Des Huîtres à Paris: Brasserie Bofinger

As a lover off all varieties of oysters, I was thrilled to explore what tasty bivalves could be sampled in the City of Lights. Strolling down the Rue de la Bastille, a window display caught my eye. Magnificent heaps of silvery and green-layered shells, long and irregular tidal-shaped wonders—like piles of quartz and granite stones—nestled in their simple wood crates, called to me. Oo-la-la!

The oyster bar I stumbled upon, Brasserie Bofinger, is a traditional brasserie with white tablecloths and Belle Epoch décor including tufted bench seats and beveled mirrors. In operation since 1864, they were advertising specials celebrating their 150th year of operation. 

Were they open? Mais non. It seems I arrived between lunch and dinner, but that didn’t stop me from sticking my head in the street-side storage and prep area and attempting to speak with someone about their oysters.

As best as I could tell—my high school French classes didn’t cover oysters—they were offering three types of gigas in several sizes (2,3,4). The Speciales Gillardeau were described as “meatier and less salty" with a taste of hazelnut; and the Fines de Claires are supposedly sweet and salty. I say supposedly because—although friendly—they didn’t crack one open for me to try. I snapped photos of the boxes to see more details about the origins. The menu also lists Speciales Grand Crus de Normandie.

Research tells me that “claire refined oysters” spend varying amounts of time in "claires"—special refinement basins—where the shallow brackish water is rich in phytoplankton and microscopic algae. This brackish water adds a sweetish, aromatic, and rich flavor to the meat.

To read more on these oysters, check out this informative site: L'Affinage en Claires: The Quest for the Perfect Oyster! by John McCabe.

One last thing about Brasserie Bofinger: I loved seeing the dented metal serving plates piled upside down on stainless steel shelves, like squashed pork pie hats waiting to be filled with ice and oysters.

Lucky for me, I found a place near my hotel that evening to enjoy a large selection of oysters from France. More in my next post!