When you are next in town, and wondering where you can grab a good bite at a reasonable price, give Léon Bistro (website not live at the moment, unfortunately) on Exchequer Street a try. This is one of my current favourite place for some hearty and classic French food that even the French couldn’t really fault.

Or at least I know I wouldn’t. ;-)

I was there recently for lunch with a friend, and upon presentation of the menu, I was soon torn between the different items on the menu. I felt like ordering them all, but of course I couldn’t. The only solution that I can think of in order to stop myself from agonising too much over them was to return sometimes soon.

Given the relatively cold wintry weather, both of us decided to have some French onion soup, to be served with croutons. The soup actually arrived capped with large portions of garlic bread topped with melted Emmental but neither of us minded that at all. It was delicious, and the melted cheese and flavoursome bread complimented the soup nicely. And I definitely love the way they caramelised the onion for the soup. I could never somehow get that each time I attempted cooking the soup at home.

For our main courses, I have chosen roast mushroom risotto with toasted pine nuts while my friend opted for Toulouse sausages with onion jus, whole grain mustard cream and mashed potatoes. These dishes were essentially comfort food, and easily hit the spot as we chatted over the meal.

I, for one, am never the person to resist the temptation of a good dessert. Pain perdu with caramelised apple and caramel sauce caught my attention and soon it was served. It was a very sweet dish, perhaps too sweet for some, but I simply loved it! Definitely something that I will order time and time again, even if the bread made it quite a filling dessert.

The meal – 2-courses and an expresso for my friend, 3-courses for myself, and a glass of white wine each – came up to just a little over €60, putting the bistro as one of the best value mid-range restaurants in town. The same menu used throughout the day, so it also makes the bistro one of the few places that doesn’t have a price difference between lunch and dinner.

Just a word of note – don’t confuse the bistro with the other two flagship cafés nearby (on Trinity Street and on Wicklow Street). Have a look at this Google Map as reference. All three of them are just steps away from one another. The cafés are geared more towards those who wanted some drinks and pastries, or quick sandwiches (French style, bien sûr) or quiches. Handy for afternoon breaks. ;-)

Léon Bistro
33 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
+353 (0)1 670 7238

View in Google Map