We’re not sure if the French have what Americans consider “soul food.” But if they did, Crémerie-Restaurant Polidor, in the 6th arrondissement on the Left Bank, would be the place to get it.
It’s a small, old-fashioned, homely little place serving food that feels like it came straight out of a French mom’s kitchen. Instead of fried chicken and mac-and-cheese, there’s beef bourguignon and mashed potatoes.
The food was hearty and flavorful and it just felt good to eat. It’s kind of like eating chicken noodle soup on a cold day. It’s a cozy feeling that warms your entire body. (If only Campbell’s could somehow put beef bourguignon in a can.)
People don’t just come to Polidor because it’s a near perfect restaurant. No, they also come for the bathroom. A bathroom so unfathomable, it can only be described as… an experience.
To get to the bathroom, you have to squeeze through long, communal tables and walk outside into a dark atrium. There’s a wall with swinging wooden doors like a Wild West saloon. And once you pass through the doors, you come to a dead stop. Inside is one of the smallest, most confusing stalls you can imagine.
It’s like a coffin with lovable powder blue tiles. There’s virtually no room, and if you’re over 5’6″, you have to duck to fit inside. There’s barely any room to breathe let alone go potty.
This bathroom is like a game at the fair. You put your feet in the designated foot holders and aim for a hole that will severely test your accuracy. If you can somehow manage to urinate in the hole from beginning to end, you deserve some kind of prize. And if you can escape without spraying all over your shoes, you deserve instant access to heaven because you’re a living miracle.
If it wasn’t already hard enough to hit the target, take a peek over your shoulder. The wooden doors practically expose everything. And the atrium has a direct view into the restaurant. So while you’re peeing, there are people in the restaurant watching you. Judging you. Evaluating your progress with score cards. (Not really, but it feels like it.)
And if you’ve gotta take a #2… don’t even think about it. The lone toilet is in a room with only three walls, again with an open view into the atrium. There’s no lock. And worst of all, you have pass through this room to even get to the stall outside. So unless you like people walking in and out of the bathroom, looking at you while you’re taking a #2 on a cold winter night, it’s best to hold it in.
Crémerie-Restaurant Polidor
http://www.polidor.com/
41 rue Monsieur-le-Prince
+33 1 43 26 95 34
Metro: Odéon
