[category]
[title]
Lino Ventura could easily have had his regular table at this unpretentious bistrot, opened in 2016 but with the feel of a place that’s always been around. With its terracotta-tiled floor, timeworn zinc counter polished by generations of elbows, and tightly packed tables overrun by American visitors chasing the Parisian dream, you’re clearly not here for the décor – but for Thomas Brachet’s excellent home-style cooking. Dishes that hit the mark, classic bistro fare that lands with a punch and leaves you smiling like an Audiard line.
You start with eggs topped with a sharp herb mayo, lifted by cubes of smoked eel. Then comes the star: sausage and mash. The former is packed with flavour, the latter rich with butter, all brought together by a deep, powerful meat jus. It’s the kind of dish that could belong on the big screen – and one that feels like a must-try at least once in your Parisian life. The meal wraps up on a Pompidolian note with a ramekin of rice pudding and salted butter caramel, as light as the ecological conscience of the post-war boom years.
The drinks are in the hands of Tristan Renoux, founder of the place and a mischievous sommelier, who pulls from the “wall of curiosities” (not cheap) a lineup of natural wine heavyweights.
This review was written by food critic Antoine Besse, and translated into English.