Parisian Roast Chicken

The perfect roast chicken at Fontaine de Mars

Julie Neis is one of those charming people you meet when you spend a lot of time in Paris as an expat. She’s a tripism pro at Fat Tire Bike/Segway Trips in Paris, the firm which was created in Paris but is based in Austin, Texas. She helped create their popular Skip the Line Eiffel Tower trips which have been a runaway success. When I saw this recent post on her new foodie blog, I asked if we could share it.

Water bottle on left, water fountain on right. All photos by Julie Neis

The restaurant she reviews is one of those quintessential French bistros that are truly worth traveling across the world for and which can only be found in Paris. This particular one is my husband’s all-time favorite and has been on our short list for nearly 20 years. Luckily it remains the same since 1903 and is arguably better than its ever been right now. Its the place President Obama took Michele on their date night during their first trip to Paris as President and First Lady, oh and did I mention its walking distance from the Eiffel Tower? Enjoy!

Waiter & resto

(Excerpted from Paris Food Affair)
I had heard that La Fontaine de Mars had a perfect roast chicken plat du jour on Sunday, so when I found myself in the area at Sunday noonish time, it seemed like just the place to go.

The menu

The reason it’s called “La Fontaine de Mars” is because it’s situated right next to the “Fountain of Mars”, the god of war. The fountain was constructed in 1806 by Napoleon.What I like about La Fontaine de Mars is that it’s so classic – checkered red & white tablecloths, waiters in long sleeves, ties, and aprons, and a classic French menu. It gives you that feeling of really being in Paris, of stepping back into another time.

red and white checkered tablecloths are never out of style

But I’d always had it in my head that it was just a so-so place to go. Great atmosphere, eh food. As it turns out, the roast chicken is near perfect. Flavorful, juicy, tender, covered in roasted chicken juice and served with a side of mashed potatoes that I’m convinced are 60% butter. No one’s going to argue about that. Paris is not the place to think about your waistline.

Finish reading this post on Julie Neis’ site, Paris Food Affair   http://www.parisfoodaffair.com/ 

La Fontaine de Mars

http://www.fontainedemars.com
Address: 129 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris
Phone:01 47 05 46 44 (Best to reserve since they are usually busy)
Hours: Daily 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 7:30 – 11:00 PM
Read about more historic bistros & brasseries here.