Paris, France — Don’t let names deceive. This place is much more than a café, although the coffee, from the house of Coutume,  is exceptionally excellent. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon cocktails on weekends are all on the agenda. Made with carefully curated seasonal products. The heart and soul of Café Philippe is Philippe himself, who is always on hand to explain the dishes and to show you around. For within the 18th century walls of this establishment the diner is greeted with literature, fashion and especially music. We were sitting next to a vintage 33 LP record of West Side Story with Porgy and Bess on the flip side. What we liked immediately was that the menu is limited to six or seven appetizers with the same applying to the mains. A choice made by Philippe to ensure seasonal respect. 

We opted for the house’s very own home-made tarama made with smoked fish roe eggs from the celebrated house of Petrossian and a perfectly executed gravlax of salmon served with yellow and red beets. We also tasted the homemade terrine with a slice of orange that added a nice touch. But there are also seasonal soups on hand and we saw a delicious mushroom stir fry go by. The main courses included some vegetarian options including a platter of roasted root vegetables and a truffle risotto. We went with the very tender and slowly cooked chuck steak served with parsnips and sea bass served with fascinating and delicious herb-filled mashed potatoes. 

There is an excellent and eclectic wine and cocktail menu. For the appetizers we enjoyed a white Corbières, a rare find on a Parisian menu, from the house of Blason de Sérame where the grape plants are cultivated according to the principles of biodynamic agriculture. And for the red, with the mains, an organic Crozes-Hermitage dubbed Beaumont from the house of David Reynaud. We tasted the house’s cheesecake with a homemade mango sauce and the chocolate and caramel cake for dessert. All made in-house, all too good not to finish. 

While the à la carte prices are very reasonable, Café Philippe also offers a dish of the day at 14 euros. A recent offering was a chicken curry filet with roasted vegetables. Cocktail time starting daily at 6pm offers a large array of house drinks but there is a two glasses of wine and plate of hummus special at 15 euros.  The terrace faces south so in good weather it is clearly sun-drenched and the neighborhood, dubbed the Marais North offers up some interesting discoveries, notably the food shops on the rue de Bretagne and the lovely greenery-filled Square du Temple with its water-bird pond. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. Café Philippe,14 rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003 Paris, France. Tel: +33 (0)1 42 74 78 38. https://www.cafephilippe.com/