Le Hide (Paris, France)

For our last lunch in Paris before going to the airport in the evening (heading back to Bangkok); we decided to have lunch at one of the best bistros in our neighborhood...Le Hide.


Le Hide is full of contradictions. Chef Hide Kobayashi is Japanese but cooks some of the most old-school traditional French food that you'll find in the capital. Chef Koba has been trained with Dominique Bouchet and Joël Robuchon, and you can tell from his food that chef Koba knows what he is doing. On top of this; chef Koba has priced his lunch & menus at very reasonable prices in an area that is not known to be cheap.


The first starter was Saucisson de Lyon & lentil salad. A simple salad with tons of colours, textures and flavours. A hearty salad.


The second starter was Cèpes. The seasonal mushroom were so tender and were sitting in a light broth. Just heavenly.


The first main dish was Rognons de veau. The kidneys were firm & hearty and were sitting in a rich sauce to add flavour.


The second main dish was Côte de porc. The pork was huge; I think 300 grams. The pork was cooked perfectly and it was tender (I could cut into it like butter) & juicy.


The bistro is very small; with about 8 tables crammed next to one another. The people are packed like sardines. However; the atmosphere is easy going and the decor is simple and in good style.

Overall; the food is the main attraction; it so so good. The food is hearty simple bistro food done well. But at the same time; the value/ quality ratio is incredible. The staff can be off and on at Le Hide. There was a time when we had the friendliest service or there was a time when the service was just sufficient nothing else.

This time there was something wrong in the kitchen. First; it took too long for them to bring out our food (other customers complained that it took too long for their food as well and the waiter told them pretty much 'too bad'). It took about 30 minutes for our starters and then another 30 minutes to get our main course. This never happened before at Le Hide; so either they were understaffed in the kitchen or there was bad communication of our order from the waitress to the kitchen. Lucky for them; we were not in a hurry that day.

Address: 10, rue du General Lanrezac
75017 Paris
Tel.: 01 45 74 15 81
www.lehide.fr