A few years ago while enjoying a leisurely day alone in Paris, I passed by Le Rubis and remembered a fine boeuf bourguignon I'd enjoyed there once. I decided to try it again. I was shown a door at the end of the bar and discovered a tiny ( of course), winding (of course) stairway. At the top I walked through what appeared to be a make shift kitchen but it could have been the one and only. I found a small dining room lined with tables. I squeezed onto a banquette, shed my coat, camera, bag and tried not to look like a harried tourist. I fooled not a soul. The sweet, overworked waitress informed me that I had to read the menu off the chalkboard on the wall. So the whole process went in reverse. I could hardly read it and so with our limited use of each other's language, I decided on the "peeg" with lentils. It turned out to be what we would call ham. Very pink and tender with a sea of lentils topped with a pat of butter. This is what David Leibowitz called "earthy French food" in his review. It's worth the read.
Le Rubis is the type of cafe you want to run up on in Paris. The same couple is always behind the bar and the food is always honest and hearty.
Le Rubis
10 rue Marché Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris
