L'institut - Nancy

After visiting the Citadel and the Craffe Gate we walked back towards the centre along Grande Rue in search of a place to have dinner. On the first street corner to the left we saw the tiny Brasserie de l’Institut, which looked really inviting. We couldn’t resist its authentic interior with red wood panelling, mirrors, a leather-clad bench along the wall, books on the windowsill and daily specials written on blackboards. Unfortunately the place filled up very quickly and became rather unpleasantly crowded because the tables are so close to one another. As a starter, we had leeks vinaigrette, which were as expected. As mains we had cod with mashed potatoes and scallops with asparagus risotto. The scallops were nice but the fish was so bland we switched our side dishes to add some taste. Although we ordered a bottle of wine we weren’t provided with the customary carafe of water but were forced to order bottled water. Very un-French. Service was quick despite the crowd. On the whole we found L’Institut to be too expensive for the quality offered.

Bruno is perfect owner of this excellent and very well located Bistro in Nancy . The carte is changed every week .Fish , meat , salads , everything is fresh and well prepared. A perfect epitome of French bistro

This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. A local bistro 10 minutes walk from Place Stanislas which was recommended by our hotel. Friendly and accommodating host with some English and good recommendations. The menu was on a large slate board and a broad but not extensive selection which one would expect for a bistro. The food was superb. Rabbit and liver terrine and eggs poached in a thick rich red wine sauce for starters and duck leg and veal kidneys in cream sauce for main. Good wine selection. Three substantial courses and a good bottle of wine for two for 95 Euros. Would go back tomorrow night if we were not leaving. We were the only tourists there.

Finding ourselves hungry after an exhausting tour of the nearby historical museum (Musée Lorrain), we decided to have lunch at this small welcoming bistro located in the old city and that served traditional food. And we were not disappointed. Choosing from dishes listed on a moveable blackboard was a dilemma, as there was such a variety.We finally elected to have a classic as our starter: fine slabs of foie gras made in-house – marbled and firm and accompanied by a sweet but tangy jelly. I followed this with a confit de canard (duck). My spouse thoroughly enjoyed the tripe he ordered – a dish not always available in many eateries - that had been simmered with various vegetables and was delicately spiced. After such heavy entrées accompanied with glasses of delicious white wine, we had no more room for dessert but instead finished with a ‘noisette’: espresso with just a hint of milk to help us with our onward journey. One sour note: as in many Parisian restaurants, the tables here are much too close to each other. We could hear what the people on my right were talking about and could almost reach onto their plates. Thank goodness no one sat on the banquette on my left, or I would not have known where to put my voluminous bag!

Just had an amazing lunch at this beautiful bistro. Crowds of locals tell you it is good place to be. We had confit of duck and a dish of grilled white fish - both meals were superbly presented and tasted even better than they looked! With a small beer and a 50 cl of white wine the cost of 43€ was a price well worth paying.Friendly efficient service.