Its bohemian post box-red exterior makes Le Gayridon hard to miss even among the colourful cacophony of cafés and artisan stores make Marais, Paris 3rd, so funky. Beyond the neutral modernist décor and trendy lighting, most noticeable is the two rooms’ come-as-you-are atmosphere that lends itself well to socialising for hours longer than planned. Life’s good at Le Gayridon. Not least thanks to an original but simple semi-gourmet French menu that takes the best classic ingredients – duck legs, steak, foie gras – and subtly reinvents them so that their allure shifts from just being familiar and trusted to being, at the same time, a little intriguing and excitingly new.
