Au Petit Comptoir is a bistro in Reims with excellent food and an exciting wine list. It has a bit more modern design than the traditional bistros, both in the restaurant and on the plate.

When I think of a bistro in France I always picture the waiters with white shirts and black vests and a bit stiff atmosphere. This is not the case at Au Petit Comptoir. This 25 year old restaurant has managed to create a wonderful atmosphere and serve up some really wonderful dishes.

I am not used to special prices on wine, and definitely on vintage Champagne, but at Au Petit Comptoir they have a board with a selection of bottles for a really nice price. Usually the oldest champagnes are too expensive for us to enjoy out on restaurants, but here we got a good price on a bottle of Heidsieck & Co Monopole Champagne Diamant Bleu from 1985, and it was absolutely fantastic. It was a bit flat at the beginning (who wouldn´t be after almost 30 years in a bottle), but after a while it opened up and tasted like heaven. It went really well with the lobster soup that I ordered, but since it was so old and powerful, it also tasted great with the meat.

We had a wonderful time at Au Petit Comptoir. The kids enjoyed their special made pasta with shrimps and was comfortable placed in the sofa, still talking about the amazing Notre-Dame Cathedral we passed on the way here, and we loved every taste of both the food and the champagne.

Au Petit Comptoir has everything you need for a good experience, whether you decided to enjoy a lunch or dinner here. I love that the place isn´t too fancy, even if the quality of the food and drinks are.