La Tête Ailleurs

On the quiet side of the Marais, between the Seine and the Rue Saint Antoine, the restaurant La Tête Ailleurs offers a cozy, warm setting for a candlelit dinner. Simple crystal chandeliers hang from a large skylight in the main dining room, and exposed stone walls are softened by comfortable (and well-spaced) seating, wall hangings and plenty of colorful cushions. While the place has a slightly trendy feel, the friendly, attentive service is completely lacking in the snottiness that often goes hand in hand with trendiness.

The shades of orange and olive green in the décor harmonize nicely with the Mediterranean offerings on the menu, with contributions from Italy, Spain and Provence. Among the appetizers, for example, are a delicious grilled eggplant roll stuffed with fromage frais; bruschetta with fresh sardines; cold avocado soup with fried gambas; and a plate of Serrano ham. Most of the first courses are served with generous arugula salads.

The three meat and three fish courses include lamb shoulder with lusciously creamy
polenta and rosemary-flavored jus; swordfish with sautéed pleurottes (oyster mushrooms) and mangoes; and rump steak with
mashed potatoes and truffles. The penne with mushroom and truffle sauce will satisfy
non-fish-eating vegetarians, and a pasta du jour is also available. The osso buco
served as the plat du jour the other day had a flavorful sauce rich in orange zest but
should have been cooked longer to reach falling-off-the-bone tenderness.

The limited dessert list includes a spiced fruit soup; a soft chocolate cake served with
vanilla ice cream; a Mont Blanc (chestnut cream and whipped cream); and a delicious panna cotta, which comes in two glasses (enough for two people), one with a berry sauce and the other with a caramel sauce.

The restaurant’s youthful owner, Hugues Courage, ran a restaurant in Saint Tropez for seven years before opening the La Tête Ailleurs. The chef, Laurent Texier, knows how to select quality ingredients and prepare
them with flair.

We left feeling well-fed and well-cared-for, a high recommendation for any restaurant.

Heidi Ellison

La Tête Ailleurs: 20 rue Beautreillis, 75004 Paris. Métro: Saint Paul or Bastille. Tel.:
01 42 72 47 80. Open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner; Saturday for dinner only.
Fixed-price lunch menu: €13.50 for 2 dishes. A la carte: around €35 (excluding wine).

© 2006 Paris Update