If you want to treat yourself or a friend to a special meal but can’t afford to drop €300 or more per person at a Michelin-starred restaurant, I have the perfect place for you: Pétrelle, a venerable restaurant in the 9th arrondissement that has been rejuvenated by its adorable new owners: Lucie Boursier-Mougenot in the kitchen and her husband Luca Danti in the dining room, both of whom exude unaffected charm.
The dining room is just as charming, with a refreshingly subdued decor that eschews trends and opts for calm (and I do mean calm – no loud music or loud neighbors to shout over) and comfort. Half-wood paneling, artistically painted walls and small lamps add to the cozy atmosphere.
Given its quality, the €75 four-course tasting menu is reasonably priced, and for an extra €45 for two people, you can add a lobster course, which we did, being in the mood for a small splurge. If you can’t afford that, the weekend lunchtime tasting menus look like an especially good deal, between €34 and €49, depending on how many courses you have.
As in any classy restaurant, there were little extras, starting with a broth of crevettes grises, those tiny little shrimps you can pop into your mouth like bonbons and eat whole. It was accompanied by a tasty pomme dauphine (potato puff) with bacon and bisque sauce.
The first course was bluefin tuna with ajoblanco (a cold Spanish soup made with almonds, garlic, water, olive oil and salt), luscious Burlat cherries and raw almonds. A brilliant, harmonious combination.
Breaking up the fish-dominant menu, the next course consisted of spring girolle mushrooms, deliciously accompanied by apricots and Parmesan foam, and sprinkled with praliné squash seeds.
The next fish dish was roasted lotte (monkfish) from Brittany with fig-leaf zabaglione and zucchini. Another delightful marriage of flavors.
Then came the coveted lobster, a generous helping with rose-flavored bisque and just a touch of chili, cooled down by a helping of burrata. Altogether luscious. I thought the rose flavoring was a bit too strong at first, but it grew on me, a comment that the chef was happy to hear. She herself served us each dish and always asked for and clearly wanted to hear constructive criticism for each of them.
The dessert was a lovely rice pudding given gourmet appeal with creamy toasted rice, raspberries and shiso leaves.
This meal was pure pleasure from start to finish, with cleverly constructed dishes that delighted every time. Most importantly, perhaps, the joy of the evening was amplified many times over by the friendliness and kindness of the chef and her partner.
See our Favorite Restaurants by Arrondissement page to find a good restaurant in the neighborhood where you want to eat.
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