This sweet little restaurant is a sparkling addition to the already glutted east Paris gastronomic scene. It has everything I want in a neighborhood joint – a warm welcome, reasonable prices and, for the moment, relative ease of snagging a reservation. But beneath the casual appearance, this is actually a very serious restaurant.
French food magazine Fulgurances opened L’Adresse in 2015 as a culinary incubator featuring a rotating cast of guest chefs. In 2016, we were blown away by the food of Israeli chef Tamir Nahmias. More recently, we returned for Mariana Villegas, a young Mexican chef who previously passed through Cosme and Union Square Café in New York. Her cooking is bright and inventive. Here's an update on what's happening at Fulgurances.
La Buvette, opened in 2013, is perhaps the most stylish and intimate wine bar of its generation in Paris. Its Lilliputian confines are the size of the average e-cigarette shop, and yet manage to contain four small tables, a thin zinc bar, a prep kitchen, and in the rear, an authoritative-looking wine fridge. Scrawled on a wall-mounted mirror is the menu: a rotating array of highbrow nibbles, ranging from orange-zested white broad beans in olive oil to thick-cut nubs of andouille au lard, or intestine sausage laced with lardo.
I waited a long time before giving Robert a try. This restaurant from the team behind Martin (Loïc Martin & Edouard Bergeon) opened in February 2018, but early word-of-mouth reviews were very mixed. A common refrain was "it's expensive for what it is."
Fresh off Paris’ greatest resto reboot of recent years - transforming the defunct destination Restaurant Bones into the beloved seven-day mainstay Restaurant Jones - chef-restaurateur Florent Ciccoli doubled down on the Voltaire neighborhood in late 2017, opening Café du Coin with the aid of frequent collaborator Greg Back (L’Orillon, Les Pères Populaires).
Le 6 Paul Bert had a brief closure followed by several different chefs and menu makeovers. We’re not sure what’s going on over there right now, but will update this description after another visit. Here’s what we wrote about the first incarnation:
Le Rigmarole opened in October 2017 and delighted me more than any other restaurant that year. A recent return visit confirmed my feeling that Le Rigmarole is honest, inexpensive and delicious. It's casual and a bit chaotic, and it deserves to be packed every night.
Great natural wines by the glass, fresh well-prepared food, and congenial service at this simple bistro near Bastille.
Septime currently holds the #1 ranking in our list of our favorite Tasting Menus under 100€. First, the bad news: you’re probably not going to get into Septime. Not unless you’re willing to call exactly three weeks before your desired reservation, and probably not even then. I hesitated in keeping Septime at #1 because of this difficulty, and also because my visits in 2015-2016 were fine but not great. However, a return visit in 2017 has left no doubt in my mind that Septime is still the best contemporary tasting menu in Paris. In particular, a dish of lobster with earthy boudin noir and tart wild strawberries provided a mind-bending and delicious jolt to every diner at our table. Beverage pairings are consistently brilliant, leaning heavily toward natural wines but without the ill-chosen funk we often encounter elsewhere. If you can’t get in, don’t despair – any of these other favorite tasting menus will treat you right. You can also visit Septime’s sister restaurant Clamato next door.
This simple bistro has for years been a favorite among wine lovers, who arrive hoping to plumb the depths of Rodolphe Paquin’s cellar. Whether you taste something from the carte, or persuade Paquin to share an off-list treasure from his cave, wine is undoubtedly the highlight of any experience here. Paquin’s terrines are also extraordinary. He’s written a book about the subject and sells them whole in ceramic crocks to go. In autumn and winter, this is the place to go for wild game. Everything else here is pretty average, except for the service, which is atrocious. Two different tables stormed out during my most recent visit. What saves the experience for some is the joyful welcome from Paquin, the affable host (some ladies might say too affable) who greats regulars like long lost friends. Since I’ve been coming for years, I get a squeeze and a smile but still suffer through the terrible service… no one is safe. Visitors to Paris who can’t cite a winemaker connection or who haven’t yet been introduced will most likely be ignored and wondering why we’ve included this on our site. We’ve included it to reclassify Le Repaire de Cartouche as a great place to sit at the bar without reservations, order wine with a slab of terrine, and wait for your table to open up at Au Passage. It’s still great fun as a wine bar, even if it can no longer deliver as a restaurant.
Address: 25 rue Chanzy, 75011
Nearest transport: Rue des Boulets (9), Charonne (9)
Hours: Open every day from 8am-7pm
Telephone: 01 55 87 21 40
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Paris Bouge (2016) “L’incroyable (inégalable même!) chocolat chaud aux notes biscuitées et pralinées, la tablette «grand cru» au lait et noisettes, l’entremet noisettes avec crème de noisettes, ganache gianduja nappé d’une couche chocolat/amande. Vous le sentez ce goût de l’enfance? Addictif, sucré et craquant, lacté et boisé, c’est l’obsession de Cyril Lignac.”
