Bistrot Flaubert

Unpretentious yet retro chic, Bistrot Flaubert is a sister eatery to the acclaimed Granite Restaurant in Paris, both under the umbrella of Stéphane Manigold’s Groupe Éclore.

Having enjoyed a superb lunch at Granite a while back, expectations were high as I stepped into the charming, old-school interior of Bistrot Flaubert. The Art Nouveau ambiance felt welcoming and familiar, that kind of welcome you’d receive in the home of a classy, elderly relative.

Not to say that the place felt old. On the contrary, this classic Paris restaurant was buzzing with the conversation of customers seated at every available table and the rush of very efficient waiters catering to their every whim.

Good customer service was the first thing I noticed while browsing the short menu and trying to decide between ordering à la carte or a menu dégustation.

The latter won — it’s often fun to sample a variety of dishes, even if they come in small amounts (in case you haven’t tried this dining style yet, don’t be fooled by the size of each dish. At the end of a sampling menu, you will be comfortably full).

The menu changes periodically and according to the seasons, therefore the dainty cauliflower amuse-bouche, the tender pigeon breast with broccoli and peanut sauce, the Comté with Roscoff onion, and the sturgeon with fried rice I enjoyed are not offered anymore at the time I’m writing this.

Instead, you can enjoy other intriguing dishes involving grilled mackerel and beets, foie gras wrapped in puff pastry, crab with lentils and cocktail sauce, or a buttery blue lobster with peaches and buckwheat.

Bretagne-born Chef Erwan Ledru knows the way to culinary artistry and won’t let you down, no matter what you order.

He’s worked for prestigious names like Le Meurice, where he was demi-chef de partie at the fish station, Arnaud Nicolas as sous-chef, as well as Contraste (another Groupe Éclore gem) as chef de cuisine. He joined Bistrot Flaubert as executive chef early in 2024, and together with his enthusiastic team, he seems destined for even bigger and better things.

Ledru is joined in the kitchen by pastry chef Thomas Léveil, who ensures that the finale of your meal will be indeed grand, be it thanks to a classic vanilla millefeuille topped with strawberries, a chocolate and caramel tart, or a crunchy Pavlova with candied rhubarb and red shiso sorbet. 

Much like its big brother, Granite, Bistrot Flaubert did not disappoint, despite having a less sophisticated setup and a limited menu offering. With its warm ambiance and expertly crafted dishes, it is a charming spot to savor the essence of French gastronomy.

Getting to Bistrot Flaubert is easy. Take Paris’s Metro Line 2 to Ternes, or the Line 3 to Wagram. Both metro stations are less than 10 minutes away by foot and the restaurant is in the Champs Elysées area as well, just a 15-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe.