Meet the Owner: Mathieu Couratin of Le P'tit Paris Bistro

Windsor Terrace has plenty by way of bagels and quick breakfast stops, but when you're in the mood to slow down and savor a taste of the old country, look no further than Le P'tit Paris Bistro, run by longtime friends Mathieu Couratin and Olivier Jouannard.

Coming to America

Couratin and Jouannard met in the kitchens of France when they were just 15-years-old, already hard at work learning the trade that would become their lives.  

When the siren song of New York's culinary scene beckoned to Jouannard a few years later, it wasn't long before Couratin joined him. That was 12 years ago, and the two have been working side by side ever since. 

“We find a place, usually a French place, and they often need more than one French cook,” Couratin told Patch. "One thing just leads to another." 

A resident of Jersey City, Couratin has made his mark in restaurants all over New York—including at the East Village's Flea Market Cafe and the Upper West Side's Bistro Cassis and Bistro Citron.

After spending years in the kitchens of others, the pair eventually decided they were ready to strike out on their own. They opened their current space at 256 Prospect Ave. in 2009, and have been feeding the community ever since.

“Since it’s a family-oriented bistro, we mostly get people from the neighborhood," Couratin said, adding that keeping a dedicated customer base happy is one of the particular challenges of the job. 

"Every time a customer comes back, it has to be as good as the last time—or even better," he said.  

Culinary Classics

Though only 30-years-old, Couratin's menu favors traditional French fare—Escargots Maitre d’hôtel ($13) and Steak Tartare ($9) are menu stalwarts, though Couratin cites the Lamb Shank ($16) and Filet de Sole ($13) as his personal favorites (besides wine and dessert, he notes).  

Like the menu itself, the interior of Le P'tit Paris Bistro is homey and comfortable, with linen napkins on the tables and black and white photos of familiar French landmarks lining the walls.

“We’re pretty much the only authentic French restaurant in the neighborhood,” he said. "We’re trying to follow what people are looking for—price wise, food wise, while staying within our vision of French food as well."

Looking Forward

The restaurant is now in its third year of business, and while Couratin said he hopes to someday expand, he's happy with the way business is going. 

"They say the first year is the hardest, that that’s when most restaurants close—we’re still open," he said. ""We’re still open after three years."