Paris has no shortage of bistros, but every now and then, a new one opens that just gets it. Biche, in the 8th arrondissement, is one of those places. It does’t try to modernize French cuisine or reinvent the classics. It just serves them, exactly as they should be.
The menu is refreshingly simple, but the dishes are the kind that stick with you. Coquillettes gratin, those tiny elbow-shaped pasta, arrive coated in a creamy truffle sauce, layered with white ham, and baked until bubbling and golden. It’s the kind of dish that reminds you how good something so simple can be when it’s done right.
Then there’s the blanquette de veau, a dish that’s been on every French grandmother’s Sunday lunch table for generations. Here, it’s everything it should be, tender veal in a silky, rich sauce, just the right balance of comforting and elegant. A side of rice soaks up every bit of the sauce, making it impossible to leave anything behind. It’s the perfect dish for a rainy or chilly day.
Biche doesn’t feel like a restaurant chasing trends, and that’s exactly why it works. It’s a place to sit, eat well, and linger over another glass of wine. If you’re looking for simple, perfectly executed French comfort food, this is where you should be.
Biche, 129 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
Note: Biche provided support for the reporting of this story.