Where to eat a good onion soup?
A popular dish in traditional French cuisine, onion soup has somewhat deserted restaurant menus. Here are five places where you can still enjoy it.
A few melting onions, a good broth and a generous layer of cheese au gratin... Onion soup, traditionally served the day after a wedding, is the perfect combination of comfort food and inexpensive. According to legend, the recipe was invented by Louis XV, who improvised a dish one evening with the only ingredients at hand: champagne, butter and onions. Three centuries later, it's still a favorite with gourmets in search of simple yet effective dishes to slip under the tongue. Here are five onion soup addresses across France.
La Poule au Pot, Paris
It's impossible to make a dream onion soup selection without mentioning La Poule au Pot. In addition to its foie gras terrine, veal blanquette and inimitable sea bass quenelles, Jean-François Piège's restaurant has added a signature Gratinée à l'oignon des Halles to its menu.
- Where to eat? La Poule au Pot, 9 rue Vauvilliers, 75001 Paris
- www.jeanfranoispiege-jpb.com
La Brasserie Georges, Lyon
Brasserie George is an iconic address in Lyon. Here you can enjoy traditional French dishes such as pâté croûte, pistachio sausage, andouillette and hachis parmentier, as well as onion soup au gratin. The latter is prepared directly at the table with egg yolk and Madeira, for a real leap back in time!
- Where to eat? Brasserie Georges, 30 cours de Verdun, Perrache, 69002 Paris
- www.brasseriegeorges.com
Le Petit Bouillon, Versailles
Le Petit Bouillon has all the hallmarks of a traditional Parisian bouillon, with carmine benches, copper pans and, of course, the great classics of French cuisine. Amidst egg mayonnaise, herring apples in oil, marrow bone and snails, you'll find the famous soup au gratin with onions for a moment of absolute comfort.
- Where to eat? Le Petit Bouillon, 7 rue Colbert, 78000 Versailles, France
- www.petitbouillonversailles.com
L'oignon, Strasbourg
For traditional French and Alsatian cuisine, L'Oignon is the place to go. Located in Strasbourg's old town center, this charming historic restaurant offers fine sauerkraut, snail puff pastry with garlic cream and wild mushrooms, as well as onion soup au gratin, perfect for warming up in winter.
- Where to eat? L'Oignon, 4 rue des Moulins, 67000 Strasbourg
- www.restaurantloignon.fr
Au Pied de Cochon, Paris
While Au Pied de Cochon delights tourists in search of an authentic address, it also delights Parisians with its typical bistro-style cuisine. In addition to fine seafood and artisanal charcuterie by the famous Éric Ospital, the restaurant offers traditional dishes such as frog legs, chicken supreme with morel mushrooms and onion soup au gratin, topped with a layer of melting cheese.
- Where to eat? Au Pied de Cochon, 6 rue Coquillière, 75001 Paris
- www.pieddecochon.com
