Barrafina, London

Address: 54 Frith Street,  London, W1D 4SL

WWW: http://www.barrafina.co.uk

Summary: Worth the wait tapas.

We stopped by Barrafina on a week night, initially planning to meet friends, who could not make it last minute. The place, unexpectedly for us, was packed, and the waiter informed us early on that we are looking at an hour or so wait. But, people seemed to be enjoying the food so much that we decided to stay.  After one hour and 15 minutes, a whole bottle of wonderful red Spanish wine, and some tapas (bread and olive oil - £2, toast with Al-i-oli £3, Chorizo, Potato and Watercress £6.9) and peering into a we-are-done-but-we-will-play-with-our-food-because-I-am-just-about-to-impress-him/her couple conversations, we were getting, well, himmm... impatient! If it were not for the two extremely competent waiters, who sense the tenseness of the queuers, we would have left long before we were summoned to an "outside" table. The night was warm, and our neighbouring table was friendly, so it was good that we agreed to be seated outside. 

Aaah, finally the real food: pimientos de padron (£4.70) were nicely salty, except 2 very very spicy ones, they were a pure delight.  I was not a huge fan of the classic tortilla (£5.90) as it was too runny inside in my opinion. Steve, on the other hand, liked it this way. Consulting with other Spanish people, we learned that what makes a good tortilla is a religious discussion, and it is very acceptable that it looks uncooked inside. Oh, well.  The other two tapas we tried were: Grilled Quail with Al-i-Oli £6.90 and Rump of Lamp £9.90. Both are quite tasty, but, do not stand a chance to the simple pleasures of chorizo and padron peppers, bread, Al-i-oli.

As dessert, we had Chocolate Tart £4.70 and Crèma Catalana £4.50. Crèma Catalana was very nice, I love to break the sugar with my spoon to little pieces and this one cracked wonderfully. Chocolate Tart was OK, but it is always better to stick to the classics. :) 

We had an entertaining time in Barrafina, thanks to mostly their excellent waiters. We will probably come again at a time we queue less. 

Polpo Soho, London

Address: 41 Beak Street, London W1F 9SB
WWW: http://www.polpo.co.uk

Summary: Does not live up to its reputation.

From: http://www.goodforlunch.com/news/21343

After having read and heard so much about it from different sources, we decided to go to this restaurant for Steve's birthday. The place had indeed a nice ambiance, very cosy, and waiters do make you feel at home. We knew the place had small dishes to share, and this is what we ended up doing.

For the first round, we ordered chopped chicken liver crostini (2.5 pounds), pickled artichoke and mozzarella (3 pounds) and goat cheese, roasted grape and honey bruschetta (7 pounds) with a 0.75l of their house wine (18 pounds). The crostini, the tastiest of the evening, was crunchy and generously loaded with chicken liver pate (which we both like). The pickled artichoke and mozzarella was inconsequential, and while I liked the roasted grapes on the bruschetta, blending very well to the goat cheese, the bread was too much cake-like for a bruschetta in our opinion.

For the second round, Steve went for beef-pork meatballs and spaghettini (9 pounds), while I chose calamari, parsley and radish salad (8 pounds). Instead of parsley, I got rucola, which is a better exchange. However, Steve, who is the rucola-lover, did not fight for a second serving. The calamari was nicely cooked, while the tomato sauce of the spaghettini tasted right out of the can. Meatballs were also a quite generous portion, however, the taste was so-so.

Our final round was devoted to desserts - tiramisu for me (5 pounds) and flourless orange and almond cake for Steve (5,5 pounds) accompanied by espressos. This was indeed the highlight of our meal - the espressos were very good, and both desserts were simple but delicious. So, if we come ever again, which we doubt, we will come for the desserts.

Cragganmore House, Ballindalloch, Banffshire, Scotland

Address: Cragganmore House, Ballindalloch, Banffshire, AB37 9AB

WWW: http://www.cragganmore-house.com/

Summary: You can also cook like the pros!

From http://www.cragganmore-house.com/

We went to Cragganmore House as a treat from Steve's students and friends in Germany, who arranged a cooking class and a visit to the Cragganmore Distillery right across the house for us. This was by far the best gift we've ever got in our lives. Thanks again guys!

