Top-Ranked Dining Near Relais Montmartre by Michelin Star Chef
A great place to eat just 8 minutes’ walk from the Relais Montmartre and ranked no.158 out of almost 14,000 Parisian restaurants by TripAdvisor. The restaurant was created 3 years ago by Antoine Westerman, a 3-star Michelin chef well-known for his achievements at Mon Vieil Ami (Paris IV) and Drouant (Paris II).
THE TRIPLE STARRY CHIEF ANTOINE WESTERMANN
“The bistro of beautiful birds,” the base line on the facade informs us. The façade is quite impeccable as it happens, and there’s also valet parking, a bar equipped with open rotisserie, and stylish table settings. This is no ordinary bistro; we’re talking top-of-the-range poultry here.
The birds are first poached in an aromatic broth for two hours, then browned slowly on a spit rotisserie and served either whole or on individual plates, drizzled with a steaming, smoky jus. The skin is crispy and golden, and the meat cooked to perfection.
This is a trend that’s gaining ground: revisiting traditional cuisine and making it ecologically responsible; authentic dishes prepared with authentic products. A recipe that demands genuine, top-quality provisions.
For example: poulet de Bresse, the restaurant’s signature dish, has designated AOP status, which means the chickens are raised outdoors with 10m2 space per bird. Their diet contains no corn or milk, and the birds scratch for extra food on the grassy terrain. A good Bresse chicken costs about €40 at the butcher’s.
The head chef
The head chef is Thierry Lébé, who has worked at two other Antoine Westermann restaurants, and can be seen working in the superb open kitchen adjacent to the dining room.
As a starter, you could opt for an appetising platter of “béatilles” – fried chicken hearts & livers, wings and spicy cromesquis – €15. There’s also a good selection of egg dishes including a delightful Eggs Mimosa with Conserveira de Lisboa tuna fillets (€14), cream of green asparagus soup, chicken “beignet” with herbs and crisp belly pork (€14) and two poultry terrines.
You can have a quarter chicken for €22. If there are two or three of you, you might go for one of three delicious varieties of small whole bird on the menu: canette des Dombes (€85), Landes yellow chicken (€86) or Auvergne guineau fowl (€89). And of course the famous poulet de Bresse chicken for 3 or 4 people.
Side orders include “house” fries, salad, an amazing macaroni gratin and a fricassee of vegetables.
Le Coq Rico
98 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris
tél. 311 (0)1 42 59 82 89
Plat du jour : €15 – Menu: €65
Open every day from 12 to 2.30pm and 7pm to midnight
