Probably Beijing's best seafood restaurant

My review title is printed on their door, which to me was a good sign to begin with--someone who claims to "probably" be the best are usually more accurate than those that claim to BE the best.

We weren't overly hungry and didn't order a lot, so I can only comment on the fries and the boullabaise, but they were both top-notch. The large order of fries were hand cut and big like "steak fries". Perfectly done. We also really liked the sauce bar; I'm not sure why some of the reviewers were complaining about this. They offer a dozen or more different flavored sauces, mayos, and pestos. It was a very nice touch.

The boullabaise was 108RMB for a huge bowl, plenty big for two. It was very good and they didn't skimp on the seafood. In fact, it included the biggest prawn I've ever seen in Beijing. That monster alone made it worth the price.

One of the owners/managers was present and he was very hands-on and a gracious host, despite being, I think, French. That probably explains why the boullabaise was pretty authentic.

The atmosphere was nice and cozy; it's a rather intimate room but they got the ambience right. By the way, we weren't required to pay until I requested our bill. If they did once have a policy of collecting at the time of ordering, as some reviews mentioned, they've apparently done away with it.

I don't know if we'll find future visits to be as satisfying, but for now at least it's vaulted into our Top 5 list.