There are restaurants where you go to be enthralled, to try cooking that is inventive, precise or simply bonkers, and there are others where you go just because you know you’ll feel comfortable. Réveil du 10e is one of the latter – a few metres from the frenzy of the Grands Boulevards, it's on a little square under a tree, squeezed between a barracks, an old port and a school; a neighbourhood bistro serving local cooking washed down with excellent wines.
There’s a bit of Auvergne and the South-west to the menu, with things like duck necks with foie gras, truffles, aligot mashed potatoes with garlic and cheese, fried cauliflower and tripe often served next to classic Parisian dishes (snails, entrecôte, duck confit, tartare etc.). The ingredients are always top quality, everything is home made and the prices are reasonable (between €10 and €15 at midday, in the evening around €20 for à la carte, with cheese or charcuterie boards between €5 and €9).
So it’s a pleasure to linger here. Good wine and friendly service are here expressions of a thoroughgoing quality; this place is a part of Paris, an impeccable address for gourmets and foodies who prefer to avoid the overly refined. You’ll definitely want to stay for a final coffee and digestif.
If you pass by on the off-chance and can’t get a table, consider the café opposite, La Pendule Occitane. The two bistros have a good relationship, and the menu, the prices and the suppliers are almost the same.
This restaurant serves one of Time Out's 50 best dishes in Paris. Click here to see the full list.