Reviews
See what the press has to say about Café de Paris:
The Washington Post Baltimore Magazine Customer's Reviews
Washington Post Magazine
By Tom Sietsema
Erik Rochard throws a lot of himself into his restaurant. He sends out cheery newsletters, reminding patrons that his deli case is stocked with French cheeses and fruit tarts. He performs in the restaurant's once-a-month jazz night (he's the flutist). And when a customer complained that she didn't much care for French cooking but loved a good crab cake, he found a bunch of crab cake recipes for his young chef, Benjamin Cattan, to audition-and ultimately put that not-so-Gallic appetizer on the menu. The best way to experience Cafe de Paris is to order the three-course dinner "formule" for $32.95, which includes your choice of starter, entree and dessert. One fine path to take: tender and garlicky snails, followed by meaty duck leg confit shored up with buttery mashed potatoes and scattered with chopped mushrooms, and, to close, a pear and peach tart, gently sweet. Not every dish sings-the goat cheese stuffed into a roasted red pepper was stiff and cold the night I tried it-but there's plenty to keep you smiling, from a proper onion soup to very good french fries accompanying a rib-eye steak. Knotty wood floors, red banquettes and walls the color of good mustard wrap diners in a warm embrace. More likely than not, the affable Rochard will drop by the table to say "bonjour."
Baltimore Magazine
For our 55 best restaurants,
excellence is in the details.
Edited by Bianca Sienra
After a difficult time with some visa issues, chef/owner Erik Rochard finally reopened his highly successful French restaurant last year; formerly located in Laurel, it’s now in Columbia and already at least as popular as his old venue. This is a comfortable, modern space where ties and jackets are out of the question (unless they make you feel more comfortable) and the food is genuine French bistro. Start with a terrine of chevre a la betterave, roasted beets layered with perky goat cheese and sprinkled with a surprise of cumin seeds. Large, plump, perfectly cooked moules marinières in their own jus sport a delicious soupçon of white wine, rosemary, and curry. We adored a seasonal côte de porc Normande, the enormous hunk of pig drenched with mushrooms and cream and accompanied by noodles—just in case you’re still hungry. For dessert, the nougat vanilla ice cream blended with candied fruit and pistachios is a stunner.
"La Crêperie du Café De Paris is a magical place to go to enjoy the food and the ambiance. It literally transcends food.
It's completely authentic, unpretentious and bohemian, one of the few restaurants where you can strike up a conversation with someone at the next table without really trying because you're all ensconced in the atmosphere.
The food is delicious without trying to be really French in its presentation. I had the Ham Cheese and Tomato Crepe and the Chocolate &Coconut crepe for dessert. The taste was good and the surprise of the stewed tomato chunks was a welcome one. The portion was good and met with what the standard portion should be in America. I would like to see a more adventurous side dish rather then just the green wild salad served with the crepe Please don't change the Chocolate &Coconut crepe. It's Fabulous!
The owner also has "la bonne mine"; he doesn't rush you because he wants to turn his tables. The wine is good and reasonable. I cannot wait to visit in the winter, it's so cozy inside it's sure to become one of my favorite places to be."
Jacqueline
