At Somerville's Café Saint Germain, the chef talks to his French onion soup

Boston Globe

18-04-2025

'I fell in love right away with the city, on the very first day, the European charm. It was older, a small town with big-city energy,' he recalls.
He happened upon
He went on to open well-regarded bistros such as
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Assorted cured meats at Café Saint-Germain in Somerville.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
'I can't help but to open restaurants, I don't know what's wrong with me,' he says, amiably.
The Café Saint-Germain location was formerly called PRB Boulangerie, but Le Garrec decided to pivot to a café and restaurant instead, complete with a liquor license, obtained last year. This reiteration opened in January, with drinks.
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'Once we got a legal license, it was a great start. It's a good location. There's a lot of people walking from Harvard and Inman Square, day and night, with a nice wine shop across the street — and Dali, the Spanish restaurant that's been there forever,' he says. 'At first, we had a hard time. We didn't make enough noise here when we opened with social media, and I didn't do much publicity. I think people are still discovering us.'
Beef bourguignon at Café Saint-Germain in Somerville.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Plenty of people have, though; on a recent weekday lunchtime visit, the sunny space is full of folks who appear to have nowhere special to go.
What to eat
: Wander to the chalkboard and browse the day's wares: The café opens at 7 a.m. daily, with baked goods like croissants and brownies brought in from Le Garrec's PRB Boulangerie in Kendall Square, and then rolls into lunchtime with ham and cheese baguettes; brie slathered with cranberry jam; and smoked salmon. Soon, he'll begin to serve brunch in a box, ideal for picnics: pastries, eggs, bacon, orange juice, and coffee.
'It's a cool concept that's been working really well in Paris lately,' he says, the brainchild of 28-year-old chef Samuel Aizier, who trained in Belgium and France. Le Garrec brought him over from his late, lamented South End restaurant, Marseilles, a place that Le Garrec, then stretched thin with many restaurants, still waxes nostalgic for.
Restaurateur Loic Le Garrec sits at a table in his new Somerville restaurant, Café Saint-Germain.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
At 4 p.m., dinner commences: escargot, coq au vin, the beef bourguignon, steak frites, and his personal favorite: French onion soup.
'It's to die for. The chef cooks it with little brandy, a little white wine, some of these bone sauces that he makes. I think he talks to the onions while they're simmering,' he says.
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On Monday and Tuesday nights, dip in for $38 unlimited French small plates, like beef tartare and mushroom croquettes.
A selection of tapas showcases Café Saint-Germain's French-influenced small plates in Somerville.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
What to drink
: A vast swath of French wines; chalkboard specials like boulevardiers and a fig old-fashioned; plus lattes, cappuccinos, and double espressos, available hot or iced.
The takeaway
: A hospitable, civilized neighborhood sanctuary that's settling into a groove. A free parking lot next door sweetens the scene.
118 Beacon St., Somerville,
Kara Baskin can be reached at