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 The
place positively brims with life and the goodness
of the produce of French soil, run by a team
of engaging men and women. It brims with life,
and yet it has never changed course, as immutable
as the decor, which dates back to the Belle
Epoque, or the menu with its timeless classics.
Sébillon
is an institution around Porte Maillot.
Some of the regulars here have been loyal to
the house for over 50 years. One such is Gérard,
a businessman who has been coming here since
1947. “When people talk to me about Sébillon,
I think of General MacArthur saying ‘I’ll
be back’ about the Philippines. This is
the only place where I eat leg of lamb.” Indeed,
leg of lamb, as much as you can eat (€23.50),
is clearly the house’s market leader. All
the same, the breed of lamb was the only major
change ushered in by Aveyron-born proprietor
Gérard Joulie, who abandoned salt-meadow
lamb for the Rouergue variety.
“All customers order at least one helping
of leg of lamb, but we have some who come back
for as many as six extra helpings,” head
water Jean-Marie confides. This pillar of the
establishment of almost 20 years’ standing
comes from Aubrac.
They put 15 or so legs of
lamb on to roast at Sébillon
before each sitting. “There’s no question
of serving it straight out of the oven: the meat
has to be left to rest in a warm place for as long
as the cooking time,” the chef vouches. But
once the sitting is under way, Sébillon
turns into a dance floor for whirling trolleys
of lamb with their little kidney beans...
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However, lamb
from Aveyron is certainly not the place’s
sole asset. The braised veal kidneys, too,
are a major attraction for foodies, as
are the day’s specials, dishes that
do fine home cooking proud. Cog au vin
and blanquette are all the rage in winter.
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 On
the seafood front, fines de claires vie
with creuses de Bretagne and Gillardeau
oysters. As for fish, fine soles meunières
and sea-bass stretch generously out over
the plates.
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For the connoisseurs’ delight, the
Baragnaudes Roquefort is served with a
glass of port. In a nutshell, if it were
up to you, you’d tie your napkin
round your neck at Sébillon…
…And you sometimes do when finishing
off with the giant éclair at dessert
time, an éclair in the best Sébillon
tradition! |
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20, avenue Charles
de Gaulle
92 200 Neuilly
Tél :
01 46 24 71 31
Fax : 01 46 24 43 50
Car parking: Place du
Marché or valet
parking
Métro: Neuilly
Porte Maillot - Line 1
Find
out more and book
Sébillon’s location in smart Neuilly
doesn’t prevent it from boasting excellent
value for money. As its image suggests, it’s
not the sort of establishment to skimp on the
trimmings or cast aside the generosity for which
it has been famed for decades.
The wine list at Sébillon
will treat you to a ramble through the vineyards,
from Loire to Alsace via Burgundy and Bordeaux,
with an attractive selection at every halt.
But there are also well-chilled
vintages that will gladden anyone’s heart
available by the glass, like the little chilled
house Brouilly that makes a perfect foil for
the house lamb.
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