The overarching honesty and generosity of La Vierge’s concept places the restaurant alongside overachieving peers like Belleville’s Le Cadoret at the vanguard of a new generation of Paris bistrot that recognizes the value of virtue.
Nestled on a drab Belleville backstreet beneath the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Le Cadoret’s blue awning shines out like a beacon. So does chef Léa Fleuriot’s delicate, thoughtful approach to country-bistrot classics. A sleeper hit since Fleuriot and her brother Louis opened it in 2017, Le Cadoret is a bistrot and café where an ostensibly straightforward offering - traditional recipes, inexpensive natural wines, craft beers - achieves the sublime thanks to rare combination of sincere and efficient service, serious value, and an ironclad commitment to ingredient quality.
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).
But for alert wine geeks, Café de la Nouvelle Mairie might as well be the Panthéon itself, as pertains to natural wine.
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:
Address: 25 Rue Beautreillis, 75004
Hours: Open every day from 7:00-2:00
Telephone: +33 1 42 72 64 94
Website Online Booking Facebook Instagram
Photos by Meg Zimbeck © Rome by Mouth
Reviews of the restaurant under the current management
This dining room near the Bourse (the former stock exchange) is compact and cozy, complete with all the markers of a comforting old bistro. It’s largely filled with Americans, especially now that chef Daniel Rose has become the toast of Manhattan with his French restaurant Le Coucou. The latter is delicious but difficult to book and easily five times the price of La Bourse et la Vie. Rose’s primary restaurant in Paris (now that Spring has closed) feels like a steal if your reference point is French food in New York.
When comparing it to other Paris bistros, this place feels lavish and expensive. On the surface, La Bourse et la Vie appears to have much in common with a neighborhood bistro serving classic dishes like poireaux vinaigrette, steak-frites and pot au feu. But look more closely and you’ll learn that the leeks are dotted with hazelnuts from Piemonte and the steak is 30-day aged Simmental beef.
Steak frites, made with 30 day aged Simmental beef
Rose, who is obsessed with old recipes, continues to resurrect and refine vintage dishes that modern-day travelers are rarely able to encounter. His version of pot au feu is deeply delicious and evokes the classic dish that was bubbling a century ago on stoves all over the nearby market neighborhood of Les Halles. However, it’s radically different and probably more delicious than the original because it marries perfectly cooked (not boiled to death) cuts of veal and lightly cooked vegetables with the sort of profound bouillon (broth) that has become Rose’s signature. It’s also served with a side dish of tête de veau with a sauce ravigotée. More “authentic” Paris bistros are not making food like this anymore.
Pot au Feu
All of this specialness doesn’t come cheap, of course. That delicious steak-frites is priced at 39€, and dinner for two is likely to be 120€ before wine. However, most new restaurants that have opened in the years since Rose took over La Bourse et la Vie are offering much less for a similar price. Paris is becoming very expensive. At La Bourse et la Vie, it’s both expensive and very good.
Address: 12 rue Vivienne, 75002
Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner. Closed Saturday & Sunday.
Telephone: +33 1 42 60 08 83
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Great natural wines by the glass, fresh well-prepared food, and congenial service at this simple bistro near Bastille.
Nicolas isn’t the only star charcutier in town (Gilles Verot has a well-deserved following), but he’s the first to build a restaurant around his creations. This could be terrible – I cynically anticipated great charcuterie followed by mediocre mains and forgettable dessert. I was instead delighted by the best Quenelles de Brochet with sauce Nantua that I’ve ever tasted (yes, even in Lyon). The Baba au Rhum is also as good as all the other reviews (see below) say it is. As for the charcuterie, there’s a whole page of options to be taken as starters, ranging from elegant (Pâté en croûte with quail, pear and pistachio) to down-and-dirty (La Couronne de Cochon with all parts of the pig). The wine list is short but includes some very good Beaujolais, which is what you want to be drinking here. The connected shop selling for takeaway is a great source for picnics on the nearby Champ de Mars, and it provides a way to share his creations with my friends who never, ever leave eastern Paris.
Notable dishes:
Address: 46 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007
Hours: Open Tuesday – Saturday for lunch and dinner. Open Monday for dinner only. Closed Sunday.
Telephone: 01 45 55 59 59
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Food and wine pilgrims, particularly those who read the New York Times or watch Anthony Bourdain, are willing to climb the hill for this Belleville institution. Raquel Carena tends the fire, offering her own personal brand of bistro cooking – sometimes delicate, sometimes hearty, always heartfelt. In stark contrast to the loving kitchen, the dining room is cold as ice, thanks to the joyless leadership of Carena’s husband Philippe. After more than a decade of hopeful visits, I haven’t yet received a smile or any helpful wine guidance from the patron. His cellar is reputed to be one of the best in the city, with an emphasis on independent producers and natural wines. However, he is an unwilling ambassador for these wines and a significant drag on the overall experience. I love Carena’s cooking, but I won’t hurry back because I fear that, once again, I’ll be treated with glaring disinterest by Philippe and the dining room staff who mirror his attitude. For those who really want to try their luck, go at lunch. The dining room, which is harshly over-lit at night, reveals itself beautifully in the sunlight, and the lunch menu for 19 euros remains an incredible deal.
