Lazare: Chef Eric Frechon’s New Paris Restaurant

Lazare restaurant, Paris

The talk of the town in Paris this fall has been the opening of Lazare, the brasserie from Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon of Le Bristol fame. It should be-- as generally anything Frechon touches turns to gold. (The Mini Palais, his resto inside the Grand Palais, is one of our favorite spots in town for an elegant, affordable lunch in a beautiful setting-- not to mention artisanal ice cream on the terrace in summer months.)

Lazare is another instant hit, serving French classics from yesteryear inside the Gare Saint Lazare, Paris’s oldest train station. The gare has had a makeover, and has morphed into a mall with 80 chic shops. Lazare has pride of place at ground level, with an eye-catching interior design which riffs on the train station setting (a chalkboard menu resembles a train time table). On a recent lunch at Lazare, Luxury Travel Advisor found the brasserie buzzing with happy diners, tucking into escargots, steaks, grilled fish, and traditional desserts like tarte au chocolat and ile flottante.

We enjoyed a splendid green bean salad, morel mushrooms sautéed in white wine, and the Agneau de sept heures confit au citron et aux olives, an exquisite slow-braised lamb with lemon confit and olives. The Paris-Deauville dessert provides a fine finish to a lovely meal; the soufflé is inspired by a recipe from Frechon’s grandmother which calls to mind the fashionable seaside destination at the end of the train line from Gare Saint Lazare. Main courses average 22 euros; the daily special is 18 euros.

Lazare, Address: Parvis Gare Saint Lazare, Rue Interieure, 75008, Paris, Tel: +33 1-44-90-80-80, www.lazare-paris.fr

Chef Eric Frechon at Lazare