Table à Découvert (2016) “Sur place, j’ai pu déguster le chocolat chaud de la maison qui n’évoquait rien de ce que je connaissais… En fait, il s’agit d’un mélange de chocolats, dont un au lait aux accents biscuités. Pas trop épais et assez sucré, il nous fait bien entrer dans l’univers gustatif de cette chocolaterie qui me fait aussitôt penser à ma lecture enfant de Charlie et la Chocolaterie.”
Le Figaro (2016) “A découvrir aussi, cinq barres chocolatées (5€) au caramel biscuité lait ou noix de coco/framboise, revisitant le Twix, le Bounty ou le Snickers. Côté pâtisseries (entre 3 et 6€), un large éventail de tarte au chocolat, éclair, caraïbes, entremets noisettes, muffin, brownie, brioche tonka, roulé choco-orange, tigré chocolat, cookie choco-caramel ou encore macarons. Sans oublier la chocolatine! Un petit paradis pour Charlie.”
Atabula (2016) “La Chocolaterie de Cyril Lignac n’est pas qu’une boutique. Elle se veut surtout être une étape où les « chocoholics » prennent le temps de savourer leur ingrédient préféré. On peut y siroter un chocolat chaud tout en dévorant un muffin tout chocolat sur une grande table d’hôtes.”
Photo via La Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac’s Facebook page
Address: 114 rue Amelot, 75011
Nearest transport: Filles du Calvaire (8), Oberkampf (5, 9)
Hours: Closed Monday & Tuesday; Open Wednesday-Sunday for lunch & dinner
Reservations: Book a few weeks in advance
Telephone: 01 43 55 87 35
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Eater (2017) Alexander Lobrano includes this in his roundup of 38 Essential Paris Restaurants, saying that “the menu changes according to the season and the chef’s inspiration, but you have to order anything with Banka trout and the veal sweetbreads, if they’re on the menu. One way or another, it’s consistently a stand-out showcase of the best casual contemporary French cooking in town.”
Eater (2016) Ryan Sutton calls this “the most thrilling restaurant in Paris” and recommends ordering the veal brain.” You won’t find anything more exciting, innovative, fun, or (literally) cerebral.”
Le Fooding (2015) says that “Sota Atsumi (ex-Vivant Table) does double duty as a contortionist in the marionette-sized kitchen to the delight of curious diners. The evening of our visit: a striking meager ceviche with cilantro and bottarga; shredded tourteau crab with feta in a tomato gazpacho bath; foie gras with smoked eel and button mushrooms. And for game lovers, an incredible pigeon from Mesquer with smoked herbs and sautéed potatoes, or a juicy and rare duck and foie gras pithiviers sweetened by a date jam.”
TimeOut (2014) says “The short, seasonal menu doesn’t do descriptions, just lists ingredients in that contemporary style, so if you’re unsure or queasy about some of the more adventurous parts of French cuisine, get the staff to help you out. Another thing to note before ordering is that the portions – including the opening ‘snacks’ – are extremely generous.” They add that “Clown Bar isn’t a cheap and cheerful bistro, but it is something rather special – original cooking in a historic location from a powerhouse team – and it’s open on Sundays.”
The Financial Times (2014) says “this listed 1902 clown-themed wonder, with its ornate glass ceiling, painted wall tiles and original zinc bar, transports you to a different era… The staff are warm, welcoming and knowledgeable and the list is perfectly curated, including bottles specially created for the group such as a delicious pétillant naturel from Le Petit Domaine de Gimios.”
John Talbott (2014) calls this “A great resuscitation of a grand old lady.”
Alexander Lobrano (2014) says that the “turbot with razor-shell clams, white asparagus and rhubarb in salted butter was one of the most satisfying dishes I’ve had for a long time, since the product was impeccable and the constellation of tastes made sense on the palate but was pushed just off-center enough by the rhubarb to be unexpected.”
Address: 159 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75011
Nearest transport: Faidherbe-Chaligny (8), Ledru-Rollin (8)
Hours: Open Monday-Saturday 9am-10pm, Sunday 10am-10pm
Reservations: Walk-ins welcome, but book a day or two in advance for lunch or dinner
Telephone: 01 43 46 10 14
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 20-39€
Style of cuisine: Italian
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Le Nouvel Observateur (2016) “Son restaurant Capucine, ouvert l’été dernier, compte déjà parmi les meilleures tables italiennes de Paris. Stefania Melis est l’une des chefs de file d’une nouvelle génération de chefs transalpins.”
