Cafe Frappe

Some friends of a friend recently opened up a cafe in Paris, so to show support we went to lunch at Cafe Frappe near the Paris stock exchange. Being an entrepreneur is always a challenging enterprise, especially for anyone coming from a corporate career, so we were happy to help give feedback to this fledgling business.

Being in a business district, they are only open for breakfast, lunch and happy hour for now until they get enough regular clientele to justify staying open for dinner. Their lunch menu of only 15 Euros (about $20) includes a choice of either appetizer and entree or entree and dessert and a glass of wine or a gourmet coffee. We both chose the combination of appetizers and entrees, and we both chose to start with the salade ocean. The presentation was basic, with a medley of mussels, shrimp, smoked salmon, and fish atop a green salad with a tomato garnish. Although the salad was dressed, the fish was not and was consequently dry and unappetizing, even after mixing it with the greens. We told the owner about our dissatisfaction and he promptly told the chef to add more dressing to the fish before serving the salad; it is always better to correct a problem rather than to allow it to continue, and we were very glad to see this was done immediately.

I chose carpaccio for my main course and received this presentation which included excellent parmesan, olive oil, and chopped basil. I would eat this dish again every other day.

The carpaccio was served with a nice side salad and fries.

My friend chose the fish catalan, done with tomatoes, onions, olives, and served with a side of saffron rice. She enjoyed it but found it uninspired.

For a new business, Cafe Frappe is off to a decent start, offering value for the price and a stylish decor. They have some work to do in terms of their food if they want to survive in the highly competitive business of pleasing picky Parisian palates, but I am hopeful that they will continue to listen to their clients and respond by delivering plates that will elevate them to the status of a neighborhood jewel.