If I had to choose my favourite place to eat ‘in the whole world’ it would be Restaurant Camille. This blog tells of an unforgettable meal we ate there on the last day of a recent stay in Paris. 

I should explain that we came across Camille soon after it opened in the early 1990s and since then have been eating there two or three times a year. By chance, we had discovered a restaurant where the menu listed only traditional French dishes and where the food itself was delicious. In addition, the ambience with its thick, early nineteenth century stone walls, its furniture and its decor made it French through and through. Over the years, out of preference we eat at Camille to celebrate special occasions, but it is also where we go as an indulgence! And when we do, eating there feels like being with an old friend.

Camille is very popular so booking can be difficult; when we tried to reserve a table for lunch on that last day we were told it was full. There was, however a glimmer of hope; sometimes – although rarely – customers don’t show up, so we should come by on the off chance. 

As the meal was to be the highlight of our visit we did as suggested and, after a delay, some pleading and much anxiety, a table was found. As ever, the manager and his table staff were welcoming, attentive and knowledgeable and the food served was as expected. We chose a light meal and for my first course I ordered a salad with marinated herrings, discs of raw carrots and still-warm, cooked potatoes with olive oil-based dressing, while for Rohan it was a steak tartare. As always, both dishes were very special. Although these appear simple, the taste and texture of both were matchless; certainly finding dishes of such quality in London would be difficult, if not impossible.

Soon after starting, a couple were shown to the adjoining table. In France it is customary to say hello – and later goodbye – to those sitting close by and on this occasion the introductory salutations continued for a little longer than usual with the woman leading and her partner, a man with a wonderfully expressive face and lively eyes adding comments as and when. In that initial conversation we told them how much we loved the restaurant and how we had been eating here regularly for almost thirty years. Later, during a second flurry of conversation when we briefly exchanged ‘small talk’, I found myself telling them of a lunch I had eaten there with Rohan’s mother, probably thirteen years ago. At the time, Joyce, then around 89, had become forgetful and confused and was living in a retirement home – this was her meal ‘out’. Once the main course was over, we decided to share a dessert and together we chose a crème brûlée. We were both given dessert spoons and she went first and I was left watching in disbelief as she carefully spooned off the whole of the top caramel layer. When she had finished I reminded her that we had agreed to share half-and-half. She replied that she had complied fully, it just so happened that she had decided to take the top half! Our neighbours, who clearly enjoyed the story wanted to know more, but soon we went back to standard restaurant decorum where one respects a neighbour’s privacy.

A little later, once Rohan and I had shared our own dessert – a creamy rice pudding – we asked the waiter for the bill. He left for a moment, only to return with a broad smile to tell us that we owed nothing – the meal is ‘a gift from the establishment, no payment was required’. My first reaction was that this was either a joke or a misunderstanding, and in response to my questions the mystery deepened ‘It is a gift from the proprietor’. Still very doubtful I asked if I might speak to the proprietor and the waiter said that would be easy to arrange – ‘He is the man sitting at the table next to you!’ 

The smiles and twinkles of the man opposite increased and Nico (see illustration) confessed that he was indeed the proprietor. We had been eating next to and chatting with the person who opened Restaurant  Camille thirty years ago! With great warmth he said this was his way of thanking us for being such faithful customers, adding that without people like us the restaurant would not have survived.

His kindness and generosity, and his acknowledgement of our role were overwhelming. I don’t imagine I will ever forget that moment when my love of Restaurant Camille became that much stronger.

The illustration shows a photo of Nico sitting at the table next to ours at Restaurant Camille ; Rohan can be seen on his left.

For helping me write this blog, I would like to thank Nico, Rohan and Vivien.