Slightly off the beaten track, this is not, perhaps, the easiest restaurant to find in Paris, but it is well worth a try! Turn left out of Pyrénées Metro and keep turning left, and you’ll almost certainly get there. From the outside it looks like...typical Parisian café, and similarly inside, except that the tables are closer together. Very close. It’s not the décor (which is fine) that matters, or even the food (which is excellent), it’s the clientele (mainly French), the music and the singing that make this place unique.
Here’s what happens: first you look at the website, pick a day and make a reservation online. In our case we choose a Saturday and didn’t need to pick a time – the site offered one (8.00 PM). We arrived on time, were immediately seated, and quickly ordered our three-course dinner from the comprehensive menu, plus wine and water. We were among the first, but it filled up quickly, both with people, and noise, until there was not an empty seat in the place. Our food arrived swiftly: generous portions and top quality throughout.
Before long Minelle came in with her song-sheets, three accordions and at least a kilo of jewellery, and began her preparations for the fun to come. She obviously already knew some of the guests, and having read that they like contributions from overseas singers, I introduced my wife Lorraine to her.
All was bustle and buzz until, around dessert time, Minelle rang her handbell in an attempt to get the diners’ attention. She did this many times during the evening, but the guests were enjoying themselves so much that it was never entirely successful! After she had greeted us all, Minelle announced the nationalities of the guests from other countries and had a few good-humoured exchanges with the ‘regulars’. Then she handed out song-sheets for the first number, kindly explained to us (in English) what the song was about, and we were away, with everyone joining in. Throughout the number, waiters whizzed about and Minelle dodged between them, skilfully working her way up and down the central aisle while simultaneously singing and playing the accordion - no mean feat. And so on.
During a short break, Minelle checked which of the visitors were happy to sing, and set off on the second half of her programme. During this my wife sang ‘Danny Boy’, a number requested by Minelle herself, and a young Frenchman gave a spirited rendition of his favourite song, occasionally glancing at the lyrics displayed on his smartphone. On and on it went, song after song, with everyone joining in and clearly enjoying themselves. We would have been happy to stand up and sing ‘La Marseillaise’ at the end (with a song-sheet), but this was not required.
We love music, singing and good food, so this was a perfect night out for us. But it’s not everybody’s idea of fun, which is why, rather than just reviewing it, I’ve tried to describe what actually happened. It’s not the Moulin, or the Folies, or the Lido, but it is 100% Parisian and nowhere near as expensive. This remarkable and unexpected place can appeal to all ages, and we can wholeheartedly recommend it to any confident, outgoing, fun-loving people.More