Chef Philippe Damas is showcasing the season's best ingredients (porcinis, partridges) at this this bistro near the Canal Saint-Martin.
What used to be a friendly wine bar run by the inimitable Tim Johnston is now a friendly wine bistro run by Tim’s daughter Margaux and her boyfriend Romain. The fresh market cooking from Romain (formerly at Le Comptoir and La Régalade Saint-Honore) goes well beyond the satisfying sausage & mash of the old carte and Margaux’s service and wine selections make this the sort of place where you’ll want to become a regular. Desserts are delicious, but their selection of British cheeses with recommended wine pairings is my favorite way to finish. On your way out, buy a bottle from the shelves to bring home.
Address: 42 avenue Gabriel, 75008
Nearest transport: Franklin Roosevelt (1, 9)
Hours: Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Reservations: Book a few days in advance for breakfast and lunch; Book a few weeks in advance for dinner
Telephone: 01 58 36 60 60
Average price for lunch: More than 100€
Average price for dinner: More than 100€
Style of cuisine: Classic French, Haute Cuisine
Website Book online
Le Monde (2015) “L’hôtel La Réserve abrite, près des Champs-Elysées, un beau restaurant dont le chef cultive une verve culinaire à tomber par terre.”
Le Figaro (2015) “Même chez les grandes tables, il y a parfois cette volonté d’être à belle distance. L’éprouver, cette saison, en une parenthèse palace, du côté de cette table d’allure, soutenue par un chef signant et stylant une cuisine en talons hauts mais refusant avec pudeur les postures et les ego. Il y a là une gastronomie en charme discret que des chambres coquettes (à l’étage) et un opportun patio se plaisent à préfacer ou conclure.”
Gault & Millau (2015) “Tout est doré sur tranche dans ce palace jeune et bien né : la situation rue Gabriel, si facile d’accès depuis l’Elysée, le cadre, le service, les tarifs et un chef talentueux, Jérôme Banctel, que l’on connut chez Senderens.”
Gilles Pudlowski (2015) “Le brunch qui se prolonge en repas alerte est carrément royal: oeuf mimosa avec avocat façon guacamole et tourteau, tartare de veau aux huîtres et wasabi qui fait des clins d’oeil au vitello tonnato, ou encore salade de fruits sont épatants. Comme les « vrais » plats – macaroni au parmesan et boeuf croustillant, Saint Jacques et cèpes en civet ou encore côtes d’agneau de Lozère purée de butternut – enchantent.”
Photo courtesy of Le Gabriel’s website
Address: 47 rue de Rochechouart, 75009
Hours: Closed Sunday & Monday; Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch & dinner
Telephone: 09 51 18 66 59
Style of cuisine: Classic bistro
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John Talbott (2015) “Warm welcome, warm soups, warm friends, what could be better?”
Simon Says (2015) “Sa cuisine est bigrement bonne, hautement classique (un superbe bouillon de «vrais» champignons de Paris, foie gras de canard, céléri-coraindre), elle tape avec joliesse et saveurs comme avec ce cabillaud cuit vapeur aux citrons confits et épices. Mais ces dernières font comme la clientèle, comme par syncrétisme. Il faut qu’elles manifestent leur présence, impriment fort (trop), tapent presque du pied d’impatience.”
John Talbott (2015) “… one of us had a pissaladière in which the onions were rubbery – bad rubbery – yuck and the rest had their famous bouillon which today needed much salt and pepper, as opposed to last time.”
Les Grands Ducs (2015) “C’est frais, c’est beau et le plat du jour à 14€ est une très belle affaire.”
Table à Découvert (2015) “Un bouillon d’une couleur foncée qui met en appétit, des morceaux de foie gras qui ont le temps de cuire juste un peu dans le bouillon, de la coriandre fraîche, des filaments de céleri et de petits boutons champignons de Paris.”
Alexander Lobrano (2015) “I’m not sure I’d go back. Why? It’s expensive for what it serves, and I found a perceptible lack of generosity in the restaurant’s DNA.”
L’Express (2015) “Un vrai bon bistrot à l’ancienne… l’esprit parisien sans parisianisme, le charme de la serviette en tissu, du fauteuil capitonné, du couteau de Thiers et la bienveillance d’un plat du jour à 14 euros (cette semaine-là, une poule au pot dans les grandes largeurs avec ses légumes d’hiver, sa sauce suprême et son riz basmati), d’une brouillade très généreuse en truffe noire servie dans sa casserole en fonte, de quelques cocottes de partage qui fleurent bon la France ripailleuse.”
