When you come across ‘Essential Cuisine’ from Michel Bras in two different cities within two days: Restaurant La Halle aux Grains (8. March 2022)
Sometimes you end up coming across the same thing within a short period of time. When I was at the Restaurant Bass in Berlin on Sunday, I had a longer discussion with the chef Bernd Schwarz what actually works in terms of cooking books. And it was interesting to see how he brought up a book by Bras – and when I walked into the La Halle aux Grains, I saw the very same book lying there. Wondering why, I figured that the responsible chef of the La Halle aux Grains was actually Bras. What a coincidence!
We started the evening with a tasty drink – the “L’Herboriste (tous les secrets des moines – Chartreuse verte, vodka, citron & tonic)” (EUR 15.00) is an interesting and very herbal combination of flavors and is generally very enjoyable.
Since I always love a surprise, we decided to go for the “5 course tasting menu” (EUR 85.00) which started with a cracker with toppings. It was refreshing and nice in terms of taste – but a bit unpractical to eat since you have to share it.
The first course was called “mushroom water from Paris” and to be honest, it was really just that. Water which somehow tastes a bit like mushroom – so deifnitely not something I would try again. Not really sure what the purpose of this “course” was since it lacked, at least for me, the intensity such a ‘soup’ could have had.
Next in line was “salsify, rye cake and barley miso with hot spices” and I must say that it was rather delicious. The rye cake was a bit dense but still being juicy which is not easy to achieve. The salsify was super aromatic when you dipped it in the barley miso. This was a great dish to get really started with the food.
After this, a “seabass with herb oil and mousse, pak choi and butternut purée” followed. I loved the density and intensity of the butternut purée – it was super creamy. Almost like egg yolk. And it went super well with the pak choi and the seabass. Frankly, the seabass itself didn’t taste like much really but in combination with the purée and the herb oil foam, it made for a great bite.
My absolute favorite was the “ram from Aveyron”. It looked somewhat regular. But, damn, the meat was good. Intense, yet full of flavor. Really just incredibly enjoyable.
Especially in combination with the French specialty “aligot”, which is some type of melted cheese, it was quite an amazing main. That surprised me in thus far as very often the main courses are not really the thing to remember. But in this case, I will definitely remember the main course!
The “cheese plate” which was served after was fine – but relatively disappointing for French standards. I mean, there are so many good cheeses in France and then you get three regular ones like Roquefort. Not saying it’s bad but come on, you could do better!
Last but not least, the “chicorée roots, chickpeas meringue, vanilla, buckwheat with coconut rice milk” was a great ending, luckily. The flavor combination was quite unique and very enjoyable. Definitely something I can easily imagine eating again.
Even the “double espresso” (EUR 6.00) was decent and comes with some nice chocolate bites on the side. On top of that, the place is nice in terms of interior design although the tables are a bit small if you’re two people – still absolutely fine but could be a tiny bit larger.
On top of that, the staff is very good and very present. They make sure you never have to wait for too long between the courses and despite some of them struggling a bit with explaning the course in English, they did a great job in doing that. What you get before you leave is a “good bye present” which is somewhat interesting but you’re supposed to do stuff with it for multiple days before you try it – sounds way too complicated.
Last but not least, they also have decent French wines. The “Cabernet Sauvignon, Château Latour, Pauillac, 2017” (EUR 78.00) we tried was good. It confused my Vivino app quite a bit since it always recognized it as a wine where the bottle costs like EUR 750.00 (which it obviously wasn’t) – so it was maybe not that good, but it was still extremely good! I can absolutely recommend you to visit La Halle aux Grains – but you have to make sure to book the table well in advance.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant La Halle aux Grains
Bourse de Commerce
Rue de Viarmes 2
75001 Paris (F)
Tel.: +33 1 82 71 71 60
Homepage: http://www.halleauxgrains.bras.fr
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
