Chez Denise, A la Tour Montlhéry

It is 450 meters from the Relais du Louvre. We highly recommend you go and visit Chez Denise.

The history of this place? Denise bought this restaurant in 1966. When the Halles de Paris market moved to Rungis, Denise sold her business and moved to the new market. In 2019 Alain Grandière and his friend Olivier Bertrand bought the restaurant. Nothing has changed. The tradition of large portions, originally intended to satiate the “Ventre de Paris”, butchers and goat herders of the Halles, has not changed.  The wine is also still sold by the string and the dishes are proposed by the slate.

In this restaurant the chefs met when they finished their service, but also journalists and men of Art. On a paper tablecloth laid on a red gingham is printed the following sentence: “At the Halles, heart of Paris, Denise and Jack perpetuate A la Tour De Montlhéry, 5 Rue des Prouvaires, the French tradition, which since Alexandre Dumas, mingles gourmets, gourmands, painters and writers, musicians and journalists, stars of the stage, politics and sports, all lovers of good food, in the cult of the great bourgeois cuisine.

We love the atmosphere of these old traditional houses where we meet in the shared pleasure of simple good things.

We order 6 snails of Burgundy and a Haricot de Mouton that we will taste with a Magnac Corbière with aromas of black fruits, slightly liquorice in the end.

The Haricot de Mouton is one of the specialties of the House. This very old dish, which appeared in French cuisine in the 14th century, was probably originally a “harigotée” meat, i.e. finely cut. The small pieces of mutton are seared in a pot, deglazed, moistened and then simmered with onions, a bouquet garni and tomato concentrate. They are finally put together with the beans that have been cooked on their side. The pot simmers for about an hour.

The result is a perfectly tender and deliciously flavored mutton. The beans take on the mixed flavor of the mutton fat, tomatoes and herbs. It is truly sublime! It is between cassoulet and Osso bucco in a more rustic version.

The portion is very copious. A dish at 26€ that can be shared easily with two people. If not, don’t hesitate to ask for a “doggy bag”. The waiter will kindly return the favor. It would be blasphemy to send this dish back to the kitchen when it is half eaten.

We will finish with a rum baba sold for 13€, but with almost gargantuan proportions and served with the bottle of rum.

Come to Chez Denise with friends and share with happiness, come to savor a good French cuisine of tradition and drink good wines. You will keep a good memory of it.

La Tour Montlhéry – Chez Denise
5 Rue des Prouvaires, 75001 Paris
Open every day from 12:00 to 0:30