HiP Paris (2015) “The doors stay open all day, serving light dishes like a fresh tomato soup, carpaccio with arugula and parmesan, or ricotta and cherry tomato bruschetta. Stop by in the afternoon for a relaxed summer lunch or early in the eveningto savor Italian charcuterie and cheese plates with a glass of prosecco. For a little something sweet, don’t overlook the simple vanilla and apricot panna cotta. The café only offers smaller sharing plates and closes at 9pm, making it a good pick for an apéro before dinner”
Le Fooding (2015) “Where in Paris can you savor… a supremely fresh sea bream carpaccio with cherries, drizzled with Cédric Casanova’s Sicilian olive oil, and served with a glass of Filippi Soave? Bite into incomparable, perfectly seasoned polpette in a sauce made with real tomatoes, while sipping on an ethereal glass of Montepulciano Cirelli? Rediscover the vanilla flavor of an ingenuous panna cotta with chopped peaches?”
Le Figaro (2015) “Un lieu décontracté dans lequel on vient apprécier lasagnes, panino, raviolis, fromages et charcuteries.”
Paris Bouge (2015) “Sur une carte bien éclectique ne laissant aucun incontournable italien au dépourvu (si ce n’est la pizza!), on retrouve entre autres: panino, lasagnes, raviolis, fromages et charcuteries. Ce jour-là on opte pour les polpette al sugo, juteuses boulettes de viande et ricotta, à la sauce tomate gorgée de soleil, puis parsemées de parmesan, voilà une simplicité des plus resplendissantes.”
Time Out (2015) “Le Caffè dei Cioppi est mort, vive Capucine! Voilà un mal pour un bien. A la place du très regretté resto italien du faubourg Saint-Antoine, une délicieuse caffetteria à la mode transalpine a vu le jour, au mois de juillet.”
A Nous Paris (2015) “Même esprit italo-rustique, même précision. Soupe de tomate froide (6€) – épais et savoureux –, polpette al sugo ou boulettes de veau à la sauce tomate (15€) – frais -, panna cotta aux brugnons (6€) – soyeux. Les vins – gentillets – suivent, sans plomber la note, à l’instar du montepulciano d’abruzzo de Cirelli (4€), et le café (2,20€) ponctue en beauté cette dînette.”
Photo via Capucine’s Facebook page
Small plates and natural wine from Florent Ciccoli, the owner of Café du Coin and Cheval d'Or. Formerly known as Bones, Ciccoli changed the name when chef James Henry departed and the offer became more simple and casual. The wine bar up front is a great place to gather and nibble with friends.
Address: 118 rue Amelot, 75011
Nearest transport: Filles du Calvaire (8), Oberkampf (5, 9)
Hours: Closed Sunday; Open Monday-Saturday for lunch & dinner
Reservations: Book a couple days in advance
Telephone: 01 47 00 90 18
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 40-59€
Style of cuisine: Modern French, Argentinean
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Paris Bouge (2016) “De la côte de bœuf à partager pour deux, ris de veau ou Saint-Jacques jusqu’au duo langoustine et pomme de terres, la braise nourrie au feu de bois enflamme les assiettes à presque tous les coups! Et quand la flamme argentine s’estompe, on s’extasie devant un millefeuille au foie gras et anguille fumée d’anthologie : gras onctueux et fumaison fusionnent et s’électrifient à coups de pickles de betterave et d’un condiment agrumes.”
Le Figaro (2016) “Cœur de bœuf fumé, déclinaison de topinambours: étonnant! Carré de sanglier, salsifis grillés, noisettes: charpenté. Tartelette aux pommes, camomille, citron vert: charmante variation de texture.”
Le Fooding (2015) “On the lunch menu when we were there: an impeccable venison and hazelnut terrine surrounded by cornichons; perfectly cooked line-caught bass with an anchovy and bergamot emulsion that was as fresh as summer dew, enlivened by pink and green radishes; and a fairytale ending with the marriage of chestnut and a fromage blanc ice cream, which was a little over-the-top in terms of presentation.”
Photo via Biondi’s Facebook page
Address: 14 Rue Mondétour, 75001
Hours: Closed Sunday; Open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner
Reservations: Book a day or two in advance
Telephone: 01 42 61 37 17
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These reviews concern the old location in St-Germain before the restaurant moved to Les Halles
John Talbott (2014) “Star food without star prices… the sum total result was spectacular.”
Figaroscope (2014) “… une gastronomie de bourgeoisie éclairée, concentrée sur une courte carte dont les recettes se confortent au classicisme (sauces friandes, pâtisseries pâtissières) tout en se conformant au contemporain (cuissons ténues, aromatiques transversales, manières minaudes). Bref, avec pudeur et application, une adresse très Saint-Germain-du-frais.”
This shop sells organic fruits and vegetables direct from small farms, many of them local.
A small, thoughtful collection of natural wines lines the wall at this Oberkampf shop, where you can snack on charcuterie and cheese while enjoying a bottle, at zero corkage. There's more space at the second location, in the 20th.
An alimentation génerale turned beer shrine, this tiny shop still carries convenience food alongside its floor-to-ceiling shelves of good beer. A refrigerated case promises cold beer to go, and the shop is open until very late on weeknights, just in case.
Baker Alexandre Chavin's baguette finished 3rd in the 2012 Grand Prix de la Baguette.
This charming cookbook store also holds workshops and classes.
