Boucherie Roulière

It rained the whole afternoon I spent at Boucherie Roulière, and I cannot now imagine eating there in any other weather.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: Saint-Germain corner bistro, butcher up front. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with chopped salad with too much bacon, exactly right, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a glass of port to finish, and then another, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: côte de boeuf for two, the dish that puts Boucherie Roulière on every short list. Cut through it and you found that deep, beefy, almost iron-tasting interior that only comes from time and dry air. The signature touch — the bone-in côte, charred and rested long — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for pommes Anna and broiled tomato with a breadcrumb cap. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was the bread pudding with bourbon sauce, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

If you are passing through Paris, do not pass Boucherie Roulière by.