The house is run by the wonderful Tony and Helen (Alcott). Tony cooks delightful dishes every morning, afternoon, and evening! And with the cooking class we were able to peer into the daily life of a professional chef. And a difficult life it is, we were bound to learn - one that can be mastered only with passion, as we saw Tony cooking with heart and soul.

Mind you, this cooking class was serious business, our dishes were to be served if any customer showed that night to the restaurant part... That made us a bit nervous. We looked at the menu, which included stuff we have never tried, increasing the nervousness.  Without further ado,  we prepared the following menu: 

Starter

Hot Smoked Salmon with Malt Whisky 

and Heather Honey

Main Course

Baked  Loin of Glenlivet Venison

Wrapped in Flaky Pastry

With a Mushroom and Hazelnut Duxelle

Dessert

Dark Chocolate and Cragganmore Malt Ice Souffle

With Poached Pears in Red Wine Syrup

And Brandy Snap

Now, you know what I mean :D Steve took care of the hot smoking the salmon, while I started preparing the souffle for the dessert, all with the help of Tony. For the careful observer, all the recipes include an essential ingredient: Whisky, which was used with the following rule: "Leave always some to the cook!" :) So, it does not require much imagination to see that our cooking went very merry! 

Smoking the salmon requires careful cutting a large piece of filet, and using the smoking wood that Tony also gave us to bring back home. This needs to be done definitely outside on a barbecue, as we do not have proper cooking ranges as Tony does. 

The souffle is not particularly challenging, as the seperated yolks are creamed by the machine, and the only care that must be taken is when mixing in the ingredients and folding the cream in. Not as difficult as I feared - though I was not sure till I tasted it if I did it right. The other part of the dessert was familiar, as I bake poached pears but not as artistic as Tony, who cuts the pears at the bottom, puts the deseeded pears sitting upright in the baking dish.  The final part, the brandy snap is the most enjoyable thing to prepare - as we have given them bowl shapes placing cut and baked circular snaps - fast moving is the key - over oranges. It looks like this:

From cookalmostanything.blogspot.com

You can also roll them, and fill them with creme:

From kimbaskitchen.com

Compared to starter and the dessert, the main dish gave less excitement, especially for a Turkish girl used to wrapping things in dough or grape leaves (here choking with humility :D) but it was all good fun.

During the class, Steve and I learned a lot about preparing, cooking dishes (also a small lesson on how to cut an onion properly to cry less) and also combining and serving them on a plate for visual impact. Tony was very patient, and understanding - always helpful. At the end of the day, we were amazed how delicious everything we cooked was and how professional it looked!  We hope to come again.

Nuevo, Helsinki, Finland

Address: Sofiankatu 4, Helsinki 00170, Finland

WWW: http://www.ravintolanuevo.fi/en

Summary: Tapas like you never had before. 

From http://www.discoveringfinland.com/travel/regions-cities/helsinki-area/helsinki/food/

This was totally a serendipitous find as we were on our way to visit the 

Suomenlinna island. We marked this restaurant on the way as a dinner option. Good that we did!

The restaurant has a nice decor, and a friendly service. Being hungry, we were happy with the bread, oil and vinegar that got served early on.  We immediately ordered,  and wanting to taste as much as possible, we decided to share Tapas selection 1 and 2 in their menu with a pitcher of Sangria. 

This is what we ended up eating - a very unique, artistic and most importantly tasty selection (prices are in Euros):

TAPAS SELECCIÓN 1                                                                                                        

Endivia con queso azul                                                    5,20
Marinated endive served with nuts and blue cheese

Comment: For even a non-endive lover, nuts and blue cheese turned out to be very enjoyable. 

Mejilla de ternera                                                              6,30
Cheek of veal served with pine nut alioli and beetroot

Comment: Very very soft veal meat, and we did not know beetroot could be that loveable.

Atún blanco                                                                        6,50                               
Lemon marinated tuna served with octopus and asparagus

Comment: Melt-in-your mouth tuna, nicely crisp and non-chewy octopus. A lot could have gone wrong there, but none did.

Mousse de salmón                                                            5,50                               
Cold-smoked salmon served with salmon roe 

Comment: Compared to the rest, this was tasty but not taking the center stage as others. 

Selección de tapas  • Tapas Selection                            23,00       

Our favorite: Atún blanco

TAPAS SELECCIÓN 2                                                                                                                   

Chorizo                                                                                5,30
Chorizo sausage served with alioli

Comment: I love chorizo, and this was as good as what I had in Barcelona, Spain. No other comment necessary!

