A bistro that’s too good to be true? Think again – because the one run by Benjamin “Ben” Guittières-Tsuda (ex-Café des Musées) and chef Kei Miura is as real as it gets! The duo is determined to shake things up near the Château de Vincennes, pushing the Parisian dining scene beyond the périph beltway that separates central Paris from the surrounding suburbs. In a cozy space done up with brick, sandstone and dark wood, the chef puts on a one-man chaud in the kitchen, showing off the cheeky skills he perfected during his years working at Kalank, Aux Deux Amis and Café des Musées. The other night, that meant all of the following: duck breast delicately salt-cured and thinly sliced, served in a beef and chicken broth, topped with a little nest of crispy matchstick fries; velvety potato purée cradling a plump piece of chuck steak, under a torrent of red wine and beef drippings sauce that left us flabbergasted; before a (less memorable) dessert of pear sorbet and poached pear, covered in a thyme crumble topping. · Scotty Lard

FEELING THIRSTY? A concise list of low-intervention gems, including a Provence carignan from Les Terres Promises (€7 a glass) and Chapitre 1, a Touraine sauvignon produced by Les Quatre Piliers (€55 a bottle), plus a selection of seasonal soft drinks, like an apple juice with maple syrup and cinnamon the day we went (€6).

PRICE: Set menus €16-24 (lunch), menu €46, à la carte €37-50 (dinner).