Making an Impression

We are still giddily enjoying the gorgeous weather here in Paris. It's not forecast to last though so we have been making the most of the opportunity to get into Paris more often than usual. Last week however, on the first day of Spring, I had a day out a little closer to home.


Inspired by this post by Véronique at French Girl in Seattle we celebrated my friend's birthday at Le Restaurant Fournaise in Chatou, the setting of one of Renoir's most famous paintings Le Déjeuner des Canotiers.

I discovered Véronique's blog after seeing her comments on other blogs about French Life that I follow and her captivating post about the history of this restaurant and the nineteenth century artists who frequented it in its heyday was the first one I ever read. In it she concludes; "Next time you visit Paris, why don't you, too, follow la Seine all the way to Chatou? No need to wait until Sunday afternoon, or wear a canotier. The Canoeists and lovely Alphonsine may be long gone, but la Maison Fournaise is still there, by the river, waiting..." We didn't have to wait for a "next time" we live just ten minutes away from Chatou so as soon as we had an opportunity we took Véronique's advice and went to experience the place for ourselves.


The restaurant is an island amongst the office blocks now, but that sky is still worthy of a painting.




If you look carefully, you can see the American Express building where Véronique used to work reflected in the entrées!


This was my entrée. Gambas, the winning choice from a meal that we all agreed wasn't the best food we've ever had in France, but almost certainly better than we would have experienced in our U.S. suburban neighborhoods on a Tuesday lunchtime!

The food is secondary though to the experience of eating where Renoir and his Impressionist buddies once sat.


The building has been beautifully restored and there is a museum on site that we didn't have time to visit. A good excuse to go back.


There was time for a quick after lunch stroll along the river bank, past the boat house...


...then back home in time to fetch the kids off the school bus.