Ensalada de patatas con pescado y jamón serrano      5,40
Potato salad served with smoked fish and serrano ham

Comment: We expected fish dishes to be amazing, and they fulfilled our expectations. The ham was also nicely accompanying the rest. 

Mousse de queso de cabra                                              5,60
Goat cheese mousse served with strawberries and shoot salad

Comment: We are big fans of goat cheese, and the Finnish love of all berries mixed well with the tanginess of the cheese. 

Anguila                                                                                 6,20
European eel served with avocado cream

Comment: By far, the best eel we have ever eaten. Loved it so much that, we can eat it everyday. 

Selección de tapas  • Tapas Selection                             22,00

Our favourite: Anguila 

We will definitely come again to Helsinki, which proved to be a food heaven though a bit on the pricey side. Nevertheless, we would still say this restaurant is very good value!

Some addresses in Helsinki, Finland

We were very pleased with the quality of the food you find in restaurants in Helsinki. OK, they are pricier than usual, but we would have to say very good value.

• Casa Largo: Spanish tapas - for a very late night dinner, the paella served was more than satisfying.  Address: Asema-aukio 2 Tel. 010 76 63500  WWW: http://www.casalargo.fi

• Grotesk: Interesting menu, which includes also a steak tartar. However, if you are a larger group (larger than 8 people), this menu disappears and you are left with a smaller menu. The steak option is filling, and cooked to perfection. If you go for the salmon option, you might end up wandering when the main dish will show up, as some did in our group. Address: Ludvigingatu 10 WWW: http://www.grotesk.fi
• Elite: Has good outdoor seating, and it seems in the evenings, different choirs come to sing inside. Looks like interesting entertainment. :) The menu is also quite extensive, with several different steak options, all liked by the group we were dining with. However, different than the rest, I had the grilled king prawn tails - these were very tasty but it is a smaller portion than the steak dishes. But, topping it with a chocolate cake with gooseberry compote made it an excellent and filling end to the nice evening with friends.  Address: Eteläinen Hesperiankatu 22 WWW: http://www.elite.fi/en

Sagar - South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant, London

Address: 31 Catherine Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5JS
WWW: http://www.sagarveg.co.uk/

Summary: Interesting menu, but some dishes were just bland.

Idli with coconut chutney and sambar (Image from: The wandering foody)

We found Sagar online when we were searching for vegetarian restaurants to take one of Steve's friends. When I saw the idlis and dosas (see below for definitions) offered in the menu, I got truly excited about this place. I love both South Indian specialties based on my memories of one of my dear friends preparing them in Champaign-Urbana.

We were a bit early, so,  we started with 2 Mango Lassis (£3.25 each), while waiting for our friend to join us.  I liked it a lot, and Steve found it too thick and too sweet but nevertheless, they were gone pretty quickly. Maybe that is why we did not say no to a second serving (that came without us ordering in the middle of the appetizers).

For appetizers, we had:

• Idli (£4.45): Two steamed rice dumplings served with sambar and coconut chutney. Idli and coconut chutney were really good but not so much the sambar. I expected it to be more flavorful rather than watery. 
• Medu Vada (£4.75): Fried lentil doughnuts. Steve did not enjoy them as much as our friend, who was impressed by how well they were done. In my opinion, they were indeed well done, but somehow again, lacked the flavor and richness I was looking for. 
• Dahi Potato Puri (£4.15):  Small crispy parcels stuffed with potatoes, sweet & sour spicy chutney and yoghurt. This was the best among the three - the combination of sweet, sour and spicy, together with yoghurt, was unanimously found superior to others. 

For main dishes,  we had:

• Paneer Dosa (£6.95):  Two of us had this rice & lentil crepe filled with home made cottage cheese (paneer), potato, onion, carrot and capsicum (red & green) with mild spices. Being used to the dosas made by my dear friend, I was not impressed. Again it was bland and I found the crepe a bit salty. 
• Sagar Thali (£13.95):  Steve had this, which comes with pappadam, raitha, potato palya, kootu, dal, curry of the day, special rice of the day, paratha. He could hardly finish it, but was again not too impressed.  There was a wide variety of dishes but none of them stood out in terms of taste.

