Set Menu : Starter + Main course + Dessert at 18 €
Au Déjeuner uniquement Jusqu’à 14h30

Ask for the board

____________


Set Menu : Starter + Main course + Dessert at 28,50 €
Au Déjeuner Jusqu’à 14h30 et au Dîner à Partir de 19h

Starter
Marbled of poultry marinated in both spices, stuffed with artichokes in jelly, quenelle of soft mango purée
Salmon fillets marinated in hazelnut oil, lemon fresh cream
Tomato Tartar with cilantro, julienne of crisp apples, spicy white balsamic reduction

Main Course
Slab of coconut salmon, creamy risotto in Parmesan cheese, light juice of passion fruit
Potted duck leg, small potatoes
Boeuf bourguignon and gnocchis with mushrooms and smoked duck dices

Dessert
Beaten Egg Whites served in a Glass, with Caramel
Bourbon vanilla Crème brûlée
Slightly caramelized rice pudding, poached pears with vanilla, red berries coulis

Discover our new menus Summer 2010 :

Starters
Gaspacho or soup of the day (ask for the board) 9,5 €
Soft-boiled eggs with cream and tarragon, slice vegetables with fresh mint 11 €
Tomato Tartar with cilantro, julienne of crisp apples, spicy white balsamic reduction 12,5 €
Salmon’s Carpaccio marinated in hazelnut oil, lime cream “quenelle” 12,8 €
Marbled of poultry, stuffed with artichokes in jelly, soft mango purée 14,7 €
Terrine of duck Foie Gras, stewed smoothed figs 19,5 €
12 Burgundy snails 20,9 €

Salad
Spring salad (heart of salad, poached chicken breast, yogurt mustard and anchovy sauce, small bits of crusty bread) 17,5 €
Ocean Salad (Salmon's marinated, cherry tomatoes, fourme d'ambert, Tail shrimp and crispy green)
Sun Salad (Soft cheese in pastry, cherry tomatoes, fresh balls of mozzarella, red spanish ham, green salad)

Main courses
Today’s special (ask for the board)
Raw grounded steak, potatoe pancakes 17,6 €
Potted duck leg, fried mushrooms and small potatoes 19,4 €
Boeuf bourguignon and gnocchis with mushrooms and smoked duck dices 21 €
Salmon steak grilled in the oven, Thai rice with fresh tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, juice of fine veal and orange 22,5 €
Sea bream filet slightly fried with soya seeds, juice of fine veal and red berries 26,5 €
Beef fillet in pepper, mashed potatoes 34 €
egetarian dish: crusty of soya seeds and basil, fine ratatouille with cumin, shiitake 22 €

Cheese by Marie Quatrehomme
Three Cheeses platter, fresh fruits, green Salad 10,90 €

Desserts
Slightly caramelized rice pudding, poached pears with vanilla, red berries coulis 8 €
Chef’s Special Mille Feuille 8,4 €
Bourbon vanilla creme brulee 8,6 €
Beaten Egg Whites served in a Glass, with Caramel 8,7 €
verturned Apple Tart with Fresh Cream 10,6 €
Raspberry Tiramisu, crumbs of speculos 11,2 €
Ice-Creams or Sorbets 10,50 €

Three actors, Francis Lemonnier, Francis Nani and Christian Azzopardi, decided to start a restaurant to welcome performers and spectators after evening shows. With patience and persistence, they acquired and restored premises, and on 3rd November 1962, the Coupe-Chou restaurant opened its doors for the first time. French and foreign stars mingled there, and it was always busy. The combination of evening opening and a great menu proved a success. With its Louis XIII charm, the Coupe-Chou became a meeting place for lovers. The adjoining building, 11 rue de Lanneau, was purchased in 1965. At that time, it was a truckers’ bar, called the “Puits Certain” (Certain’s Well). Two years of historical research and building work, and months of searching for antique furniture and ornaments, restored its original 17th century appearance. Today, the “Puits Certain” forms the main entrance to the Coupe-Chou.

