu, I chose the French onion soup, which is one of the must-trys when in France. Warm, fragrant and surprisingly light. It had a piece of cheese-covered toast and onion slices floating in it.

One of my colleagues ordered ala carte, and had this duck appetizer.

My main course was beef steak in cream sauce, served with mashed potatoes. I specified well-done, but the steak was a tad pink in the middle. French chefs will never cook the steak through and through. It was very good though, succulent, well-seasoned, slightly burnt on the outside for that smoky flavour. Despite the pink middle, it did not taste raw.

Another colleague chose the fish dish, it came wrapped in foil. Very Jamie Oliver.

My other colleague had veal.

Dessert for me was a huge bowl of creme brulee, with the top glazed with burnt caramelised sugar. Absolutely wonderful! Crunchy sugar on top, and soft, rich creme brulee underneath. Best I've ever had.

My other colleague had crepe served with cream.

Les Bougresses
6, rue de Jarente - Paris 75004
Tel : 01 48 87 71 21
Subway : Saint-Paul
Seats : 60
Dinner only

Our rating system for overall satisfaction with what we eat and where we eat....

1-bam = don't even bother
2-bam = good enough to fill the tummy
3-bam = a very good restaurant in its category
4-bam = excellent cooking, worth a detour
5-bam = exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey

I would give this restaurant a 4-bam rating for excellent food, ambience and service.