 Both dishes were pretty large, and after the appetizers, neither Steve not I could manage to finish them.  I think it is also because we felt a bit let down.

In summary, though this place is very nicely located in Covent Garden,  just across  Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and prices are very reasonable, we do not see ourselves visiting here again.

Belgo Centraal, London

Adress:  50 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LJ
WWW:  www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk
 
Summary: Moules, moules, moules!!!!

OK, it was a risk to go with a Belgian to a Belgian restaurant in search of traditional tastes. But, this restaurant did not let us down. First of all, we were served by a Belgian. Second, the menu was abundant with promising choices of food and also true Belgian beers (for a look: http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/menus/belgo-centraal/belgo-menu).

We did not side-track from our initial purpose! Moules, and moules traditionelles (£12.95 - very reasonable, and what you would pay in Brussels), we ordered. Steve, of course, with frites and I with salad. Both options were really good. We did not drink beer but preferred a bottle of nice sweet white wine.  But, let's talk about the core of the matter: the moules. They were a nice size, but the taste lacked  enough vegetables in its sauce. Well, Steve says he can do them much better and I tend to agree :D Nevertheless, we were content with what we got.

For dessert, we had a tarte tatin, but it was nothing special - we can hardly remember what we felt about it. We cannot find it in the menu either. 

Overall, this restaurant is very nicely located, and it has a cozy ambiance with "cave" seating.  I can imagine coming here again before/after the show in one of the many theaters close by!

Boulangerie Bon Matin, London

Address: 178 Tollington Park London, N4 3AJ
WWW: http://www.boulangeriebonmatin.co.uk/

Summary: A neighborhood gem for good breakfast, coffee and sweets

 This is the second time we have been here. The first time was under the lure of their window displays of pretty cake and tarts (see below) and the taste matched the look, to our great satisfaction.

This time, it was for breakfast - i.e., for more serious stuff. I ordered scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on toast, and Steve got the vegetarian breakfast, complete with scrambled eggs,  beans, vegetarian sausage, mushrooms, and roasted tomato. Both options were gratifying, the vegetarian sausage a favorite. We enjoyed them in satisfying portions with two cappuccinos, which also were served in quite large cups. For our sweet tooth, we chose a healthy option this time - smoothies: I, with orange, banana and strawberry and Steve, with muesli, raspberry and banana and more. Unfortunately, the smoothies, compared to the breakfast, were just OK - we think because they lacked yoghurt - so they were just a mix of juices rather than a real full-fledged smoothie.
We paid £22 for two, and we will definitely come again - maybe not for the smoothie, but there is enough to merit in this neighborhood gem more visits.

Roti Chai, London

Address: 3 Portman Mews South, London, W1H 6HS
WWW: http://www.rotichai.com

Summary: Delicious spicy Indian food in a warm decor.


This is the 2nd time we are hitting the main dining room of Roti Chai. The first time was for celebrating the new year, and this time, we have special guests - Steve's mom, dad, aunt and uncle.  Given that some in the party never had Indian food before, we had to choose a safe bet. The first name that came to our mind - take also into account that we have not been in London too long - was Roti Chai. 


We ordered, as our custom in any Indian restaurant, multiple dishes to be shared. We focused on mostly chicken-based dishes: 2 x Butter Chicken (£14), Chettinad Chicken (£16), Tandoori chicken (£12). Then some seafood: Kozhikode seafood Kari (£16) and  finally, some variation: Braised quail. And of course, several garlic naans, and rice to accompany our selections. Now, when it comes to ranking what  the most delicious was, the opinions varied - some just could not have enough of the quail, whereas some voted the tandoori chicken as far more superior. :) But, the winners of all hearts, with no doubt were the Butter chicken and garlic naan - simpler than others, but certainly the most satisfying. On the other hand, shrimp curry was not a good bet, the sauce and the shrimp just did not match. And with all, we had some tasty grenache rouge - Produit de France, which our Parisian waiter served with pride :D 


To top it all, we had some dessert: Most went for the chai brulee, which is my favorite, but was too interesting for the older generation. And Steve had the warm cardamom chocolate tartelette, but he said he prefers the taste of chai brulee. So, if you are not experimental with dessert, just focus on the mains.


