Clos St Eloi

It's obvious this restaurant will earn a star one day.

We felt like we were in the way, and the meal did nothing to change that. The €30 set menu included a starter, main, and dessert, but what we got felt far too costly: a boiled cabbage leaf with mushroom duxelles and an overcooked fish of the day that was probably frozen. The food was bland and had a dated, 90s feel. Service rushed us through in just 50 minutes, supposedly at a gourmet restaurant. Our starter arrived before we'd even finished our aperitif. A half-pint of draft beer was €7, more than we'd seen even in Paris. Two glasses of wine cost €17; one tasted like vinegar, and they replaced it and charged us without apologizing. We won't return. The brasserie across the street, a little farther up the road, is a better bet for a warmer welcome and more reasonable prices.

The manager ended by suggesting we try somewhere else next time. Thanks for the very insightful advice. I'll be sure to pass it along to anyone who reads this. The whole thing started because the meal portions were far too small. We told the waitress, and the chef came over to insist we were mistaken about the serving sizes. When we were leaving, the manager brought it up again and quoted portion sizes that were larger than what the chef had told us the day before. We pointed out that they contradicted each other. She confidently said the entire table must have misheard him. Maybe one of us wasn't thinking straight, but the worst part was her accusing us of making an unjustified scene based on the one table in the dining room that hadn't complained. We only gave feedback after being asked. Outrageous.

Lunch for two today, and we had a lovely time. The welcome was really warm, the meal came quickly and efficiently, and everything was delicious with generous portions. Perfect. I highly recommend it.