Our Guide to Paris: Racines




Founding chef Pierre Jancou has moved on, but the roots remain. New chef Renaud Marcille is bringing a touch of elegance to the product-driven, market cooking, served, as always, with natural wine, inside the city’s oldest covered passage.
Practical information
Address: 8 passage des Panoramas, 75002
Nearest transport: Grands Boulevards (8,9)
Hours: Closed Sunday, Closed Saturday
Reservations: Book a few days in advance
Telephone: 01 40 13 06 41
View a map of all of our restaurants here.
Average price for lunch: 35-49€
Average price for dinner: 35-49€
Style of cuisine: Classic French, French bistro
Special attributes: prix-fixe, market-based cooking, prestige ingredients, open Monday
Type of crowd: hipsters, foodies, neighborhood locals
Interior: bare bones & minimal
Atmosphere: casual
Trusted reviews
- François-Régis Gaudry (2012) “Fouettée au sang neuf de Renaud Marcille, trentenaire arrivé cet été après 4 ans comme sous-chef chez Alain Senderens et quelques saisons en tant que chef de partie au Meurice. Le petit gars en a suffisamment sous le capot pour piloter du bout des doigts une assiette bistrotière dans l’esprit originel du lieu, tout en mettant des coups d’accélérateur à vous décrocher la mâchoire. Deux plats, deux sensations fortes.”
- Chrisos (2011) “Je garde un bon souvenir de mon chapon, même si les légumes sont trop beurrés…Le reste n’était pas mal, mais pas marquant…Ce n’est pas désagréable, mais c’est cher pour ce que c’est.”
- Food Intelligence (2011) “La patte agile de ce chef, nouveau venu, dans le monde de la cuisine “nature” apporte quelques reliefs aussi inattendus que bienvenus.”
- Food Intelligence (2010) “David Lanher le nouveau propriétaire du Racines vient de s’adjoindre les services de Nicolas Gauduin en cuisine. 26 ans à peine, pour cet ancien de l’Arpège, du Laurent et du Divellec. Il pratique une cuisine de belle qualité ou les produits (réputation de cette maison de cuisine) sont travaillés en humilité et avec gourmandises.”
- The Guardian (2010) “…evangelical about vins naturels.”
- Thierry Richard (2010) “Pierre Jancou a cédé son affaire pour filer sous d’autres soleils, mais l’équipe est restée et tient la maison solidement arrimée à son excellente réputation…”
- Meg Zimbeck (2009) “Whatever Jancou does next…I’ll be there…”
- Emmanuel Rubin – Figaroscope (2009) “Nouvelle équipe pour cette cave à manger mais toujours une bobine très jadis et naguère, des fioles militant le vin nature, une popote brut de terroir, un accueil plus ou moins épidermique, une addition pas franchement popu et l’impassible allant du passage des Panos. On aime encore !”
- David Lebovitz (2008) “…one of the best places I’ve eaten in Paris in a long time.”
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just to keep things up to date – stopped into Racines for lunch today and was completely impressed (note I have not eaten there before, so I can’t compare it to back then).
Service was great, food was fab. We started with the razor clams (large portion) and the mozzarella. Followed with the (beer-fed) beef. They don’t ask how you want it – and i wouldn’t have offerred up an opinion if they did as I assume they know best. The meat comes out very rare, tender & tasty. They offered some good suggestions on the wines.
One thing I did note: there’s not a fixed price lunch menu…so it could turn out to be a pricey lunch if you want to get the good stuff!
(entrees were 10 – 14, mains: 22? – 34)
I find Racines too expensive, and last time I ate there the mains were too greasy (and/but very good)