<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lepetitsommelier-paris.fr/en/">Le Petit Sommelier de
Paris</a>

49 Avenue
du Maine

75014
Paris, France

Tel. + 33
(0) 1 43 20 95 66

Phone: 01
43 20 95 66

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | APRIL 11, 2025

The Food:

Salmon Gravlax

Frogs Legs in Persillade

Côte de Boeuf ‘Irish Angus’ for Two

The Wine:2010 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru&nbsp;-&nbsp;95Proprietor Pierre Vila Palleja offers classic bistro fare
along with one of the most interesting lists in Paris at Le Petit Sommelier de
Paris. The ambiance is busy and quite informal. On this night, the tightly
spaced tables are packed with families and locals enjoying beef bourguignon and
other staples of the French kitchen.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1744384113222-VT_gravlax.jpg">Salmon Gravlax. 



Le Petit Sommelier de Paris specializes in French
comfort food favorites. Escargots, foie gras, steak tartare, ris de veau and
many other are all options. A section of the menu is dedicated to special cuts
of beef, including two versions of Côte de Boeuf for two. Salmon Gravlax is a fine
starter, perhaps not the most adventurous dish, but a nice balance to this
decidedly rich menu. Frogs Legs in a classic garlic/parsley Persillade is more
typical bistro food. The Côte de Boeuf, served for two, could probably feed at
least three people. Seared on the outside and rare on the inside, the steak is
cooked and seasoned perfectly for my taste. Some may prefer their meat a little
more done. Unfortunately, by the time dessert comes around, we are too full for
sweets.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1744384134210-VT_frog+legs.jpg">Frogs Legs in Persillade. 



Don’t let the outside look of the restaurant or
the room fool you. Wine is taken very seriously. Palleja, who also writes for La
Revue du Vin de France, oversees a vast cellar, only part of which is available
at any given time. The list is a bit chaotic in its organization, so readers
will have to spend a bit of time poring through its pages. I can’t say there
are too many values, but that’s not too different from most places these days.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1744384153497-VT_beef.jpg">Côte de Boeuf ‘Irish Angus’ for two. 





Rousseau’s 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos
Saint-Jacques 1er Cru is a splurge. Then again, it’s not the sort of wine one
finds on a list every day. Aromatic and wonderfully inviting, the 2010 is super-expressive
right out of the gate. This bottle is a bit more delicate than I recall, but I
also have not tasted the 2010 in a few years. Spice and floral notes abound in
a silky, open-knit Burgundy that is an absolute pleasure to drink. With the
steak, it is terrific.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1744384201765-VT_Rousseau.jpg">Readers visiting Paris will want to check out Le
Petit Sommelier de Paris. Its location near the Montparnasse train station is quite
convenient. The food is very good, and the wine list is excellent. Service is
also extremely attentive, even on this busy night. If I had it to do over
again, I would probably choose some of the simpler dishes, like the beef
bourguignon or steak tartare, and less fancy wines, all of which feel more in line
with the spirit of the place. Le Petit Sommelier de Paris is a small restaurant.
Reservations are essential. 

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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