Le Cochon à l'Oreille, a stylish French bistro at Les Halles

Less well known than some of the institutions at Les Halles, Le Cochon à l'Oreille is nonetheless a French bistro with a lot going for it, embodied by an equally impressive owner.

If Pied de Cochon is the standard-bearer of French cuisine at Les Halles, there's a lesser-known but just as dirty institution a few steps away: Le Cochon à l'Oreille. Established in 1914 in a listed building with period decor, Le Cochon à l'Oreille is a true Parisian bistro. The decor, the menu, the owner's cheeky manner - this is an address that smacks of the Paris of yesteryear.

With his outspokenness embodying the past of Les Halles, chef Téodore Apostolski is driven by the desire to defend French good food. Originally from the former Yugoslavia, the chef worked with some of the greats - from Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse to Alain Senderens and Philippe Conticini - before turning to bistro cuisine.

Le Cochon à l'Oreille caught his eye. All that remains now is to attract back the regular clientele who had deserted the previous incarnation. And that shouldn't take long, given the restaurant's brilliant embrace of the typical Parisian bistro cuisine. It has to be said that, like Obelix, Téodore Apostolski fell into the cooking pot when he was a child - not the magic potion, but his grandmother's pot.

The produce from his childhood market now comes from the Ile-de-France, Auvergne, Lot and Bretagne regions, with the ambition of relying solely on good, seasonal, free-range produce. And if you ask him about it, you'll learn a lot!

The result: a bistro-style cuisine guided by a passion for the product and the authentic taste of things, sprinkled with conviviality. The very definition of comfort. For a good start, poached green asparagus in a mimosa sauce with fresh herbs (€14) and a pressé of pigs' knuckle with horseradish on the €36 starter/main course lunch menu.

The influence of today's bistronomy is also evident on the menu, with typically French recipes(foie gras, escargots, mayo eggs and the much-vaunted onion soup ) alongsidemore contemporary and sophisticated dishes.

The same culinary dichotomy applies to the main courses: on the one hand, carefully cooked Mediterranean octopus and grilled halloumi, escorted by mashed potatoes (€28); on the other, a racy beef chuck confit in Cahors served with potatoes, lardons, mushrooms and spring onions. A terribly generous dish that's cheerfully sauced to the last drop, with the bread thrown right into the casserole, and happily accompanied by a glass of wine.

The tradition continues right through to dessert, a baba au rhum topped with a cloud of vanilla mascarpone cream (10€), which you pour yourself from the bottle of rum on the table.

Less touristy and less expensive than some of the better-known addresses in the Halles district, Cochon à l'Oreille is a timeless restaurant that honors French traditions in the most beautiful (and gourmet) of ways. And it's worth noting that the restaurant aims to stay open all night, just like in the old days!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.

Le Cochon à l'Oreille, a stylish French bistro at Les Halles

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