Guest Blogger:  Sheila Campbell, True Compass

When I want a good meal in Paris, I often turn to Alex Lobrano’s book Hungry for Paris: a Guide to the City’s 102 Best Restaurants. I wasn’t disappointed with his recommendation for Le Buisson Ardent, a gastronomic bistro in the 5th, where I recently had dinner with a Donna.

Le Buisson Ardent

The restaurant is surprisingly small, with tables crowded together around the rim of a square room in the front; there’s an even smaller room in the back. Two tables over, the owner was having dinner with friends, so we were able to see what they chose from the menu.

The ambiance is warm, with red banquettes and green walls and frosted glass chandeliers. Murals of country scenes, dating from 1925, line the walls. The service too was warm – never intrusive, but certainly helpful. You can see the inspiration for the name in the pediment above the restaurant door – it translates to the Burning Bush, which in the Bible spoke to Moses. This building was once the site of the Abbey Saint-Victoire, destroyed during the French Revolution.

The price for dinner was right too — €30 for the optional fixed price menu. This past July, the French government lowered the VAT tax on restaurant meals from 19.6% to 5.5%. Restaurants weren’t obligated to pass on the savings to customers, but they have done so at Le Buisson d’Ardent. The fixed price formule was marked down from €32.

Every course looked as though it had been designed on the plate, with particular attention to shapes and colors. But the food we ate wasn’t in the least pretentious; it was just delicious. My pork mignon came with a sweet turnip purée with hazelnut oil; I’ve never been a turnip fan, but I’d go back for that dish.

Le Buisson Ardent
25, rue de Jussieu, 75005 Paris; Metro Jussieu
Open Monday – Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday dinner only. Closed Sunday.