Casimir Restaurant

Vive Casimir!

January 17, 2025By Heidi EllisonRestaurants
Casimir, formerly Chez Casimir, near the Gare du Nord.
Casimir, formerly Chez Casimir, near the Gare du Nord.

The many fans of Chez Casimir, which I dubbed the “perfect bistro” in my last review, may be dismayed to hear, as I certainly was, that it has been sold yet again (to the owners of Glou, Jaja, Bon Vivant, among others) and is now called simply Casimir. Sadly, its former cozily charming decor has also been changed. The retro cement floor tiles have been saved, but the amusing mural surrounding a wine-bottle-filled window is gone, along with the red banquettes. The dark wood tables and chairs, with their red-checked cloth napkins, have been replaced by bland blond-wood tables and chairs. It might as well be a train-station café.

I am delighted to report, however, that despite the desecration of the decor, the food is still great.

We got off to a good start, sharing first courses of fresh oysters from Utah Beach; house-made duck rillettes adorned with pink peppercorns; and a fine classic onion soup with plenty of – but not too much – melted cheese, nothing less than a Comté aged for 24 months.

Pork cheek with winter vegetables.
Pork cheek with winter vegetables.

Main courses included meltingly tender and flavorful joue de porc confit (confit pork cheek), served with generous helpings of winter vegetables; stunningly good quail stuffed with foie gras and mushrooms, accompanied by wilted spinach and Albufera sauce (a velouté sauce with cream and meat glaze added); and tender quasi de veau (veal rump) in pepper sauce, served with the restaurant’s tip-top French fries.

Stuffed quail with spinach and Albufera sauce.
Stuffed quail with spinach and Albufera sauce.

We topped off this feast with an excellent Paris-Brest, big enough to satisfy all of us with its perfect pastry, rich creamy praline filling and a generous helping of whole hazelnuts. As one of my friends, Fred, summed up his dinner: “a simple, classic, perfectly cooked French meal made with high-quality ingredients.”

By the time we finished, we had forgiven and forgotten the new decor, happy with the cheerful, helpful staff and mollified by the meal. Chez Casimir est mort. Vive Casimir!

See our Favorite Restaurants by Arrondissement page to find a good restaurant in the neighborhood where you want to eat.

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2 Comments

  • Interesting review and I liked the direct criticism of the décor – but have I missed something? Where are the prices of all those dishes you describe with an overall tally of the bill. Without this any restaurant review is quite useless.

    • Thank you, Anne, for your comment. You have only to scroll up to the right-hand column at the top of this page to find all the information you need, as in all our restaurant reviews.

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