Photo via Bouillon’s Facebook page
Claires and Belons are on the menu at this sleek address in the 17th.
Address: 16 avenue de la Motte Piquet, 75007
Nearest transport: La Tour-Maubourg (8)
Hours: Open Sunday-Friday for lunch & dinner and Saturday for dinner
Reservations: Book a couple days in advance
Telephone: 01 47 05 98 37
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 60-100€
Style of cuisine: Classic French
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Alexander Lobrano (2015) “A living archive of the great tastes of Gaul… With the possible exception of the price–there’s an excellent value 24.50 Euros lunch menu, but it’s expensive to order a la carte, which we did–everything about this meal pleased.”
Time Out (2012) “The welcome is exactly as you’d expect in a country inn, as well, friendly and unpretentious. The menu features hearty dishes like eggs en cocotte in beaujolais with bacon and shallots, frogs’ legs provençale, utterly traditional coq au vin. If you indulge, remember to order one of the unforgettable dessert souffles, Baked Alaska or flamboyant crepes suzettes at the beginning of your meal.”
Le Figaro (2011) “Un petit joyau régionaliste, tel qu’on les affectionnait après-guerre, lorsque le mot design n’existait pas encore. Cela donne du papier peint à fleurs de lys, des suspensions en fer forgé et lampes bougeoirs, des nappes blasonnées, des fauteuils en cuir cloutés et tout le cortège habituel de moules à charlotte, tonnelets-service à liqueurs et diplômes de boudin qui vous façonnent un décor. On plonge avec délice dans ce giron provincial activement préservé. Trop bien!”
Photo via L’Auberge Bressane’s Facebook page
Address: 20 rue d’Aligre, 75012
Nearest transport: Ledru-Rollin (8)
Hours: Closed Monday; Open Tuesday-Sunday for lunch; Open Thursday & Friday for lunch and dinner
Reservations: Reservations not accepted, but the restaurant can be booked for private parties at night
Telephone: 01 43 43 91 64
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 20-39€
Style of cuisine: Rotisserie, Classic French
Website Facebook
David Lebovitz (2014) “At boucherie Les Provinces, you won’t be blown away by the food, but you’ll have a good time, as we did, digging into our onglet steaks… While you likely won’t find Les Provinces listed in restaurant guides as a place to cross town for, I can’t think of a better way to spend a day in Paris than strolling around the Aligre market… before diving into a couple of steaks while knocking back a few glasses of red in the convivial atmosphere of boucherie Les Provinces.”
Le Fooding (2014) “When we’re feeling ravenous at the end of the Marché (d’Aligre), we head to the Boucherie des Provinces, choose a piece of well-matured meat and grab a table. Ten minutes later, the meat is out of the pan, in the company of sautéed new potatoes and salad, augmented by €9.80 of cooking fees. Hanger steak, veal filet, leg of lamb, pork ribs, andouillette, veal sweetbreads, or carpaccio and tartare, made using meat guaranteed to be in excellent shape by Christophe Dru, the son of the butcher and a student of the neighborhood star, Michel Brunon.”
Table à Découvert (2014) “Cette boucherie-restaurant plantée au milieu du marché d’Aligre est irrésistible… Les pommes de terre rattes confites (le seul accompagnement de la maison) sont divines. Un peu sucrées, dorées comme j’aime, un peu grasses aussi.”
Time Out (2013) “As you walk in, all the meat is displayed on the left as usual, with Aligre locals lining up to do their shopping, while the rest of the space is a jumble of tables and counters, heaving with hungry meat-eaters tucking into a giant entrecôte or côte de boeuf, sweet lamb chops or juicy pork ribs.”
L’Express (2013) “Sur place ou à emporter? On a le choix chez le boucher Christophe Dru. Ses pièces de boeuf français longuement maturées se déclinent en carpaccio, tartare, onglet, faux-filet et côte, que l’on déguste devant l’étal.”
Photo via Boucherie Les Provinces’ Facebook page
– Meg Zimbeck, 2010
Address: 14 rue Léopold Bellan, 75002
Nearest transport: Sentier (3)
Hours: Closed Sunday & Monday; Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner
Reservations: Book a day or two in advance
Telephone: 09 84 39 42 49
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 20-39€
Style of cuisine: Classic French
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Figaroscope (2014) “Adieu à l’Hédoniste (dommage!), remplacé illico presto par ce repaire s’essayant au genre du café populaire. Las, l’assiette besogne trop pour emporter conviction et enthousiasme.”
Not Drinking Poison in Paris (2014) “A refined, contemporary bistrot with the confidence and smarts to remain simple… Thrill-seeking critics might find the menu a bit ho-hum. Tant pis for them. I’d deem it a rare example of an unself-conscious, quality-oriented contemporary bistrot menu.”
