Au Moulin à Vent is a relic of the past, the kind of bistro adored by visitors and Parisians alike. Unlike À la Renaissance, another old-fashioned bistro recently reviewed here, the setting has not been refreshed but left in its “jus,” as the French say, with its banquettes, brass rails, mirrors, old advertising posters and zinc bar. All is as it was when the restaurant opened in 1946.
A hangover from those days is the close proximity to other diners. Everyone is well squished together, which can be annoying if you want to have an intimate conversation with your companions or delightful if you happen to meet some interesting people sitting to you. Our neighbors were four lovely young people from Montpellier who were paying a visit to Paris.
Inconveniently, the space behind the brass rails where customers stashed their hats, coats and handbags in days of old are now occupied by empty wine bottles. And there are only two coat hooks next to the toilets, so good luck in finding a place for your Borsalino hat or trench coat.
Once we were finally installed at our table, we got down to the business of ordering from the blackboard menu. Paris Update’s much-missed humor columnist David Jaggard (click here if you need a laugh), who knows the restaurant well, didn’t think twice before ordering the œufs mayonnaise (eggs mayonnaise). This once-again-trendy starter (competitions are even held to find the best) is particularly well prepared here. According to David, it’s “a good example of how they make classic dishes but do an exceptional job with them.” The pretty arrangement of one and a half eggs sat on a bed of homemade mayo, made with grain mustard, and was topped with fresh herbs, scallions, pickled red cabbage and toasted hazelnuts. “That kind of precision is what makes it good, and the old-fashioned bistro atmosphere is what makes it fun,” adds David.
His wife Nancy also knew just what she wanted, with nary a glance at the menu: escargots followed by frog legs à la provencale (with garlic, lemon juice and parsley), two other bistro staples, though the latter has pretty much disappeared from French menus. I was once told that that was because all the frogs in France had been killed off and eaten and that they now have to be imported, but I can’t verify the truth of that; maybe the real reason is that the French stopped eating them because they are sick of being called Frogs, though they don’t really seem to mind.
Nancy found both dishes to be to her great satisfaction: cooked just right and buttery and garlicky.
I started with a thick, creamy and delicious parsnip soup and followed that with a large helping of lotte (monkfish) with a creamy sauce and a lovely assortment of al dente vegetables, mostly carrots.
For his main course, David had the slow-cooked (15-hour) veal, served with a mushroomy (morels) sauce and gratin dauphinois, which, in my opinion, could’ve benefited from more seasoning (especially garlic).
The desserts were more bistro classics: floating island for Nancy, a fine chocolate mousse for David and, for me, one of my favorites: profiteroles. Unfortunately, this was not the best example. The puff pastry was too present and heavy, there was not enough vanilla ice cream, and the chocolate sauce wasn’t quite chocolatey enough. Still tasty, however.
Au Moulin à Vent is not one of your low-cost old-fashioned bistros like the Bouillon République, but the quality of the food is better. At the venerable age of 79, the restaurant is still a popular place with a high turnover, so make sure you reserve in advance.
See our Favorite Restaurants by Arrondissement page to find a good restaurant in the neighborhood where you want to eat.
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