Le Coq & Fils

A whole bird arrives as the centre of the table at Le Coq & Fils. The restaurant treats poultry with the attention more often given to a steakhouse’s cuts, using different breeds and kinds of bird to create a menu with real choices within a single theme. On rue Lepic, close to the upper Montmartre streets, it offers a substantial meal with a much clearer identity than a generic neighbourhood brasserie.

Broth-poached, spit-roasted poultry

Antoine Westermann’s method begins before roasting. The birds are slowly poached in broth, then finished on the spit, bringing together moist meat, browned skin and a concentrated cooking jus. Named breeds and the farms behind them are central to the menu. A Coucou de Rennes, Gascon rooster or guinea fowl represents a different table decision, with the size of the bird and the number sharing as relevant as the headline price.

Whole birds are not the only way to order. Individual portions make the kitchen accessible to a smaller appetite or a table whose members want different dishes. The current menu includes quarter chicken alongside other poultry preparations. Starters extend the theme through liver terrine, confit gizzards and offal-filled empanadas, while vegetable-led plates offer a different opening to the meal.

Side dishes and the Rue Lepic dining room

The accompaniments deserve their own place in the order. House fries, macaroni gratin, potato purée and seasonal vegetables make it possible to build the meal around the bird rather than choose a fixed sequence of courses. Poultry broth is used in some preparations, including the purée, so a vegetable side is not automatically suitable for a vegetarian guest. Confit garlic and jus complete the shared roast without requiring an elaborate presentation at every stage.

The room is compact and contemporary, with pale stone walls, dark seating and a view towards the kitchen in part of the restaurant. It suits a planned lunch after the nearby museum or an evening devoted to food. Desserts continue the cooking-led approach, from vanilla île flottante to seasonal fruit with caramelised brioche. The result is a Montmartre restaurant worth choosing for the meal itself, with the hill’s landmarks providing the walk before or after it.