The Coupe-Chou has continued to expand into neighbouring townhouses, which are linked by staircases and narrow corridors. It is an elegant restaurant, which opens discretely onto the narrow and picturesque rue de Lanneau, on the slope of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, near to the Collège de France, the Sorbonne and Place de la Contrescarpe. Paris townhouses of the old style, with their fascinating history, provide the setting.

With its round tables, stone chimney breast, and the muted colours of its stone paved floor, the Abbot Certain room welcomes you into a warm, 17th century atmosphere. Classical music transports you to a by-gone era. In a corner, stone steps descend to the cellars and the exquisite rest rooms, from where you can still hear the gentle music which accompanies you throughout your evening. A staircase with Louis XIII curved wooden balustrades takes you upstairs to a charming dining room with dark green walls where the original wood can still be seen. A few steps lead you to the Conciergerie, a room with deep, velvet armchairs, wing chairs and pedestal tables, where you can order and wait for your meal to be prepared while sipping an aperitif and nibbling warm, savoury pastries. You then come to the Barber’s Room, with its original hexagonal floor tiles, fireplace, beams and half timbering. Take three steps more, go through a doorway, and you are in the library, where places have been laid for dinner. Cross a dining room decorated with English engravings, where a fire burns merrily in the grate, and then go out into the winter garden.


Notre Dame, the Seine, Place de la Contrescarpe, the Latin Quarter, rue Mouffetard and the Panthéon bear witness to a past which the Coupe-Chou allows us to experience in an unforgettable evening. While the cellars were being restored, the owners discovered the remains of the Gallo-Roman city. These date from the time of Marcus Aurelius, 170 years after the birth of Christ, and include pipes for warm water and a Gallo-Roman swimming pool. They also found 12th century pottery, statuettes and plaques from the Middle Ages from rue Chartière and rue du Mont Saint-Hilaire (the old name for rue de Lanneau), where the word “Saint” had been chiselled away during the revolution. These plaques hang behind the Coupe-Chou bar today.

We can picture Henri IV coming to meet his mistress, the beautiful Gabrielle d’Estrée, opposite the Coupe-Chou. Or the 13th century barber who slit the throats of his best clients with a “coupe-chou” (the name of a type of razor, which literally means “cabbage-cutter”) and the pork butcher across the road who infamously made pâté out of the victims. In the 19th century, a shepherd lived on the fifth floor with his goats. He took them to Belleville every day, and the herd climbed the stairs which led to the shepherd’s room each evening.

A stone’s throw away from rue du Mont Saint-Hilaire, rue Jean de Beauvais and rue Chartière formed a square around the well sunk by Abbot Certain in 1572. Many of the townhouses unfortunately no longer exist, but the foundations of the well can still be seen on the second level of the Coupe-Chou’s cellars.

From the 14th century these back streets have been crowded with students from nearby colleges and universities such as the Sorbonne and Collège Coqueret, where Ronsard and Du Bellay, founding members of the Pléiade group of poets, studied. Up until 1880, rue Mont Saint Hilaire, a back street, boasted 14 bookshops. This street is now known as rue de Lanneau. In 1803, the “Puits Certain” restaurant (today the Coupe-Chou) became famous thanks to Monsieur Ducray-Duminil, a restaurant critic in the days before the Michelin guide, who wrote: “Monsieur Gauchois deserves to use altars for serving his ‘Puits Certain stuffed calves’ heads’.


His own head often spins from the multitude of orders, with which he is overwhelmed. In short, everything which comes from this modest and unremarkable eatery (on rue du Mont Saint-Hilaire), where he alone cooks and where he does the honours with a simplicity and a modesty worthy of the Ancien Régime, prove Monsieur Gauchois to be a most distinguished and consummate artist.” In this part of Paris’s 5th arrondissement, the labyrinthine back streets, the uneven paving and the tall houses with their bulging façades all recall the medieval city. You are at its very heart: Philippe Auguste’s wall, which circled Paris at the beginning of the 13th century, still stands at 3, rue Clovis, massive and covered with ivy.

In the mid-1960s, the Coupe-Chou had already developed a notable reputation, with the likes of Pierre Brasseur, Brigitte Bardot, and Louis de Funès often coming here to dine under the establishment's 16th century exposed beams.

