Cafe Constant - Paris
Of all of the so-called casual restaurants in Paris run by renowned chefs that we visited, Cafe Constant was by far the most casual. In this case, it was run by Chef Christian Constant, of the nearby Le Violon D’ingres. The entrance of this corner cafe has little more than a bar and some tables, and the upstairs room where we ate was more like a room in an old pool hall. We were the first to arrive for dinner, and I was concerned about the rather dank surroundings, but as we got our food and as the room completely filled up, things began to look a lot brighter, and I was eventually sorry to leave. Most importantly, my meal at Cafe Constant was probably the most consistently delicious one that I had in all of Paris, and at most, it cost 27Euro/person for three courses (it was not prix-fixe, and each course had a different price, but each dish within the courses had the same price).
Terrine de Kako with Lentils in Vinaigrette. The terrine was made with pork and foie gras, and I liked the alternating smoothness and chewiness, and the way the flavors played with each other, with the lentils providing a solid mustard-herb backdrop.
Chaud-Froid Chicken. This was served chilled and covered in an aspic with cream. Here’s a link for more about this classic dish. I thought it was fantastic — the chicken juicy and substantially meaty, and the aspic such a great change from skin, and I liked the way that the aspic gave way to the chicken when eaten. And this kind of chilled dish was perfect for that hot day.
Strawberry Melba. Simply great fruit is really all you need for a great dessert. I guess ice cream and whipped cream help, too, for a great fruity, juicy, creamy, cold dessert.
Profiteroles. Perfect.
Creme Caramel. I’d always thought that the point of making creme caramel was to not have bubbles inside it, but it seems like this was matched up with this plate based on its bubbles. It tasted good, in any case.
November 20th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
I Actually went there in September and had a great meal. Lovely people, great service. A true Bistro. I went from the recommendation of a local friend. And was just looking it up to tel a friend leaving for Paris in a few days when I came upon this review.
April 12th, 2007 at 6:23 am
I was there two nights ago and had a different experience. Surprisingly rude service to match the dank decor and our rather unexceptional meal. This may have been an exception, however, given your experience.
April 14th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Greg - So bummed to hear that. Even though it may have been an off night, a lackluster dinner is such a thudding disappointment no matter how you look at it. I can only hope that other food in Paris made up for it.
July 6th, 2007 at 9:22 am
We went to Cafe Constant on June 13 for my husband’s 60th birthday on the recommendation of a friend. This was a celebratory evening. Initally we wondered what we had stumbled upon as it was casual as described above. However, we did get into the spirit of the place and ended up having an enjoyable evening. The staff could have been considered rude but I would describe it as “cheeky”. They were not supercilious. They really engaged us and insisted that we do things “right”. No wine as an aperitif until we ordered dinner. No coffee with dessert. (It would get cold!) This must be the way it is done at their highend restaurant Le Violin D’ingres. The food was excellent and it was fun.
July 10th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Gail - Glad that you enjoyed the meal, and thanks for letting us know! I really do think that it’s a special place, and is well worth going along with their style.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
We are spending 12 days in Paris, and have been having a lot of very good, not always great food, but we made it to Cafe Constant 2 days ago. We arrived a little before noon opening, and they asked us to wait– we stood at the door, and a few minutes later another couple arrived, and they were seated! We had to laugh– the hostess was almost comically rude and rambunctious, broke 2 glasses behind the bar within the first 20 minutes of our meal. The service, I must say, was particularly sloppy. We must have seen five plates put down on tables only to be removed after recognizing a mistake. And we were not steered away from ordering, due to our pathetic French I’ll admit, 2 desserts that were virtually identical other than chantilly in place of ice cream. Sigh. ALL THAT SAID– the food was fantastic, by far the best we’ve had here (we have a baby, so fancy meals, Gagnaire, etc. are out), every dish was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious and we are GOING BACK TODAY.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Dash — haha, I’m glad that the food redeemed it all — and hope that your second meal was as good as the first!
October 30th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Thanks for the recommendation. After reading your site I took my wife to Cafe Constant last week during a 4 day trip to Paris. If I hadn’t read the reviews, I’m not sure we would have ventured inside and that would have been an opportunity missed!
The service was relaxed and friendly, ‘like the chalk board menu’. As soon as the waiter realised our French was sketchy at best, he switched to English, nothing appeared to be any trouble. The food was excellent and the profiteroles were to die for. I have already recommended the Cafe to a friend and will continue to do so.
I just want to point out that if (like us) you do not smoke, ask to be seated in the non-smoking section upstairs. We didn’t realise it was there until half way through our meal.
November 4th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Thanks for reporting back, Lee. I’m so happy that you liked. I’d do anything to have this sort of neighborhood cafe in my neighborhood…
December 8th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Hi, the name of this restaurant has shown up in several of my searches for restaurants in Paris. We will be visiting Paris during the last week of December. The thing is we are a family of 24 (including kids 9 years through 18), and we are a bit hesitant of going due to the large group. Still reading the food reviews this is just what we want for our first night in Paris (Thursday DEC 27). I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks
December 8th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Hello Maria, It really is quite small — 24 people would probably just about fill up the 2nd floor room, I’m guessing. The best thing to do is probably to call them and ask if they can accommodate your family on a certaind ate. It’s still a bit in advance, and maybe you could reserve something early in the evening when there are less people there.
Hope you get to enjoy it!
Nina
March 6th, 2008 at 7:55 am
We have enjoyed the Cafe Constant. At the dinner hour(8-10) it can be crowded and loud. But the food is very good. The decor may be lacking but it is a friendly neighborhood place.
We have some friends who will have a one night layover in Paris from Italy, on a Monday night and I am not sure if the Cafe Constant is open on Monday. It would be great if you had this information. Could you please let me know soon, as they leave the US in a week or so. They want to have a great bistro meal that won’t break the bank. If the Cafe Constant is closed on Monday do you have any reccomendations for another cafe?
Best Regards, Carrie
March 6th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Hi Carrie, I’m sorry but I don’t know if Cafe Constant is open on Monday. I also liked Cafe du Marche a lot (http://www.sweetnapa.com/2006/08/28/cafe-du-marche-paris.html), but I’m also not sure if they’re open on Mondays either. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:20 am
We ate at Cafe Constant twice during a two week stay. The food was good to very good, but I thought the prices unreasonably high. My scallops were great but cost $18 euros for 5, with a few twigs of greenery on the side. That is it, 5 scallops, a twig or two, nothing else. not a meal.
The wait staff definitely treat you differently if you order multiple courses. One waiter had English without accent, but others had little English and some attitude.
If you are in this neighborhood, you might try Chez Pierrot under the red awning that says Pariesen Bistro on rue Amelie just a couple blocks away. The food was better, cheaper, and our waitress spoke lovely English, had us test the wine even though we only ordered a single glass. She was very warm, welcoming, interested in what we thought of the food, made wine and meal suggestions - in all, I preferred Chez Pierrot to Constant