Atraditional culinary institution par excellence, broths are more in vogue than ever. The promise? Enjoy typical French dishes in a setting and with service reminiscent of the Paris of yesteryear. All without breaking the bank.
From Paris to Montpellier by way of Marseille, bouillons continue to flourish to the delight of epicureans. You go in for a good old-fashioned meal and come out with a bill that defies all competition. Couples, families and groups of friends sit down to eat egg mayonnaise, boeuf bourguignon and crème brûlée in carefully decorated rooms.
A history spanning centuries
We have to go back to the 19th century to witness the birth of bouillons. In 1860, a butcher called Pierre-Louis Duval decided to open a restaurant so that workers in the old Halles market, the belly of Paris, could eat a hot meal quickly and at a low price, less than two francs. This workers’ canteen stood out for its meat dish, made from the smallest cuts to reduce the price, and its aromatic broth. This beef hochepot, a speciality from the north of France, quickly won over the locals.
The founder’s son, Jules Alexandre Duval, developed these breweries considerably. The concept is considered by some to be the first restaurant chain in Paris and the rest of France.
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