Soupe de poisson au safran saffron, red mullet, shellfish  rouille croûton

For a Wednesday night, this place was happening.  I guess I should have known that it would be, from a few previous failed attempts to book at short notice.  Entering from the street, you essentially step straight into the bar.  There were quite a few people milling around at the bar, and a queue to get my coat into the coat check.  A quick scan of the taps revealed eight or so draft beers are available, including Bitter & Twisted and Levibonds.  A later peek at the wine list suggested the cellar focuses squarely on Rhone and Burgundy.  Walking through the restaurant we were seated close to the open kitchen, at one of a set of 3 tables for couples, comprising a running banquette and chair at each table.  We felt incredibly close to our neighbours (to the lady on my right, FYI if the guy you are dating is still maintaining a "single" status on Facebook, then you're not a couple).  The environment can be a little noisy, and if you are seated next to other diners who are a bottle or two down already, this could spoil your evening somewhat.  However, there were many enticing options available on the menu, with specialities in seafood, chacuterie and sausage - but we had come for the burger.  It may seem like a waste to some, with such an expansive menu of refined items on offer, but we'd heard that the burger was worth a look, or even a taste.  So this is what we had promised ourselves.  But like even the best of plans, this one was subject to change.

Steak frites - sirloin with sauce béarnaise, served with pommes frites

Earlier in the evening, while I was making my way through my second half pint of beer (all beers are half pints, and served in a slightly bizarrely shaped glass that makes the last quarter potentially hazardous to drink), a neighbour's main course of steak was placed upon the her table.  This is when my personal plan changed.  The delicious waft of sizzling beef filled my nostrils.  I was hooked.  My partner ordered Soupe de poisson au safran to start, which was pretty much a bouillabaisse by another name.  This apparently delivered all that it should.  A delicate broth, healthily stocked with chunks of red mullet, prawn and mussel.  I supped my beer, saving room for all the beef I could possibly manage.  Incidentally, I didn't care for the Levibonds.  It was a little too dark of flavour, with an after taste that lingered a little longer than I invited it to.

Yankee burger

Our main courses arrived, both accompanied with fantastic pommes frites, obviously fried in the hottest of fats.  Crispy, and heavily seasoned, they were the perfect accomplice to our chunks of beef.  My partner stuck to the plan, and plumped for the Yankee Burger - grilled beef patty with iceberg lettuce, tomato, sweet onion, sesame bun, and pickle.  Ordered medium, this is a medium you will only find in the bravest of Yankee establishments (Corner Bistro, West Greenwich, NYC springs to mind as a notable example).  Such a delicate, melt in the mouth patty, was worth braving the mid week media floozies.  My steak lived up to expectations.  Fantastically seasoned, perfectly grilled with just the right amount of charring, I took my time cutting against the grain and savouring every mouthful.  Also on the plate was something that resembled a mini Caesar salad in some respects.  Garnished with some inexplicably delicious crispy onions or shallots (I'm afraid I'm not sure which), it was a welcome change from the thicker textures of beef and potato.
There was no room, for anything other than a coffee to finish.  Bar Boulud is definitely worth a trip.  If there's a next time, I'd love to see what the charcuterie is all about.  Or maybe the massive crab who spent the evening beadily eyeing us from his bed of ice.  Just try and make sure you don't get seated next to the louder variety restaurant goer for the best experience possible.