As vegetable-driven menus and Anglo-inspired comfort food predominate the Paris dining scene, the future of classic, meat-focused restaurants is ever uncertain. When food trends become inextricably and narrowly tied to how young and innovative the presiding chef is, do classic grills and brasseries still have a place among the rest?
Caroline and Sophie Rostang, daughters of the Michelin-starred chef Michel Rostang, offer a resounding YES! to that ever-abiding question. And because they believe so strongly that steakhouses old and new should and can be preserved in the pantheon of French dining establishments, they opened their own. Cafédes Abattoirs is the Rostang update of a Lyonnaise bouchon with a menu dominated by little-known/forgotten cuts of meat and old school dishes.
When I asked Caroline Rostang about the decision to create such a venture when what diners appear to seek out these days are lighter, healthier fare, she explained that they don’t need to rely on culinary trends to stay relevant. “Meat has always been a fixture of French gastronomy and is still loved, despite periods of unpopularity. We wanted to give it the attention it deserves”.
Can you really argue with that? For more on Café des Abattoirs and what you can expect when you…
