It’s no secret that we love the Théâtre de l’Odéon: special VIP offers for our guests who fancy a night out at the theatre, our annual exhibition in their prestigious function rooms for our photo project…

Perhaps it will also become our favourite restaurant too? Read on for the story of how a sad forecourt could become one of the most chic and hyped terraces of the Parisian summer…

The Theatre itself is nearly always buzzing, but the space in front of it has always been a barren sea of grey, clean, sad stones. But no more! Now it’s become the expansive, sunny terrace of the Café de l’Odéon, and from the first night it was obvious that it was going to be a hit.

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The setting is extraordinary of course, with the classical columns of the theatre rising up behind the new metal tables and chairs. Strangely, most of the chairs seem to be turned away from the theatre itself and looking towards the buildings lining the Place de l’Odéon (you can always turn yours around).

It should also be a success even after the warm weather has passed, as one side of the theatre has been transformed into a very stylish covered terrace (that will no doubt be heated in the winter months).

For the moment – one week after opening – the restaurant does not have a telephone and does not accept reservations (although this may change over the next few months).

They are open for lunch, all afternoon and for evening meals. We decided to try out their dinner menu and took a table on the terrace.

Three things about the menu are immediately striking. First, the choice is fairly limited. Second, there doesn’t seem to be a distinction between the first courses and main courses (even our waiter wasn’t quite sure). Third, the prices are fairly steep, although probably acceptable for such an exceptional venue.

As for the wines, there are a few choices that are not too expensive, and we went for a perfectly adequate and reasonable Côtes du Rhône.

Our first minor disappointment was that the mouillettes (soldiers) shown on the menu (three for 6 euros) were not available as a first course. In fact, they are not available at all after 7pm. It might be nice to have this marked to avoid confusion.

So, we started to choose our first course, deciding to share two between the four of us. The carpaccio of forgotten varieties of tomato (Crimean black, Russian black and green tomatoes) with salad and herbs (plus a little olive oil) was fresh and crunchy. You can’t really go wrong with tomatoes, salt and olive oil can you? We also enjoyed the little pipette of vinaigrette, crunchy Parmesan biscuit and fresh bread from a local posh boulangerie…

The gravlax salmon with finely chopped celery and granny smith apples was also pretty good. A refreshing start to the meal and beautifully presented.

All you’ll see in the next few photos, presentation is always important for the restaurant, more than size in fact. If you are seeking hefty portions, this is probably not the place to come. However, we are prepared to take quality over quantity (within reason), and we weren’t disappointed.

The snack style king prawns and quinoa went well together, and did the Royan ravioli (that melted in the mouth), charred aubergine, cherry tomatoes and rocket.

The last two dishes were also met with appreciation: salmon steak with herbs and spices from Grenoble (sprinkled with sliced almonds) and mashed potatoes , and farm-bred chicken with ‘devil’ sauce (we never worked out what that meant) and mashed potatoes again. Very well presented, as always.

After finishing the main course, we felt that there was still room for dessert! So, we first ordered a tangy cheese and finished off with some bread.

And as our sweet tooth still felt like it needed something, we then decided on a couple of macaroons (yummy, very melty) and a blancmange with red fruit. Very nice indeed…

To resume, the food at the Café de l’Odéon is not the cheapest in town, not are the plates filled to bursting, but few places have the space and the calm that their terrace can offer, and on a warm night I can think if nothing better than to feel the day’s warmth emanting from the cobblestones and sitting back with a light meal and glass of white wine.

Remember that the restaurant is also open for lunch and all afternoon for a quick drink or a snack. If you’re nearby – in the Jardin du Lexmbourg for example – this could be a refreshing change of scene.

The Café de l’Odéon is on place de l’Odéon (map here).

Click here to see all our photos in the Flickr gallery.