This is no time for a diet – Paris has new ‘cantines’ to try right now!
Exceptional dishes
Chef Chistophe Saintagne boasts and impressive CV having worked with Alain Ducasse at both the Plaza Athénée and the Meurice. But in 2016 he decided to set out on his own by opening Papillon in the Plaine-de-Monceaux district. A reflection of his style of cooking, the chef chose a chic and refined design for the restaurant with an open kitchen, wooden herringbone pattern parquet, camel seating and more. To cite the chef’s mentor “Make something good, with something simple”, this restaurant also subscribes to making the ingredients and produce themselves the most important factor in its dishes.
Alain Ducasse himself continues to make headlines: the king of gastronomy celebrates his 60th in Versailles by opening Ore. Elegant contemporary café by day, Ore transforms into an exceptional restaurant by night when privately hired out. Ore, meaning mouth in Latin, pays homage to the Bouche du Roi, or King’s Mouth, who made all the court’s evening meals. The references to Versailles’s past don’t stop there; in the menu, as in the décor, a clever mix of up-to-date style, creativeness and history is at work. The lunchtime menu includes classic omelettes,coquillettes-jambon* with black truffle, or hand-crafted pastries. In the evening, discover a menu inspired by the court and step back in time to the city’s 17th century glory, served with haute-couture wines. Close your eyes and your dreams of becoming a prince or princess come true…
Grazie mille
There’s nothing like Italian cuisine to keep that summer sun shining! Paris’s Decorative Arts Museum (Musée des Arts Décoratifs) has opened the city’s new it-restaurant. Indeed Loulou has everything going for it, and believe us we’ve been looking for the catch, but it seems pretty perfect. On de décor side it brings together three different moods: a cosy ground floor with warm tones; a first floor with large bay windows overlooking the Tuileries Gardens and the soft luminescence of natural daylight; and a botanical roof terrace with a pastoral feel. When it comes to what’s on the plates, the antipasti are carefully and specially selected and for a main course we totally fell for the classic Vongole or stuffed tomatoes.
Along the same bank of the river, Daroco has taken up residence in the legendary Galerie Vivienne, in the same location as Jean-Paul Gautier’s first Paris boutique, and in homage to the famous couturier the waiters wear the infamous Marinière striped top! Stone, concrete, wood and glass are softened by the … tonalités sourdes et profondes tones of the furniture. This chic new Trattoria offers up a generous cuisine made only with exceptional produce.
Further west, in the Batignolles district, the Big Mamma team have opened their 3rd Parisian restaurant – Mamma Primi. As its name would suggest this restaurant focuses principally on the “Primi Piatti”, such as fresh pasta, gnocchi, risotto or ravioli (like the black agnoloti made with 78% cocoa!). The living-plant decorations emanate a certain joie de vivre and warm welcome, accentuated by the reds, greens, blues and oranges of the furniture and a hotchpotch of crockery… warmth guaranteed.
Just a short walk from the Père Lachaise cemetery Pierre Jancou’s new bistro - Achille – seeks authenticity above all else: bare brick walls, relief mouldings on the ceiling and a few mirrors, the simple décor is also reflected in the dishes – without fanfare, but elegant and gourmet. The idea is simple and effective: good produce, a seasonal menu, and a varied wine list. Dine at the bar if you’d like to see the chef in action.
Creative fusion
You cannot walk past Yam’tche on Rue Saint-Honoré without wanting to step inside and be transported to Asia. And yet, the restaurant’s chef is from Burgundy! Adeline Grattard married Chi Wah Chan – the tea comelier, and lived in his native Hong Kong for 2 years. It was here that Adeline took her expert knowledge of French techniques learned most notable at the Astrance (3 Michelin stars) and added the use of a wok and steaming to her skills. It should come as no surprise to find Bresse poultry cooked Beijing style.
Chez Koko, by the Ourq canal, is inspired by the land of the rising sun. In line with the concept of a Japanese bistro you can find traditional Japanese tapas – California rolls, sashimi, sushi and chirashi – along with more European-inspired dishes such as the Tofu Caprese. The ‘fusion’ décor is also a mix of East meets with West with a colourful-brasserie-cum-sushi-bar feel. Whatever you do, don’t leave without trying the Umeshu – an irresistible famous Japanese plum liqueur.
*Coquillettes are tiny macaroni, here they are served with pieces of ham.
Loulou - Musée des Arts décoratifs - 107, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris - +33 1 42 60 41 96 - http://loulou-paris.com/welcome/Daroco – 6, rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris - +33 1 42 21 93 71 - www.bigmammagroup.comAchille – 43, rue Servan, 75011 Paris - + 33 1 48 06 54 59Yam’tcha – 121, rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris - +33 1 40 26 08 07 Koko – 14, quai de la Loire, 75019 Paris - +33 1 40 34 15 95 Papillon - 8, rue Meissonier, 75017 Paris - +33 1 56 79 81 88Ore – Ducasse au château de Versailles - Pavillon Dufour, First floor, entrance by "La cour des Princes" - Place d’armes, 78000 Versailles - +33 1 30 84 12 96 - http://www.ducasse-chateauversailles.com/en/
By France.fr
The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…