Roti Chai is indeed a nice restaurant to bring guests - the food is dependable, it is cozy, the waiters can handle constant joking and teasing :D, and at the end of the day you leave with a huge smile - be the reason wine or the spicy taste left behind in your still-slightly-burning mouth.  We will definitely come back again - but this time to sit upstairs and try the Street Kitchen.

 

Galvin La Chapelle, London

Picture from: http://coverpointfood.com/2010/10/17/galvin-la-chapelle/

Address: 35 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY United Kingdom
Summary: Pricey indeed but your taste buds will be pleased :D

We went to Galvin La Chapalle, my first Michelin-star restaurant, to celebrate our 2nd year together (Steve made our reservation using http://www.toptable.com/). The atmosphere of the restaurant is just right for such a celebration - the lights and the seating arrangements allow both romantic dates, as well as larger family parties and business meetings to happen at the same place with almost no interference.

We started  our night toasting to us with Kir Royal :D ... and continued on with both the same entrees: Pressed Landes chicken, Bayonne ham & foie gras, red onion marmalade (£13.50).  This was amazing, and the red onion marmalade was surprisingly delicious. Our main dishes were a beautifully cooked duck for me and a steak for Steve. (I unfortunately do not see our main meals on the sample menu in their website, so no prices for these ones :(.)  Our dishes were accompanied with 1/2 liter of Pinot Noir - there are of course,  a variety of, needless to say, expensive wines on their list but after Kir Royal we were in the mood for neither drinking more nor spending more money. :D Finally, we ended with deserts: Soufflé of English raspberries, milk ice-cream (£10.50) for me and, Valrhona chocolate & passion fruit ganache, banana & yogurt ice cream, lime sponge & granite (£11.50) for Steve. Unfortunately, neither of the deserts could come near the blissful experience we had with the entree and the mains.  They were interesting, at best, but we were not a fan of either. However, Steve's desert was much better than mine - I just could not like the milk ice-cream they served. 

We had overall a good time in the Galvin La Chapelle.  Except the too frequent visits of our waiter inquiring whether we want more bread or not, the service was impeccable. (The olive bread was pretty good by the way.) We paid £185 in total for two people - indeed, very pricey - but, was worth going to a Michelin-star restaurant once. (One thing off from "List of things to do before I die" checklist. :D).

For the interested, the restaurant has much better deals if you plan your timing:

Menu prix fixe: 3 courses Lunch (12:00-2:30) £26.50 Dinner (6:00-7:00) £29.50

My top 10 for Berlin

I recently answered a question at AFAR-Where travel can take you? about top-10 things to do in Berlin:

(1) Pergamon museum
(2) Having a cake/coffee in Kadewe 6th floor in Lenotre.
(3) Mauer park flea market on Sunday
(4) Having brunch in Maibach cafe in Nollendorfplatz
(5) A nice Turkish dinner in Baba Angora, Savignyplatz
(6) Get a beer in Cafe am neuen See, Tiergarten
(7) Go to cinema in Hackescher Hof, and grab the best ever cinema popcorn :)
(8) Get a nice fish tandoori in Buddha Republic in Savignyplatz
(9) Grab a French dinner in la Bonne Franquette, good wine, mussels, steak, and lively chat with the waiter
(10) A concert in Konzerthaus in Gendarmenmarkt

Brunch/Breakfast wars in Berlin :D

Brunch is a special event in Berlin. There are plenty of places that offer nice buffets from 9:00-16:00. Yes, that late!

Today, I was in Frida Kahlo. Since I have moved to the fashionable district of Berlin, Prinzlauerberg, I visited Frida Kahlo several times for breakfast (not brunch :D). They serve a mean cappuccino: just the right mix of frothiness and sweet-bitter espresso. I also love their ambiance. Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite painters, and the deep and rich colors of this place with Frida Kahlo portraits make this place extra special.

Today, in Frida Kahlo, I had the chance to be there for a buffet brunch - they do indeed have a decent size buffet, with the mix of usuals: eggs, cold cuts, cheese, cold salads (the cold pasta salad with chorizo was especially nice), hot dishes (I did not have any but they had lasagna for instance), and the sweets. I had a huge serving, and everything was delicious.

But, but I still think Maibach, in Nollendorfplatz, is the BEST place to have brunch. First of all they have this huge salmon, cooked to perfection! Just for that, I would always go to Maibach for brunch.

