You can’t miss the red façade of La Cantine du Troquet sitting on a corner of the Boulevard de Grenelle. In an otherwise quiet neighborhood, this welcoming Basque restaurant stands out, and not only because of its bright scarlet exterior.
The bistro dishes are scrumptious, and in addition to traditional cantine classics like la côte de cochon (a generous pork chop), daily dishes propose fresh seasonal products – we got the first scallops of the season! And of course, all of it peppered with hints of Basque cuisine such as piment d’Espelette, charcuteries and cheeses, and a few bottles of Basque wine too, all a tribute to the Chef’s home region.
This restaurant is one of Chef Christian Etchebest’s four Cantines du Troquet in Paris. His traditional French bistro formula has grown incredibly popular over the past ten years, and in the wake of the success of the original Cantine near Montparnasse, five other restaurants followed.
Serving generous portions of southwestern cuisine as well as lighter lunch options all at a reasonable price, expect to wait a little bit before getting a table at peak hours.
This foodie-friendly spot doesn’t take reservations, so if you can, try your luck either early (around noon for lunch) or a bit later (after 1:30 pm) when the nearby office workers have to leave — yes, we French do work sometimes!
La Cantine du Troquet has 4 locations in Paris:
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