NAPOLEON DINED HERE!

 

NAPOLEON DINED HERE!

In 2000 on our way to Washington, I and my colleague broke journey for a day for a rapid tour of Paris, a city which neither of us had visited.

After checking into the hotel, we took a quick shower and headed for the city, where we boarded an open-to-sky bus for a group tour of four hours of the major sights of the city. When the tour finished at a city square, it was time for lunch.

We had eaten a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel and weren’t particularly hungry, but noted that the restaurants were filled with diners having a leisurely lunch over wine or beer.

‘How about lunch? Since we’d hang about the town till evening, why don’t we take a bite and then resume our sight-seeing?’ I said. My colleague agreed. We looked for a restaurant which was not too crowded and could serve us promptly. We didn’t plan to spend hours at lunch.

Let’s go in there, I said. 
‘Why? What’s special about that one?’
‘Read the signage.’
The bill-board announced in big, bold letters, ‘NAPOLEON DINED HERE!’

We went in. The interior was painted in bright red, possibly to proclaim its heritage, but was forlorn, with only a few tables occupied. Even the few guests who were dining didn’t seem thrilled about their meal. The high and mighty of France, and even regular tourists, no longer seemed to favour the joint.

The server led us to a table towards the back of the restaurant. Can we take this one, please, I asked, pointing at a table near the entrance and with a view of the busy road and the promenade? Sure, he said, though with some reluctance and visible annoyance.

Menu, please?
There, on your table, was his curt reply.
He had guessed that the two gentlemen unaccompanied by ladies were unlikely to spend much at lunch.

We picked up the flyer, as thin as the paper napkins on the table and looking rather cheap, and scanned the menu. Each item was prohibitively expensive, and even a modest meal comprising an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, excluding drinks, would cost at least €30 per head, which was way beyond our budget. Let’s have a beer and a sandwich each, I suggested. That would cost €28 for both of us, still rather expensive, yet cheaper than a larger meal.

We placed the order, which took quite some time to arrive. Waiting to be served, I read the little write up on the back of the flyer which told that Le Procope, Brasserie is the ‘Oldest Café and Restaurant in Paris, fonde en (Founded in) 1686, and Napoleon had dined at this restaurant. No history book might have recorded if Napoleon had indeed dined at this restaurant, but which tourist had time or inclination to do a fact check? Back at home, they’d have the bragging rights to tell family and friends of having dined in an ancient heritage restaurant at Paris!

The server brought the beer and the sandwich together; the beer being tepid and the sandwich rather soggy and slim, provoking my friend to observe that the sandwich might even be from Napoleon’s era. We munched it willy-nilly and guzzled our beer fast to end the frugal lunch and resume our sight-seeing.

When we finished, I beckoned the server for the cheque, with which he was ready. We were economy diners, and he wanted us out as fast as possible. I settled the bill (joint expense, joint accounting), leaving behind a ten percent tip with much disinclination owing to the below par food and the lousy ambience.

Before leaving, I asked the server, ‘May I keep a copy of your menu card, please?’ He pretended to be a bit startled, thought for a few seconds, and then bent down to whisper in my ear, ‘It is our policy not to give this to our customers, but for you I’ll make an exception,’ and he winked mischievously at me. I got he was much amused, and the Indian tourists who ate little and paid less than the fifteen percent tip he was expecting wanted a souvenir from the hallowed restaurant.

Since you plan to keep it as a souvenir, may I make a little correction, said my colleague, took out his pen and crossed from the banner headline one letter from a word, and putting a comma, scribbled a few words. 

The promo now read ‘NAPOLEON DIED HERE, after eating a sandwich!

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Note: 

• Author's profile may be seen at http://amazon.com/author/pkdash
• Books by this author are available on Amazon.in, Kindle eBook, Flipkart, and Notion Press, Chennai.

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