However, other surprises lay in store for the restaurant's three managers. One day the telephone rang (always a good sign for a restaurant!). It was the Danish Embassy, who asked us to reserve our best table for a prestigious guest: Princess Margrethe, heiress to the Danish throne. A table for two was required, as she was coming here for an intimate meal to celebrate her engagement to Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, a Frenchman and future Prince Consort. The couple later married on June 10, 1967.

To welcome a Princess Royal at the Coupe-Chou was a glorious moment in the history of the restaurant, and as everyone knows, glory (just like luck) comes to those who deserve it! So the three managers decided to put on a big spread. And when you're looking to put on a big spread, you pull out all the stops!

They began by purchasing flowers and shrubs which were tastefully displayed on the tables, in the corridors and along the facade of the restaurant. The overall effect was certainly charming, but the managers were keen to add a little personal touch too. So they decorated all of the windows in the building, from the first-floor to the top floor, with the Danish flag. The restaurant was literally covered with flags. I'm not sure if it can be described as discrete, but it certainly didn't go unnoticed!

Next, they started planning the ultimate finishing touch. There was no point in doing things by halves, and so while they were at it the three managers also decided to lay on the red carpet treatment for their illustrious guests. But when I mention the "red carpet treatment", I'm speaking literally, as they rolled out a beautiful red carpet running from the Coupe-Chou down to the bottom of the street, running for a length of 15 m. All unbelievable but true.

If the Princess was keen to enjoy an intimate meal, she certainly succeeded.


That evening, a Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of the carpet and the couple got out. The Princess was, it seems, fairly touched by this rather excessive tribute by the restaurant's three young managers. She walked majestically up the red carpet, and broke into a smile when she saw the flags of her country, before dining with her fiancé. And then she left, just as she had entered, walking once again down the red carpet, giving the distinct impression that all of the world's restaurants automatically rolled out a red carpet to welcome her. That's nobility for you.

The evening was certainly a memorable one and also had its repercussions. The newspapers reported the event, which became the talk of Paris itself. To such an extent in fact that 15 days later the Swedish embassy also phoned the Coupe-Chou. They explained that an "important" person would be coming to celebrate a birthday. Once again the restaurant became a whirlwind of pandemonium and excitement. News of Margrethe's dinner had reached King Gustav VI of Sweden. It was vital not to disappoint him and so once again new bouquets of flowers, new shrubs and new flags were ordered! And believe me, finding those Swedish flags was no easy matter! Once again, the red carpet was rolled out.

As evening fell, the three young managers were naturally on the lookout for their famous guest when a 2 CV pulled up in front of the carpet, and two women dressed in modest grey suits stepped out. When they saw the fabulous decor awaiting them, they started to cry.

"Oh, thank you so much! It's really too much!"

It was the secretary from the Swedish embassy, and she had come along to celebrate her birthday with her sister. She spent the whole evening thanking everyone and crying. As you can imagine, no one dared tell her the truth. What's certain, is that the secretary from the Swedish embassy enjoyed a magical evening here. Every year she sent the Coupe-Chou her best wishes for the New Year, and each year it seemed that the New Years card cried a little too, in memory of that very special birthday evening.

I don't know if Margrethe of Denmark remembers our restaurant, but I'm sure that the secretary from the Swedish embassy hasn't forgotten us.

When writing these anecdotes, I asked my father to share his memories of some of those amazing moments throughout the life of the Coupe-Chou since 1962, the year the restaurant opened. This was an incredible year, one which unfolded to the songs of Claude François, and which saw the stirrings of so many changes around the world. These changes really came to a head in 1968, but even the turbulent year of '68 required a little preparation!

It's funny to think that some years are particularly rich in new events, births, or deaths while others just seem to tick by unnoticed. It was in 1962 that my father and his two partners Francis Nani and Francis Lemonnier opened the Coupe-Chou. It was in 1962 that their future lives would be decided forever. This was a great year for history, for art, for music but also a great year in our personal lives. A year in which momentous international trends and events combined with a major turning point in our personal lives.


