Paris - Review of Illios Restaurant in the 18th

One cold day in Paris, having trekked across town to a well-known bakery in the 19th (without checking my Excel spreadsheet, which would have told me that the bakery in question was not open on Tuesdays), I found myself at loose ends. So I hopped on a random bus. It took me up and around through the 18th and 19th arrondissements. It wasn't a particularly scenic tour, but it was, as always, fun to get a random glimpse of a part of town you'd otherwise have no reason to visit. (It was the 60 bus, in case you're interested.)

So, there I was, wandering around cold and starving and trying to find a place that wasn't Italian. I spotted Illios, but it looked a little too swanky for me. How wrong I was. It was tiny and charming and staffed by a waitress who kept running around, throwing up her hands and murmuring "Catastrophe! Catastrophe!" but as far as I'm concerned, there was no catastrophe at all.

I had foie gras as a starter, because it's almost always a good idea to do that, and followed it up with a lovely garlic roasted chicken leg, with a solid side of potatoes and a nice light salad.

Given the look of the other restaurants around, I chose wisely. Should you be down the hill on the wrong side of Sacré Coeur, I highly recommend stopping in.

Oh, and the place was packed, including one elegant sophisticated lady of a certain age, whose gorgeous face, perfect make-up and impassive gaze have since served as my inspiration for how to eat--no scratch that--dine solo.

Illios Restaurant (61 Rue Ramey, 75018 Paris. Métro: Jules Joffin. Tel.:01 42 23 67 60)