Duck in the Meudon Forest

I suppose everyone has seen ducks in the wild... but have you ever eaten roasted duck in a hidden restaurant in the forest? When Aaron first started biking in Paris, he told me that he would often pass a restaurant that apparently had duck roasting on an open fire. I asked him to tell me more about this magical duck restaurant and asked him excitedly if we should go! To my delight, he was on board with trying it out. So one Saturday afternoon we made the bike ride to La Mare aux Canards.

The ride itself was pleasant, going along the Seine and bike path for most of the way.

Our starting point was our apartment in the 4th arrondissement, so we just had to bike through some small streets to get to the Quai de la Seine and then when we passed through the 15th we were on some roads for a bit. For Aaron, it was a very easy and routine ride for him. For me, it was a pleasant ride, the only tough part is there are a couple hills along the way. The biggest climb is right when you enter the Meudon forest. I had to stop near the top because I couldn't make it the full way. Then going back to our apartment was mostly downhill so even better after you've just eaten a full meal.

The restaurant itself was scenic. Settled right in the forest, it has an earthy feel to it.

You can opt for inside or outside seating. We tried outside, even though it was a little chilly in March. We started with Charcuterie and of course ordered the duck. The food was tasty and it was a good excuse to get out and go for a ride. Of course you could come here by car.... but where's the adventure in that?

A note from Aaron on the ride -

Follow the Seine out to the 15th, from there you get to pick your poison. No matter what you do you have to climb a bit to get to the top of Meudon. The route we chose is the longer but more gradual Clamart climb, 3.5km @ 3.5% average. If you're feeling spicy you can go with the infamous La Muerte, only 1.4km but 7.8% average. For the return you can drop back down and follow the quai bike path back to the center of Paris.

GPX File