It was in this year, 1962, that the Beatles recorded their first single: "Love me do". It would certainly be true to say that these four trailblazing musicians ushered in a new era in the history of music. They generated mass hysteria among their fans, and in order to be able to travel around after their concerts they constantly needed to come up with new, ever more imaginative ruses. The kids of my generation know the story by heart. We were still too young to understand the emotion surrounding Lennon's murder in 1980, but today who can't be familiar with the Beatlemania of the 1960s, which remains impressive even for those of us who weren't there.

So when my father told me that in 1965 Bruno Coquatrix phoned him to tell him to get ready for the arrival of the Beatles at his restaurant following their concert at Olympia, my eyes obviously lit up! The Beatles at the Coupe-Chou! And in 1965…. at the peak of their career!

So I asked him: "How did they arrive? How did they behave? Were there lots of fans waiting for them outside?". In short, I literally bombarded him with questions about them. There was simply no way I could not write about the Beatles' visit to our restaurant.


Upon which, he told me the whole story. That year, that evening, the three managers of the Coupe-Chou were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Fab Four. And back in 1965, the Beatles could not do otherwise than make a dramatic entrance. The three managers saw a "salad shaker" approaching the restaurant. No, not a huge plate of vegetables, but a "salad shaker" in the French sense of the word, i.e. a police van.
The van in question came to a halt just in front of them. Christian Azzopardi looked puzzled, and said to his partners: "what's going on? I hope there's no trouble in the area. The Beatles will be here soon!". More worried looks were exchanged as the rear door of the police van opened. And then…. the three managers of the Coupe-Chou saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and George Harrison step out. They had escaped the hysterical crowds at Olympia by slipping away in a police van!

We seated them at an upstairs table.
"And what did they eat then Dad?" (I asked, continuing to pump my father for information)
- "How do you expect me to remember, it was 40 years ago!" - he told me.
- "But can't you remember anything special, I don't know, the attitude of the clients, whether they caused a rumpus, or anything like that. After all, it's the Beatles!"


I needed plenty of material to be able to recount my anecdote. I wasn't just going to scribble down that one evening back in 1965 at around 11 p.m. the Beatles had a peaceful meal at the Coupe-Chou just like anyone else. I need something exciting!

- "No, I don't think so…." - replied my father."Ah, yes, I do remember that they asked for milk".
- "Milk?"
- "Yes, milk".
- "Why do they want milk?"
- "To go with their meal".
- "They drank milk during their meal?"

I was flabbergasted! It just didn't seem to fit the image we had of them. Milk at that time of the evening, after a huge concert! It was just unbelievable.

- "But the problem", continued my father, "was that the restaurant wasn't accustomed to serving milk. We had to hunt all round the area at midnight to try and find a few litres…. which they drank and then asked for more, which meant that we had to run around again to try and find some extra bottles at short notice!"
- "Brilliant!"

I now had my anecdote. The Beatles had arrived at the Coupe-Chou in a police van and celebrated their success with bottles of hard-to-find milk! Already, in my head I was imagining my father and his partners dashing around the other restaurants, waking up the neighbours and the family: "Sorry for waking you, but I really need some milk, it's for the Beatles!"
And I can imagine the reaction from those in front of him, still half asleep and in their nightshirts, faced with a restaurant owner trying to beg milk for John, Paul, Ringo and George! My imagination was in top gear now, busily visualising all sorts of comical scenes. And I asked my father:

- "I hope it was a decent vintage of least?"
- "Hold on"
- "What's up?"
- "Now I come to think of it, it might have been the Rolling Stones instead".
- "Sorry?"
- "The thing with the bottles of milk, I think it was with the Rolling Stones".
- "Are you having a laugh? The bad boys of rock drinking milk! That's even more unbelievable than the Beatles!"
- "Yes, that's it, and wasn't in the 1965 but during the 1970s."
- "It all sounds a bit confused if you ask me. Are you sure it was the Stones and not the Beatles?"…
- "I can't remember any more. Ask Francis". (NB: Francis Nani). "In any case, they all visited the restaurant".

I watched as my story became ever vaguer. What could I really write with any certainty? A story about the Stones or the Beatles? These are two legendary groups, and is probably because of this that my father is no longer sure exactly who did what. But I needed to be certain, before writing any of this down!

