The Great Parisian Plate Debate

10, avenue Richerand, 75010
Tel. 01.44.84.37.70

The first time I noticed Le Cambodge, I was meeting friends for pre-dinner drinks near Canal Saint Martin. Off on a side street, I wouldn’t have even noticed it, had there not been a long line winding out the door. Knowing nothing else about the place, I made a mental note to come back to check it out. Amusingly enough, that was where my friends were already planning to take me.

Le Cambodge doesn’t take reservations, but once you get to the head of the line you leave your phone number and they call you when your table is ready. It’s usually been about an hour wait, but happily, there’s no lack of bars in the neighborhood for you to find a drink. Now that it’s nice out, it’s also a great excuse to hang out by the bank of the canal.

While not a huge place, there are an impressive number of tables crammed in. The décor certainly wasn’t grungy, but it didn’t leave much of an impression. I did like the music-trendy but non-obtrusive.

The reason I go back, however, is the cheap and excellent food. There isn’t a huge menu, but my friends and I’ve tried pretty much all of the main courses and everything’s good. The desserts I’ve tried, such as a coconut-banana pudding weren’t quite as successful, so I now skip dessert altogether. While I unfortunately didn’t make it to Cambodia on my jaunt last month, I literally circled it, and even afterwards, Le Cambodge stands up nicely.

A place I highly recommend if you’re in the area, aren’t in a hurry, and want to get a drink before dinner anyways. The last time I was there, 2 appetizers, 4 mains and a liters of house red ran 43€ or 15€ a head. Yum.