Eating too much meat is harmful to both health and the environment. However, for those who cannot or do not want to give it up, here are five great places to consume meat in a more mindful and sustainable way.
Bonnotte: A Chic and Friendly Dining Experience
Bonnotte is a small village square in the heart of the city; a restaurant run by two chefs; a brasserie where you are served like royalty. It’s a unique establishment that takes its name from a small potato from the island of Noirmoutier, where the owner Antoine Guichard grew up in his family’s hotel. However, you could also interpret the name as “good note” because this place, which opened in November 2022, ticks all the boxes of an exceptional dining experience: impeccable service, an impressive wine selection, and outstanding dishes. It’s not surprising considering the couple behind it, Antoine Guichard (front of house) and Manon Negretti-Guichard (in the kitchen), have worked at top-tier restaurants and palaces in Paris (Café Ineko, George V, Peninsula…) before deciding to start their own venture in Boulogne.
Spacious (with seating for 55 people), elegant, and furnished with beautiful bistro-style furniture, Bonnotte successfully combines two different dining experiences. During lunch, it is a convivial place where you can enjoy a meal on the small terrace (starting from 29 euros). In the evening, it transforms into a chic restaurant where you can savor exceptional dishes like veal sweetbreads with caper and lemon sauce (48 euros). The cuisine reflects a balance between Manon Negretti-Guichard’s passion for vegetables and Antoine Guichard’s indulgence in meat dishes (he’s a fan of offal, game, and well-aged cuts). While he insists on working with whole kidneys seasoned with juniper berries and accompanied by a devilish sauce, she creates confit eggplants and a blackcurrant condiment that compete in indulgence with the offal. Fennel and pickles crown an exceptional white tuna, lightly seared. For dessert, roasted apricots sprinkled with streusel (a type of Alsatian crumble) paired with a lightly sweetened, airy chantilly cream ensure you leave (almost) light and come back at the first opportunity.
Bonnotte. 1, rue de Billancourt, Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine). Phone: 09-83-44-29-35.
Janine: A Feast for the Senses
When you start off with a country-style terrine as thick as the complete works of François Rabelais, you know Janine is about to serve you a feast that requires loosening your belt. And you won’t be disappointed. A gargantuan shredded hare hides under a braised cabbage leaf, swimming in a generous meaty jus that enchants the taste buds. The two starters, garnished with a sprinkle of dill and chervil, are so substantial that they could easily be mistaken for main courses. But the real delights are yet to come. A tender, pink lamb leg appears, accompanied by pickled red onions. Then a peanut biscuit topped with a white chocolate cream, introduced by the server as a discreet “Snickers for adults.”
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