- "And the police van…. was that the Stones or the Beatles?"
- "The Stones! No… the Beatles. Oh, I can't remember any more. As I told you, they've all been here. In any case, when McCartney came back here recently he asked to dine at the same table, up on the first floor. Of that I'm sure".
- "Terrific, I replied with a blasé air about me. I can certainly make something sensational out of that!"


The Beatles years and the Rolling Stones years
Whether it was the Stones, the Beatles or the Compagnons de la Chanson, it doesn't really matter. What matters are those special years, those slightly crazy years, even if we may sometimes get them muddled up. What matters are the years still to come and which may be even more amazing and even crazier. When all is said and done, whether it was the Stones or the Beatles who turned up in a police van and drank milk all evening, it doesn't really matter.

For my part though, I would still love to know! Perhaps one day, the Stones or the Beatles will jog our memories for us.

In early 1973, a phenomenon began to take shape. An incredible triumph for the Parisian theatre world.

One night in January, around half past 11, three huge names of the theatre paid a visit to the Coupe-Chou. These were Jean Poiret, Michel Serrault and Pierre Mondy. They were accompanied by Jean-Michel Rouzière, who was the manager of the Palais-Royal back then. Poiret, Serrault and Mondy were regular visitors to the Coupe-Chou… but that night they would be staying until six o'clock in the morning!

They were busily rehearsing a play which would mark the return of this famous duo. The play in question was of course "La Cage aux Folles", which went on to enjoy an unprecedented level of success, and which has never since been rivalled. "La Cage" would run for five consecutive years at the Palais Royal followed by two years at the variety theatres.

Back then of course, no one could have guessed that such overwhelming success was just around the corner. Not even the theatre manager, who had already scheduled another play for the following season. What's more, the masterpiece was far from finished at this stage. There were still a number of problems to be sorted out and "La Cage" wasn't ready for the big time just yet.

The team continued to hold their working sessions at the Coupe-Chou.

Poiret requested "a back room, where we can get some peace and quiet". Naturally, we gave them the Bibliothèque (the library) to use. After all, where better to get on with some serious work than in a library! They still needed to fine tune the final act for the play.

Combining work with their meal, Poiret and Serrault improvised the now famous rapid-fire wisecracks that left countless audiences in stitches over the next seven years.


Jean Poiret
What's more, Serrault rehearsed his role in the restaurant, gradually slipping into the character of Zaza Napoli, as he developed those languid looks and fluttering eyelashes as he made eyes at the man seated at the next table, who naturally began to get worried. The unfortunate client finally whispered to the restaurant managers, Christian Azzopardi and Francis Nani:

"Has Serrault gone gay?"
"No, he's working"
"Oh. Well that's some weird job he's got!"

And the client turned back to his meal, while Serrault continued winking at him provocatively.


Pierre Mondy
For his part, Mondy was often deep in thought. He would discuss costume design with Jean-Michel Rouzière.

"Serrault's dresses just aren't right… nor the wigs. Sorry, Michel, but you're just too attractive. You almost look like Edwige Feuillère. It's back to the drawing board I'm afraid".
"Will who do you want to look like… Yvette Horner?" asked Serrault, feigning indignation.
"Don't worry, you won't need to take accordion lessons!"

Over in his corner, Rouzière was not a big eater. A manager down to the last, he was busily calculating how much this dress incident was going to cost him. What he didn't know however, was just how much all of this was going to bring in. Such are the highs and lows of the artistic world! The manager also had other concerns:

"Look folks", he said, "the title just isn't right!"
Poiret looked worried: "what's wrong with La Cage aux Folles?"
"It's vulgar! And what's more we'll have all the gay community up in arms over this. We need something funnier but also a little more elegant".


Michel Serrault
"Any ideas?"
Rouzière's eyes lit up. He was clearly expecting this question. With a little smile of self contentment, he finally exclaimed:
"Yes, we should call it… "Fart"!

Mondy, who was in the process of bringing his fork up to his mouth stopped dead in his tracks. Poiret's eyes bulged and Serrault was speechless. No one was quite sure what to say next.

