Four of us rented a cottage near Coulommiers, and we had lunch on our final day at Les Echevins. We were thoroughly delighted with the restaurant. Everything was clean and bright, and the two choices for the Plat du Jour were excellent. The food was beautifully presentented, and thoroughly delicious. We thought that the price was very reasonable, especially as the food was much better than some more expensive places we had tried.

We would all recommend this to anyone visiting Coulommiers!

The two of us had walked around 14 kilometers from the station of Faremoutiers-Pommeuse to Coulommiers over a well-marked trail. By the time we reached Les Echevins around one o’clock we had worked up an appetite.

Les Echevins [an obsolete term meaning "aldermen"] has an indoor dining room as well as a quiet outdoor patio whose tables are shaded by large parasols.

We opted for the three-course prix-fixe lunch. The starter was a salad with surimi, diced pineapple, grated carrots and leafy greens. All the ingredients were fresh and tasty.

The main course was described on the slate board as "chimer[sic] à l'aneth" in French, which translates as "Ghost shark--or ratfish--with dill sauce," but since the flesh of these creatures is considered inedible, it must have been something else! At any rate, the filets were tender, the taste delicate and the sauce was a perfect complement. It was delicious—despite its name! A bowl of white and wild rice, small portions of snow peas and ratatouille as well as small carrot quiches and leek quiches garnished the main course. [See photograph].

Dessert was tasty panna cotta with fresh berries. [See photograph].

We accompanied our meal with an award-winning but reasonably-priced Pouilly-Fumé la Renardière from the small estate of Bouchie-Chatellier, founded in 1939. The wine displayed a very fine balance between the flinty notes characteristic of the sauvignon grape and rounder, fruitier notes.

We returned to Paris by train; the station is about ten minutes from the restaurant on foot.