Le Square Marcadet

Its funny how every time we have friends from out of town  and we go out to dinner, we automatically gravitate towards Montmartre. I guess because its a nice area for atmospheric dinners and there is the draw of seeing the Sacre Coeur after.

This time around, we choose Le Square Marcadet, which is not so close to Sacre Coeur and all the touristy areas. Its got an unassuming front but the interiors are warm and inviting.  The nice surprise was their canopied garden seating area which I imagine in summer would be really pleasant.  Yes, we are in the middle of summer, but that night it was far too cold for us to have dinner there so we opted for the more cozy option of dining inside.

While perusing the menu,  we were served with some bread and an olive tapenade which was quite nice.  Its always nice to have something to munch on while waiting.  

For starters, I opted for their foie gras wrapped in crushed pistachio and served with a jelly of apricot and sauternes (which is the sweet wine normally served with foie gras) and a small salad. It was rich, fatty and delectable.  I probably didn't do my cholesterol levels any favors with this dish, but I figured, you only live once!

 And because I had chosen such a rich entree, I decided to have fish for the main course.  It was roasted white fish wrapped in bacon (oops, there goes my cholesterol again) served with a pea and mint risotto. The fish was cooked perfectly, with the bacon providing a nice foil to the fish. I was a bit apprehensive about the risotto because I'm not so fond of mint in my dish (unless its mint tea) but I need not have been worried. It was delicious, the peas retained a pleasant crunchiness which balanced perfectly with the creaminess of the risotto.  The mint was extremely light and not overpowering at all.  I was happy as a clam with my dish!

 I just had to take a photo of the other's main dish, which was a grilled T-bone steak of veal served with mashed potatoes and onions.  From the taste I had, the meat was perfectly grilled and it had a surprising satay -curry like sauce which went surprisingly well.  An unexpected but wholly welcome touch, I'd say!

 We finished off our meal with some ice cream. At this point I was so full that I forgot to take a photo of it!  But it was a sweet end to a good meal.

Being in the area and being so full, we thought it'd be nice to get some fresh air.  So we stopped at the Sacre Coeur to admire the view.  It was really nice to stand there and look about without the usual big crowd of people each trying to take that perfect photo.

I leave you with this night time shot of the Sacre Coeur

Practical Details:
Le Square Marcadet
227 bis rue Marcadet
75018 Paris