But Rouzière was not done yet: "Fart! That's hilarious isn't it? But with an exclamation mark of course!"
"With an exclamation mark?"
"Yes"…
"Oh well, of course with an exclamation mark, that changes everything!"
"It's funny isn't it? Isn't it? Well it was just an idea…."
"And what were you saying about Michel's dress, Pierrot?…" interjected Poiret.


In short, Rouzière's idea wasn't adopted. In fact the title is still free today if there are any takers!

That evening, the working session went on until six o'clock in the morning. Alone in the restaurant, they put the finishing touches to "La Cage aux Folles". Christian Azzopardi and Francis Nani didn't get to bed until the following morning, but then again it's not every night that legends are created…. and it's not in any old restaurant either!

The Coupe-Chou hasn't always been what it is today, a huge building with small, steep corridors leading on to a multitude of small rooms brimming with history. Back in 1962 when the restaurant was first opened, it had only a single room known as the "Barbier" and which is today situated in the very heart of the establishment.

Work continued after the restaurant was opened, and although the single restaurant area already had the charm for which it is now so famous, where the other aspects of the establishment were concerned, all kinds of improvisation went on back then.

Clients who had not booked in advance had got into the habit of waiting for a table in a cellar, which was no more than one metre sixty in height. Thus, they patiently waited their turn there, half stooping, and this despite the fact that the restaurant never refunded physiotherapy costs! It seems that half of Paris beat a track to the restaurant's door, for the pleasure of waiting for a table doubled up in one of the capital's oldest cellars. This alone was one of the early signs of the restaurant's success.

One evening, with the cellar full to capacity with future back-trouble victims, a gaggle of regular customers came into the Coupe-Chou including our long-standing friend Francis Joffo, Jean Le Poulain and Robert Hirsch. These great stars of the French theatre scene had decided to introduce none other than Marlene Dietrich to the fine fare to be enjoyed in our restaurant!

The Coupe-Chou was in a state of panic: we needed to provide a fitting welcome for this great lady and international star. More than a success, we wanted this to be a triumph! But first we had to find them a table. Sending her to stoop in the cellar was absolutely out of the question! Fortunately, a table became free and we seated our national and international stars next to the fireplace, keen to ensure that everything was perfect right down to the last detail for the great actress.


But suddenly, just to prove that this happens to great stars too, she asked where the toilets were. At which point the three previously ecstatic managers Francis Nani, Francis Lemonnier and Christian Azzopardi literally turned pale. They tried to gain time. Someone gave her an aperitif. Once again she asked for the toilets, so instead they brought over some appetisers. She now asked a third time and obviously this time there was no getting out of it. Fearing the worst, the three managers of the Coupe-Chou (who had now suddenly become very silent) pointed the way to the toilets.

As I mentioned, work on the restaurant wasn't really finished and improvisation was the order of the day. Marlene Dietrich was about to discover an example of such improvisation at first hand.

You see, the restaurant didn't really have any toilets as such. Instead we used those in the building. Back then, the apartments in working-class areas didn't have all mod cons by any stretch of the imagination, and in 1962 the Latin Quarter was definitely not the middle-class area it is today.


To get to the toilets, you had to go out into a small inner courtyard. It was pouring with rain, and the "Blue Angel" got her wings wet trying to reach a worm-eaten old door, which didn't reach right down to the ground, meaning that the lower part of the occupant's legs were on display for the whole world to admire. She looked like Causette.

The great Marlene opened the door and discovered the "must have" feature of all great establishments: Turkish-style toilets! Oh yes, for some reason those communal toilets were always horrible "hole in the floor" affairs.

Meanwhile, the three managers (Francis, Francis and Christian) had now turned whiter than the napkins on the tables. Moments later, the door from the courtyard opened and Marlene Dietrich proclaimed loudly in her inimitable German accent: "It's fantastic. That reminds me of the bombing during the war!" She found the whole experience amusing, and the evening was saved, with the three managers slowly recovering their normal complexion.

Despite this, Marlene came back again, although it always seemed that she had taken her precautions beforehand!