Last night was ladies night. We all headed to Pigalle, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris (you know, the Moulin Rouge and neon signs for stores mostly containing the word "sex") to try out Buvette. I'd actually wanted to go to the New York Buvette when we were there last summer, but JB wasn't in the mood for French food so that was the end of that.
Buvette is pretty small, like most places in Paris. We were a table of 7, so it was pretty cosy and we occupied the biggest corner of the restaurant. I'd only had an orange for lunch, so I was a little disappointed by the food portions as they were very small. Our food:wine ratio meant that we all left a little tipsy and I'll openly admit that I had to have 2 of the hachis parmentier, the French equivalent of shepherds pie. However, I was pleasantly surprised when we got the bill and it only came to 41 euros per head because we had a fair bit to drink and Buvette is not a cheap night out.
The service was friendly and efficient. The place was nicely busy and buzzing. The menus were cute. I really enjoyed my Bois de Rose cocktail (elderflower liquor, Apérol, gin, lemon juice and champagne) and I think that one advantage Buvette will have over many other Parisian eateries is that it's open non stop from 10am to midnight. It's also opened on Sunday (but closed on Monday). However they don't take reservations (meh) so it's probably best to arrive around 7pm if you're more than two people.
I expect Buvette is doing very well with the expat crowd. Personally, I'm glad that I finally got to experience it and had a lovely time there with my friends but due to the small food portions and robust wine prices I don't think I'll be hurrying back. I am interested to check out the vibe during the day and see what the coffee is like.
Buvette
28 rue Henry Monnier
75009 Paris
Métro Pigalle
01 44 63 41 71
Lou
xxx
P.S. Thanks to Veronica for the photos. My iPhone 4 camera has officially lost it when it comes to dimly lit areas.
