Les Petites Sorcières

This small, simply decorated 14th arrondissement bistro is the latest opening from French celebrity chef Ghislaine Arabian, a former judge on TV show ‘Top Chef’ and recipient of two Michelin stars at the acclaimed Pavillon Ledoyen.

It comes as a surprise, then, that the starters at Les Petites Sorcières are failures. Though a joy to look at, fried squid with Basquaise sauce (tomatoes and sweet peppers) is clearly overdone, while an odd pairing of roast figs and Saint Jules lobster is poorly seasoned. Mains are a mixed bag, too, as the citrus-infused wild sea bream with stuffed aubergines is a hit, but the organic Irish salmon in a vegetable miso lacks any sort of character. At €59 per set menu, Les Petites Sorcières seems to have taken a misstep.

Fortunately, the desserts are packed with all the originality and charm that we could have expected from the first. The ‘Feuille à Feuille’ is a sort of ‘new look’ millefeuille where epic slabs of dark chocolate alternate with thick layers of raspberries and whipped cream, the whole served with a striking smoked dark chocolate ice cream. Similarly successful is Arabian’s spin on the British classic Eton Mess – a joyful mélange of strawberries and meringue, served here with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If only the full menu had been so good.

TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER