Autor: Madeleines de Proust
3 quotes in English :
- “Why make it complicated when you can make it simple? What matters is pleasure.”
- “A good veal blanquette in a bistro… that’s what I like.”
- “He didn’t take me to the theatre or the cinema… but to good bistros.”
In Search… of the Best Bistro
In the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, the streets have that distinctive scent of places that have never really changed. The façades carry the weight of the years with elegance. The bistro fronts tell a thousand stories, and sometimes a simple menu displayed outside is enough to awaken a memory. That is exactly what happened to us that day.
Even before pushing open the door of Le Petit Saint-Benoît, our eyes stopped on the menu. Simple cuisine: veal blanquette, deviled eggs, Aveyron sausage with aligot… A promise of traditional regional cooking. Next to us, Gilles Pudlowski was already smiling. “That’s why I come here,” he whispered.
In the world of gastronomy, Gilles Pudlowski is an institution. A journalist, a critic, a writer… To meet him, you have to come here. To this bistro which is his true madeleine de Proust. The one he used to frequent when he was a student at Sciences Po.
At the table!
Inside Le Petit Saint-Benoît, time seems to stand still. The red banquettes, the white tablecloths, the large mirrors on the walls: everything breathes the authentic Parisian bistro as we imagine it in Zola’s novels.
“When you’re a journalist, you get more and more incredible invitations!” Gilles says as he sits down. “But a good veal blanquette in a bistro… that’s what I like!”
For decades, he has travelled across France in search of the best tables. Chefs always invite him to discover their most daring creations, restaurants compete with imagination to impress him. And yet, what he prefers is simple and authentic cuisine. His favorite phrase comes back like a refrain:
“Why make it complicated when you can make it simple? What matters is pleasure.”
Seated at the table, Gilles immediately becomes talkative. The great figure of gastronomic criticism gives way to a curious man, passionate, hungry for stories as much as recipes.
We begin with the choice of wine. To read the bottle labels, Gilles puts his glasses back on with a slow and precise gesture. In his elegant suit, hands resting on the table, he accompanies each sentence with expressive movements. He speaks about blends of aromas and the scents of the terroir as one would describe a journey.
The waiter suggests a Côtes-du-Rhône. Gilles smiles.
“No… that’s not what I would have chosen.”
The discussion begins and, as often with him, every detail becomes a pretext for an anecdote. A few minutes later, the starters arrive. They are presented on a long wooden board: pâté with pickles, celery rémoulade, deviled eggs. Gilles already has a preference for the celery rémoulade, accompanied by a piece of bread.
“It pops, that celery. That’s how I like it.”
With every bite, France unfolds before us. We talk about Lyon and its bouchons, Parisian bistros, Alsatian winstubs. Each region has its specialties, and this wandering gourmet knows them well.
We ask him how he finds the energy to keep travelling across France in search of new places. He bursts out laughing.
“To each their own!”
And his is obvious: curiosity.
During the meal, he talks about his guide to the best bistros, Le Petit Pudlo, those “where you can eat well without spending much.” An almost militant mission. Because for him, a good bistro must follow certain rules.
The Six Commandments of the Bistro
Good value for money, a warm welcome, the setting, the atmosphere, good wines and traditional dishes. Simple, once again.
The conversation turns to his beginnings.
“I became the Saint-Just of andouillette!” he says, laughing.
Behind the joke lies a family story. That of a father who passed on to him a love of good food and good places.
“He didn’t take me to the theatre or the cinema… but to good bistros.”
In this sentence, everything is said: transmission, memories, flavors that shape a life.
The dishes arrive: chicken with morels, veal blanquette, Aveyron sausage with melting aligot. And golden fries still crackling.
“At Le Petit Saint-Benoît, it’s good… and it’s generous,” Gilles warns.
And it’s true. Every dish seems to tell the story of a time when people took the time to have lunch.
Around the table, the conversation continues. So do the memories. Like in Marcel Proust, it only takes a flavor to travel back in time.
Desserts arrive like a final nod to childhood: lemon meringue pie, crème caramel, tarte tatin. Classics again.
The conversation slows, and we gradually understand what makes this lunch so charming. It is not only the food. It is the atmosphere.
The rule of the six commandments of the bistro is therefore no myth.
At the end of the meal, Gilles stands up. He takes the time to greet the restaurant team. A kind word for everyone, a smile, a handshake. Simple and heartfelt gestures.
Soon he is off again, ready to hit the road across France, in search of other bistros, other stories, other memories.
Because that is, in the end, Gilles Pudlowski’s art of living: always looking for places where food tells a story. And where a simple lunch can become a madeleine de Proust.
Written by Héloïse Adrast from @madeleine.officiel
About Gilles Pudlowski
A gastronomic critic, writer, and creator of the guides that bear his name, Gilles Pudlowski has established himself as a key figure and one of the finest experts on French gastronomy, sharing his discoveries daily on his blog and social media.
A lover of bistros, he launched the Pudlo Bistro Trophies in 2022, an annual event dedicated to this French institution, marked by awards and the publication of a special guide (Le Petit Pudlo des Bistrots), which has become over the years a reference and a compass for all lovers of traditional cuisine.
Following Paris Seize, Moulin à Vent and La Grille Montorgueil in Paris, Casimir was elected Bistro of the Year 2026 alongside eight other delicious winners.
Featuring 240 bistros and favorite addresses in Paris and across France, Le Petit Pudlo des Bistrots is available at all Paris newsstands and across France in the Relay network until April 11 for the modest price of €9.90.