Other good options for brunch: Cafe Bilderbuch (Akazienstrasse), Cafe Morgenland (Skalitzer Strasse), Café Anna Blume (Prenzlauer Berg).

El Pica Pica - Liege, Belgium

Summary: Pricey food with no taste!

We went to this tapas place in Liege on a Friday night, when we were in Liege for a wedding. We were told by our waitress that Fridays are special - and you get a fixed menu for 50 Euros. Since, we were already seated down, we did not leave - though we were not planning for an expensive dinner, this was what we ended up having.
We were brought one after the other small dishes, among which only the amuse bouche (a potato soup) was worth having. All the others dishes were pretentious (the foam, the crust of a fish skin etc.) but had either absolutely no taste or was too salty. At the end of the night, we ended up having a meal, which we did not enjoy all. The pizza we bought for our friend after was better tasting and only costed 5 Euros!

Definitely avoid.

And now a few addresses in Berlin

Before I started this blog, I was keeping notes in a small notebook. Now that we are writing this blog, it is time to retire the notebook. And here are a list of addresses in Berlin:

The Bird
Address:Am Falkplatz 5, Prenzlauerberg 10435
WWW: http://thebirdinberlin.com/contact.htm
Why: Go for the big real American burger, and the fries! Have not eaten better in Berlin.

Schnitzelei
Address: Röntgenstraße 7, 10587 Berlin
WWW: http://www.schnitzelei.de/
Why: The place to eat schnitzel in its traditional, and untraditional forms. It also has this German tapas concept, which goes very well with a chilled beer.

La Bonne Franquette
Address:CHAUSSEESTRASSE 110 10115 BERLIN
WWW: http://labonnefranquette.de/
Why: Great great french brasserie, with very friendly service, excellent wine, good food. My favorite is the mussels!

Dolores
Address:Rosa-luxemburg-str. 7, 10178 berlin
(also in wittenbergplatz)
WWW: http://www.dolores-online.de
Why: Burritos! And nowhere else in Berlin, there are burritos.

Matreshka:
Address: Boxhagener Straße 60 10245 Berlin (Friedrichshain)
Why: If not for its perfect service, for its hearty Russian food, which, I am sure is cooked by the mother of our waiter (i.e., home-cooked feeling at its best). And the vodka - in all flavors!

Cafe BilderBuch
Address: Akazienstrasse 28, 10823 Berlin
WWW: www.cafe-bilderbuch.de
Why: For its lovely back room ambiance with mismatching comfy chairs and bookshelves. Reading room atmosphere. Live music during brunch - tasty breakfast options!

A few addresses in Paris

Recently, I have found my book I have jot down a few restaurants that I absolutely loved in Paris!
Here they are:

Chez Gladines
Address: 30 Rue des Cinq Diamants, 13th arrondissement
Why: Go for its hearty basque food. Best salads and duck ever. Very laid back, relaxed atmosphere.
No reservations, and bring cash!

Mirama
Address: 17 Rue St Jacques, 75005 Paris, Quartier Latin
Why: Best dumpling soup ever. And, the traditional look of hanging ducks.

Le Polidor
Address: 41, rue Monsieur Le Prince, 75006 Paris, Quartier Latin
WWW: http://www.polidor.com/
Why: If the fact that André Gide, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Antonin Artaud, Jack Kerouac, Henry Miller and Jane Day have already dined there is not enough, go for its authentic interior that have not changed in 100 years, long tables that you share with others, delicious and affordable food.

Le Zinc des Cavistes
Address: 5, Rue du Faubourg Montmartre , 75009 Paris
Why: Very very good wine, and of course duck. (It seems like I splurged on duck in Paris! :) )
And, happily English-speaking waiters - somehow a rarity in Paris.

Les Philosophes
Address: 28 rue Vieille du Temple 75004, Marais
Why: The typical Parisian cafe and brasserie in its perfection. A nice creating: tarte tatin du tomate.The foie gras is also pretty nice. And for the sweet toothed, the gateau d'expresso!
Very good service, might be a bit on the pricey side, but definitely good value.

Sizin
Address:47 Rue Saint Georges 75009 Paris
WWW: http://www.sizin-restaurant.com/
Why: Good Turkish food. Service a bit slow, but the wait is well worth it for the home-made baklava!