This La Regalade Conservatoire, Paris Review is a 2018 update to a previous visit. I first encountered the southwestern French cuisine of La Regalade back in the late 1990s, when it was run by Yves Camdeborde in the 14th arrondissement and incredibly popular. Camdeborde sold La Regalade to his friend, fellow Chef Bruno Doucet, who ran La Regalade in its original location until selling it in 2017, and who still runs two additional La Regalade restaurants, La Regalade Saint Honore and La Regalade Conservatoire.
This review is part of a Paris trip report featuring luxury hotels and Michelin-star dining. For the prior posts, please see:
Le Bristol Paris Dining Review
Review: Guy Savoy Paris, 3 Michelin Stars
Le Meurice Hotel Review, Paris
Review: Context Travel Paris Private Tour of the Musee d'Orsay
Review: Ze Kitchen Galerie, Paris, 1 Michelin Star
Getting to La Regalade Conservatoire and Opening Hours
La Regalade Conservatoire is located at 7-9 rue du Conservatoire and is attached to the Hotel Nell. It's about a 6-7 minute walk from the Grands Boulevards Metro Station, and a similar distance from the Bonne Nouvelle Metro Station, both of them stops on lines 8 and 9. In terms of Paris sights, it's about a 25 min. walk from the Louvre, and about 18-20 minutes from the Opera Garnier.
Since the restaurant is attached to a hotel, it's open 7 days a week and serves breakfast 7-11am, lunch from noon-2:30pm, and dinner 7-10:30pm. I highly recommend making a reservation for dinner, since it's popular in the evening.
La Regalade Conservatoire Menu and Food
La Regalade Conservatoire is excellent when you're in the mood for hearty bistro fare. The prix fixe menu is 37 EUR for an appetizer, main dish and dessert or cheese. Keep in mind this isn't a good place for a vegetarian, since main courses (at least during our visit) all feature meat, poultry or seafood of some kind.
I love that La Regalade Conservatoire retains the hospitable welcome treats that Yves Camdeborde debuted at the original La Regalade: a country style pate in a terrine dish, country bread to go with it, and a crock of cornichons–you help yourself, family style.
For his appetizer, my son chose the gravlax salmon with coriander coulis, which was artistically plated and delicious.
I chose a La Regalade specialty: creamy squid ink risotto with Espelette chili and garlic roasted prawns. For anyone who enjoys seafood and risotto, this is a must, and was the highlight of the meal for me.
My son's main of roasted quail with foie gras and fresh spinach was superb, and I kept stealing bites of it.
I also enjoyed my entree of scallops, a special that evening, which were fresh and sweet, complemented by a bit of pesto, croutons, and parmesan.
While the Grand Marnier souffle and rice pudding are specialties, I don't care for Grand Marnier or rice pudding, so I had the simple but classic apple tart with vanilla whipped cream. It was served warm, and while simple, I preferred it to the desserts I'd had at the Michelin star restaurants earlier in the trip.
My son's cheese plate was likewise simple, with just 2 types of cheese, but given the abundance of the prior courses, it was the perfect amount.
We were completely full at this point, so when our server brought us two freshly baked madeleines, I asked to take them with us. They too were warm and the tiny bit I tasted was fantastic, the buttery richness infused with vanilla, and sure enough, on inspection, I could see the vanilla bean specks in them.
The Verdict
La Regalade Conservatoire remains my go-to place when I'm craving French comfort food with a southwest inflection. 37 Euros for a meal of this quality, in pleasant surroundings with friendly service, is a great deal in Paris. And while it may be a bit of a walk from your hotel or popular Paris sights, some exercise is an order given the hearty and satisfying dishes.
Recommended Posts
Review: Ze Kitchen Galerie, Paris, 1 Michelin Star
Review: Guy Savoy Paris, 3 Michelin Stars
Le Bristol Paris Dining Review
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