BRASSERIE FLO

Tucked away on a quiet street with an arched gateway, FLO is one of the oldest bistros that dated back to the late 19th century when the area was a junction for shipments of beers, in barrels, to arrive from the Alsace region. It is within walking distance from Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est. The Founder was an Alsatian Monsieur Floederer, hence the honest to goodness Alsacienne cuisine, under the name FLO.

It is my 3rd pilgrimage and ambiance, without question, continues to be their trump card. The place is mobbed with one seating after another and its old world glory adds an extra layer of flavor to what they serve. There is a heavy dose of 'comfort food' on the menu .. rustic, homely, substantive, classic, simple, reasonable are all relevant vocabulary to describe FLO. To me the highlight of the evening was the poached crab .. Tourteau .. served cold as a key contributor to the Fruits de Mer.  I was happily working on the crabs and lost sight of 3 beautifully cooked fish courses on the table ie Monk Fish, Turbot and Sea Bass ... whoever cooked those deserved a medal.

The only negative was the service. While the young men and women were all smiles and extremely patient with our non-existent French there were just not enough of them to manage the mass humanity we sat with for 3+ hours. A few at our party surrendered before dessert when service lost momentum and the restaurant became way too hot, even thought it was 10C outside.

All in, if you have not been to FLO you must, it is a tick you need on your 'where-to' dining list.

BRASSERIE FLO
www.brasserie-flo.paris.com
7 Cour des Petites Ecuries
75010 Paris
(33) 01 47 70 1359