After years of work related to the construction of the new gigantic subway express station RER E, Porte Maillot and its Palais des Congrès, on the Royal Way of Paris ( the major east-west axis which go from Louvre to La Defense) has regained some of its serenity.
And thus the Congrès Maillot, famous brasserie at the bottom of the Avenue de la Grande Armée, is also getting back to cruising speed with the return of its loyal customers… Between two planes, two trade fairs or two meetings in a skyscraper in the nearby Défense, this Congrès Maillot offers the opportunity for a regenerating break at good value for money.
Here, you can let yourself go as if on a train cruise by climbing upstairs where the room is reminiscent of a dining car on the Orient Express. From the soft benches, you won’t miss a thing of the spectacle of the square while enjoying the calm to savor some iodized specialties such as a platter of 6 fine oysters from Marennes-Oléron N°2 claires (€21.90) as meaty as you want, or let yourself be tempted in summer by a melon and Parma ham (€10) while in winter, the Parisian onion gratin (€8.50) will warm the soul and the palate.
But of course the menu offers some of the great classics of French cuisine, from foie gras to Burgundy snails, without forgetting a fine selection of French meats.
For wines, the Congress Maillot has a broad mind and misses few appellations. With some author wines like an organic Provence rosé from Château Réal Martin or on the Loire Valley this Touraine-Gamay without sulfites signed Marionnet (€33). Those who like seafood will choose a Sancerre from Domaine Reverdy whose salty finish offers a nice pairing with the salmon steak à la plancha (€25). This one brings joy to the palate with its deep flavor and the fennel that flanks it, a vegetable known for being austere, but which here borders on the sin of gluttony probably due to a “light” use of butter during cooking.…
Le Congrès Maillot – 80 Avenue. de la Grande Armée, 75017 Paris – From noon to midnight
Phone : 33 1 45 74 17 24
https://www.congres-maillot.com
RER C / E (porte Maillot)
Métro L1 (porte Maillot)
Bus L73 / L82
Tram 3b (Porte Maillot)
