Restaurants where you can (re)discover tripe products
Whether you're already a fan of tripe products or curious to discover these specialties, here are ten places all over France where you can enjoy dishes based on offal.
Tête de veau sauce gribiche, tripes à la mode de Caen, pied de cochon or museau vinaigrette... These dishes, once obsolete, are making a comeback on the French culinary scene. From classic bistros to gourmet restaurants, chefs are passionate about tripe products, with a taste as much for tradition as for innovation and modernity. Here are ten restaurants that should delight lovers of offal and other forgotten products, as well as gourmets who wish to go beyond their preconceptions.
Vaisseau, Paris
It's impossible to talk about "tripe products" without mentioning Adrien Cachot. The 30-year-old, who made his name on Top Chef, made offal one of his signature dishes during the competition, with such unexpected offerings as pad thaï with lamb brains and crispy pig's trotter with veal strawberry. With the opening of his Vaisseau Parisien (3 toques), Adrien Cachot has remained true to his convictions and a touch of madness, offering surprising but always delicious dishes such as veal brain karaage and its Thai-inspired magic sauce. It's a modern take on unconventional products, and one that appeals to the convinced and the reluctant alike.
- Where? 35 rue Faidherbe, 75011 Paris
- See Gault&Millau's review of Le Vaisseau
La Table de Xavier Mathieu, in Joucas
at La Table de Xavier Mathieu (3 toques) in Joucas, one dish perfectly represents Marseille according to the chef: pieds et paquets. "For me, it's the ultimate family dish. I have a lot of memories of these Marseille flavors... I've given it a more personal, gourmet interpretation, without changing its DNA", explains Xavier Mathieu. "When I taste it, I find all the flavors that made me grow up!
- Where? 508 Route de Murs, 84220 Joucas
- See Gault&Millau's review of La Table de Xavier Mathieu, Le Phébus & Spa
Daniel et Denise, Lyon
Daniel et Denise (2 toques) is one of Lyon's most famous gourmet bouchons, run by Meilleur Ouvrier de France Joseph Viola. Although the chef offers a slightly different menu at his addresses in the Croix-Rousse, Saint-Jean and rue Créqui districts, offal always features on the menu, such as whole roasted veal kidneyti en cocotte, calf's head cooked in court-bouillon with ravigote sauce, andouillette gratin with Monts du Lyonnais veal strawberry, and veal brain browned in butter. The ideal address for (re)discovering great classics perfectly executed.
- Where? 156 Rue De Créqui, 69003 Lyon
- See Gault&Millau's review of Daniel et Denise
Le Veau d'Or, Rouen
Le Veau d'Or (1 toque) in Rouen is a good place to learn about traditional tripe products. The restaurant offers classics such as museau vinaigrette and tête de veau with gribiche sauce, as well as kidneys with mustard sauce, foie de veau meunière and tripe à la mode de Caen.
- Where? 3 rue Desseaux, 76100 Rouen
- See Gault&Millau's review of Le Veau d'Or
Le Passe-Porc, Lille
Le Passe-Porc (1 toque) is one of Lille's top addresses for traditional cuisine. In addition to frogs' legs, snails and beef mitts, the menu offers a fine selection of dishes based on tripe products, such as veal kidneys, Italian-style tripe and grilled pork tripe.
- Where? 155 rue Solférino, 59000 Lille
- See Gault&Millau's review of Le Passe-Porc
La Meunière, Lyon
Awarded a Gault&Millau toque, La Meunière in Lyon has made offal one of its specialties. the menu features a "Lyon salad plate" of snout, cervelat and calf's trotters, accompanied by potatoes, lentils and Lyon sausage. On the main course, another of the city's specialties, tablier de sapeur with gribiche sauce, will delight the most traditional palates, as will veal kidneys with Porto.
- Where? 11 rue Neuve, 69001 Lyon
- See Gault&Millau's review of
La Meunière
Le Mesturet, Paris
Lovers of traditional cuisine, Le Mesturet (1 toque) in Paris should delight your taste buds! Here, you'll enjoy a fine pâté de campagne, frog legs, beef bourguignon, as well as a number of dishes based on tripe products, such as breaded veal brain or veal head rolled on the tongue.
- Where? 77 rue de Richelieu, 75002 Paris
- See Gault&Millau's review of Le Mesturet
Le Frère, in Casalabriva
To visit Le Frère is to push open the door of a Corsican family home: Jean-Charles looks after the vines on the Domaine Comte Abbatucci, Jacques and his son Antoine look after their calves and tiger cows, while Henri works in the kitchen to marry wine and meat. Veal is the speciality of the restaurant, where the animal is cooked in its entirety, including offal, with dishes such as tripe de veau tigre à la cémentine or pan-fried veal liver.
- Where to find us Domaine Kiesale Pont de Calzola, 20140 Casalabriva
- See Gault&Millau's review of Le Frère
L'Opportun, Paris
L'Opportun (1 toque) in Paris, offers a menu of traditional Lyonnais dishes. Alongside escargots de Bourgogne, quenelle de brochet and œuf meurette, you'll find tablier de sapeur à la panse de boeuf, demi-rognons de veau and ris de veau en persillade. A well-executed classic that should delight lovers of comfort food.
- Where? 62 boulevard Edgar Quinet, 75014 Paris
- See Gault&Millau's review of L'Opportun
L'Amarante, in Paris
L'Amarante (1 toque) in Paris has made tripe products one of the stars of its menu. On the menu: sweetbreads, tomato and olive tripe, Kintoa pig's trotter and calf's tongue... Traditional dishes that should be tried at least once if you want to discover these sometimes forgotten yet tasty products.
- Where? 4 rue Biscornet, 75012 Paris
- See Gault&Millau's review of L'Amarante
