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.
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:
NOW CLOSED
Former Au Passage bartender Löic Martin opened his eponymous bar-restaurant in late 2014 in the shell of a former PMU betting parlor, placing his money on sincere small-plates, a populist booze program, and a boldly central location. Over the course of a few years and a few conceptual tweaks, Martin the bar-restaurant has blossomed into a booming shabby-chic nightspot, the social anchor of the haute-Marais, one of the few wide terraces in Paris offering truly excellent cuisine at accessible prices.
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.
Le Villaret is one of our favorite Classic Bistros in Paris. Sometimes in life we chase after the ones who play hard-to-get and we ignore the nice, stable options who just want to treat us right. Le Villaret is the homely neighborhood bistro that I never appreciated until I stopped looking for love at Le Baratin and Le Repaire de Cartouche. Le Villaret boasts a wine list every bit as interesting, especially if you’re looking for a balanced mix of natural and conventional wines, and bottles are served without the side dish or distain that you’re likely to receive from those popular boys. Wine is definitely the attraction here, so decide first what you want to drink and then find something on the lengthy food menu to pair with your choice. On a recent visit, I pounced on a 2011 Chablis 1er Cru from Raveneau (80€) and enjoyed some lovely if not life-changing monkfish medallions in lobster sauce (30€). There’s also a three-course menu for only 35€, and plenty of moderately priced wines. For people who love wine and want to enjoy a special bottle (or four) and some classic bistro food, Le Villaret is currently one of most reliable options in town.
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.
Le Chateaubriand currently holds the #4 ranking in our list of our favorite Tasting Menus under 100€. You can only reserve for the first seating at Le Chateaubriand. After that, you’ll have to wait in line from 9pm for a stab at Iñaki Aizpitarte’s no-choice tasting menu, a parade of provocative flavor pairings that has landed the restaurant on San Pellegrino’s 50 Best list for several years running. Whether you love or hate this restaurant may depend on your affinity for natural wine and improvisational cooking. We have had brilliant meals here, where every delicious dish taught us something new. We have been outraged, and we have been indifferent. You never quite know what to expect here, and that’s part of the fun. Just be sure to go with omnivorous friends who share that outlook.
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.”
Clown Bar currently holds the #5 spot in our list of favorite restaurants for small sharable plates. The team from Saturne has taken over the historic bar near Cirque d’Hiver. The beautiful Belle Epoque space remains (tastefully) decorated with clowns, but the menu has been seriously revived by Sota Atsumi’s intriguing small plates. Wines are heavily natural, with good options by the glass as well as the bottle. Don’t expect to get a table without calling a couple of weeks in advance.
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:
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.”
Address: 43 rue Godefroy Cavaignac, 75011
Nearest transport: Voltaire (9)
Hours: Closed Saturday & Sunday; Open Monday-Friday from 8:30am-12am
Reservations: Walk-ins Welcome
Telephone: 09 80 75 32 08
E-mail: jonescaferestaurant@gmail.com
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 20-39€
Style of cuisine: Small plates
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Paris Bouge (2016) “Seul changement à l’horizon: l’australien chef-star James Henry plie bagage et passe sa toque à Florent Ciccoli, qu’il côtoie déjà son époque Au Passage. Jones garde tout de son cachet légèrement rock’n’roll: le vin nature encanaille les tablées désinvoltes, la lumière tamisée fait subsister un certain mystère, l’ambiance sonore atteint une intensité inattendue, et l’assiette, elle, s’est assagie mais préserve tout son mordant.”
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.”
It should come as no surprise that the Parisian craft beer pioneers behind La Fine Mousse bar would be the first to open a restaurant dedicated to beer and food pairings. Slightly more surprising is just how refined, inventive, and delicious the food here is. Knowledgeable beer sommeliers work closely with the talented chef to present an intelligent set of seasonal small plates, paired with beers from one of the 10 taps or the extensive bottle collection.
Amanda Boucher, an American who was well-known behind the bar at Candelaria, has opened up her own spot near the Cirque d’Hiver. Her cocktails are always intriguing and playful, but they’re not innovative just for the sake of being different, which is to say… they work. The Bloody Céleri, for example, is a fresh take on the savory classic Bloody Mary made with celery and a lingering spicy kick. The Reine Rouge with sherry, honey, orange, and rum, is another that’s royally good. Above all, the beverages here are balanced. Personal, too. On a recent visit, I enjoyed the clay mug that Herbaceous, an icy tequila, lillet, celery and suze cocktail, was served in and was told by the server that it was handcrafted by the bartender’s mother. The surprisingly long bar has several different rooms and ends up being quite spacious so that unlike Boucher’s former employer around the corner, it’s easy to get in (for now) and seats can reliably be found. You can count on listening to a great playlist or DJ, but also to being able to hear whoever you’re chatting with.
In an attempt to bring something different to the cocktail scene, Boucher and chef Lina Caschetto are playing around with cocktail and food pairings. It’s an ambitious idea that occasionally succeeds. It’s nice to see someone attempting something more creative than a jar of rillettes, like carrot or cauliflower pierogies(!), but the small plates are still primarily a pricey afterthought.
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.”
Tatiana Levha, formerly at L’Arpège and L’Astrance, and her sister Katia have opened up this light, airy bistro with a central bar & hand painted ceiling. The short list of offerings changes each day, but expect seasonally driven cuisine inflected with international touches like tandoori spiced beurre blanc atop asparagus or harissa to spice up the line caught hake. Dessert left room for improvement, but otherwise Le Servan had reasonably priced, expertly executed dishes and friendly service in a beautiful space.
Boasting the very best selection of craft beers on tap in Paris, as well as a bottle collection that brings the total offer up to 150 different beers, La Fine Mousse is certainly one of the city’s most well-stocked beer bars. It’s also one of the most expensive. French craft beers share real estate with lesser-known Belgians and German brews, with room left over for the USA, the Netherlands, and less-represented places like Norway and Italy to show off their brewing prowess. The meticulously curated beer list includes deep tracks from Brasserie St. Germain and Brewdog, and the descriptions (in French or English) will help you find just the beer you’re looking for. Serious beer geeks abound, the quiet atmosphere of the early evening eventually giving way to a lively party vibe as the social lubricant kicks in.
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.
Don’t let the multiple locations fool you into thinking that this is some kind of mediocre chain bakery: The breads at Kayser are excellent (ranked #1 on our list of Five Great Baguettes in Paris).
Across from his bistro Le Chardenoux, media-loving chef Cyril Lignac now has a pâtisserie in his roster.
This charming cookbook store also holds workshops and classes.
Make a pot of mint tea or strong black coffee and bite into these fragrant, sticky-sweet Algerian pastries.
The fact that it’s named for a Nick Cave song hints that this is a crêperie that’s cooler than most. Cool? Yes. And tasty.
The “bistrot” in question is carnivore-heaven Paul Bert, just next door. But at L’Ecailler the focus is on seafood, including a gorgeous array of Belon, Utah Beach, and Spéciales.
Address: 70 rue Alexandre Dumas, 75011
Nearest transport: Alexandre Dumas (2), Rue des Boulets (9)
Hours: Closed Sunday; Open Monday & Saturday for dinner only; Open Tuesday-Friday for lunch and dinner
Reservations: Book a day or two in advance
Telephone: 01 40 09 79 20
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 40-59€
Style of cuisine: Modern French
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John Talbott (2011) “…worth every rapidly disappearing Euro.”
Gilles Pudlowski (2011) “…le menu du déjeuner mérite l’éloge, le détour, pour sa générosité, son prix, ses produits frais, ses plats nets, leur précision, leur vigueur, leur légèreté grande.”
