French cuisine can be expensive in Japan, but if you know where to look, there are a few affordable and good restaurants out there. Bistro Le Parisien in Kagurazaka is one option that offers casual French food at a fairly reasonable price.
The Food
On weekends, the cheapest lunch menu costs 2,000 yen. It is a good deal considering that it includes an amuse-bouche, an entrée, a starter, a main and bread. That being said, many options cost extra, so the tab can go up pretty quickly. However, if you stick to the standard items you can enjoy a full meal at a decent price.
Verrine de Pétoncles (Bay Scallop Verrine)
The Bay Scallop and Orange Verrine was perfect to start our meal. This amuse-bouche was refreshing and well-balanced.
The bread was so good it deserves a picture of its own. I couldn’t resist ordering some (salted!) butter on the side to go with it. What a perfect match!
Tartare de Noix de Saint Jacques aux Herbes (Scallop Tartar with Herbs)
For the starter I ordered the Scallop Tartar with Herbs, which costed me an extra 400 yen. I don’t regret my choice because it tasted wonderful and also looked beautiful. It was fresh and very well-seasoned.
Fricassée d’Agneau à la Normande (Norman Style Lamb Fricassee)
My friend ordered the Norman Style Lamb Fricassee but had some trouble eating it because the meat was not cooked to her liking. She is Chinese and told me that she is used to lamb meat, but eating it pink was apparently a turn-off for her. We decided to switch plates and I had no problem with it. If anything, I actually found the meat a little overcooked and not tender enough. I still enjoyed the mushroom sauce and the tagliatelle.
Brochette de Viande du Jour (Meat Skewer of the Day)
I originally ordered the Meat Skewer of the Day. The chicken was very tasty and served with the same mushroom sauce as the lamb meat. The eggplants were cooked and seasoned on point, and the plate was more filling than it looked!
Fromage Frais aux Fruits Rouges (Red Fruit Fromage Frais)
We were pretty satisfied with our meal, but we decided to share a dessert anyway. The fromage frais topped with red berries was pretty standard, yet enjoyable. I kind of regret not going for one of the pies instead…
Overall
We had a very pleasant lunch at Bistro Le Parisien. The owner was also very nice and the interior quite cosy. If I am in Kagurazaka, I would choose it over Maison de La Bourgogne because of its lower price point and nicer interior. However, Lugdunum would be my first pick!
All the prices included in this article are excluding taxes.
Bistro Le Parisien
Opening hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 to 14:30 and for dinner from 17:00 to 22:00
Website: click here
Address: Takano bldg.1F, 19 Iwato-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0832
Telephone: 03-5579-2866
