French wave

On Bastille Day, here’s a complete guide on the right places to celebrate à la française.

Today is the French National Day, and with the ever-increasing number of French restaurants and cafés in the city, celebrations are likely to happen on a larger scale. So here’s where you could get your glass of Chardonnay and Crème brûlée and participate in the revelry.

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Indulge your taste buds at the Square, Novotel with their French cuisine that includes delicacies like Potau Feu (Beef stew), Coq au vin (Chicken braised in red wine) and Blanquette Veau (Veal fricassee). Or sweeten your palate with desserts like Pot de crème and lemon meringue tartlets. One could also enjoy a lazy evening at Elbo Room, Khar with French cuisine. Do try their vodka with strawberry crush, Blue Curacao and Sprite- representing the colours of the French flag — red, blue and white — or sip on the Chenin Blanc based apple and coriander cocktail.

Chez Vous, Mumbai’s first French bistro is celebrating this special day on July 15 with delicacies such as Chateaubriand in Foie Gras and Truffle Oil Sauce and caramelised onion tarts, along with the Chez Vous collection of French wines and spirits. The highlight of the evening though, is a soft, jazzy performance by the Ralf Kamphuis Trio. Entry is from 8 pm onwards for Rs 500 with a glass of champagne complementary.

Ask Chez Vous’ French chef Frederic Serlangez how he plans to celebrate the day and he says, “I have taken the day off today. I’ll watch the military parade that takes place every year at Champs-Élysées, Paris on TV, and hear Nicolas Sarkozy’s speech too. I’ll spend the evening with a glass of champagne at The Trident, where The French Consulate has organised a party.”

How about the celebrations in France?

“People in France would take the day off and relax at home,” recollects Maud Chuffart, who came to Mumbai last year and established the Yoga House, adding, “Parisians would watch ighter planes performing acrobatics in the sky at Champs-Élysées We would go to Le Bal, which is a huge party organised by firemen on the streets.”