Vin & Marée
71 Avenue de Suffren
75007 Paris
Lois and I got all dolled up and headed out for dinner at Vin & Marée, just a stones throw away from the Eiffel Tower. Vin & Marée offers a wide range of fresh fish and seafood – now I’m not the biggest seafood or fish fan, well apart from salmon, tuna and cod that is. I guess I’m not very adventurous, however that all changed at Restaurant Vin & Marée.
The wine waiter was first on the scene to take our order and guide us through the aperitifs and wine options for each course. He was most helpful talking to us about the selection of wines to suit the different courses, I like the care that was taken over this.
For the first course, they brought over Mussels and yep, I must say they are not for me, but I gave them a go. Fortunately Lois loves them and was happy to tuck in, she said that if you like mussels, you will love how they are cooked here the sauce was amazing.
Up next was a light salmon dish starter, delicately infused with lemon and garlic, I could have eaten another helping, it was truly divine!
The pace of each course was good, not at all rushed, we had plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings, do a spot of people watching, enjoy the wine and talk.
Throughout the meal so far, I had managed to avoid ordering anything that presented the awkward conversation about gluten free menu choices. I asked the waiter about any possible gluten that could be hidden in the main courses. He recommended sea bass, another fish I hadn’t tried before, but wanted to. I opted to have it filleted (as I’m a wimp) I can’t bear fish bones and much prefer the head removed too. Our waiter and Lois found this highly amusing, but it’s all about personal preference and Lois’s doesn’t mind removing fish bones. I like that the waiter offered us both options.
Lois also chose sea bass for her main course, which was accompanied by a garnish of lemon and a small pot of freshly made pesto. Now we are talking! I’m a real fan of pesto, it’s my favourite sauce and I really enjoyed the delicate sea bass which was complimented by the citrusy sharpness of lemon with herby pesto. I had it was served with green beans and Lois also ordered French fries (I pinched a few – ha ha!)
The staff take great pride in the quality and freshness of the menu choices and I can recommend the restaurant wholeheartedly. The food was served beautifully and each dish proved to exceed the previous course in excellence.
Our waiter was a delight and so much fun, fancying himself as our creative director, suggesting so many things we could photograph…..and did I mention that he had the dreamiest of French accents?
Vin & Marée beside the Eiffel Tower proved to be a great restaurant and the chef was really accommodating of my gluten intolerance and would aim to accommodate any other dietary needs. He even suggested that on our next visit, to let him know in advance and he will get GF bread and dessert in especially for me. I will definitely be taking him up on that offer, now I have extended my repertoire of fish and seafood and want to try other menu options.
When it came to dessert, tracking down wheat and gluten free options was tricky, it always is. I was very happy to demolish a bowl of fresh strawberries with a sprinkling of sugar and Lois was tempted by a trio of ice creams.
We had a wonderful evening, we laughed with the staff, enjoyed too much of the fine wine. We were given such good advice on what to order, each one went well with our food. I will remember this deliciously healthy and very flavoursome meal for some time.
It was a great being wined and dined by the lovely folk at Vin & Marée, thank you for having us and accommodating my allergies! I look forward to our next visit, you made us very welcome.
