Review: L’Avant Comptoir

Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
First, you’ll be puzzled by the absence of chairs: This is a standing-room-only joint. Then, you may look at the ceiling and wonder what’s up—literally. The photos of food may give it away, but the white cards hanging from hooks is, indeed, the menu offered at this Left Bank locale popular with neighborhood and food industry folk. Additional quirkiness comes in the form of a car-wash-like plastic curtain with a giant pig painted on it and wall tiles covered in scribbled notes written by past patrons. Everything you need for chowing down—buckets of cutlery, napkins, sauces, and, most importantly, slabs of Bordier butter and baskets of country bread—are left on the zinc bar, while wines are listed on a giant blackboard behind it.

What was the crowd like?
During prime lunch or dinner hours it can feel like you’re standing in general admission at a Beyoncé concert so you can’t be too serious about your dining experience. In fact, you’re likely to make a few new friends (or enemies) if you don’t watch those elbows! Those who stay to put up a (friendly) fight for space usually range in age and patience level, but almost all are there as much for the savage-like ambience as they are the tasty hors d'oeuvres.

What should we be drinking?
It’s definitely a wine bar. You wouldn’t really come here for a cocktail and while you could come just for a glass sans snack, the odds are you’ll want to order at least one small dish to pick on while you sip.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
While you can certainly fill up, the idea is to pick and snack on first-class finger food from chef Yves Camdeborde of the bistro Le Comptoir du Relais Saint-Germain a few feet down the block. While the menu does occasionally change, you’ll almost always find the likes of ham croquettes, fried Parmesan cheese puffs, boudin noir macarons, and artichoke and cured ham waffles on offer. They’re open all day so pick your pleasure depending on the hour or mood.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
The barmen are full of personality and accustomed to dealing with finicky foreigners. Once you’ve got their attention, they’ll take care of you as quick as possible and make sure the necessary accoutrements on the bar are restocked in time for your next bite or gulp.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
It’s open all day, so it’s a great spot to pop into for a snack during off-hours with a co-worker or a date you’re not sure about. Order a few plates, and bam! You’re good until your next meal or rendezvous.