Inside the remnants of the legendary Café de la Paix in Wazemmes, Anatole Thomas (ex-Meert and Costaud) has stoked the embers back to life with Bouillant, a neighborhood bistro that lives up to its name. The dining room leans joyfully retro, with pops of orange, seventies florals and vintage furniture, only the kitchen lacks a sepia-toned aesthetic, refusing nostalgia for cooking in the now. That evening, gathered around the big oval table: succulent teriyaki pork terrine with pickles; cheeky blood sausage jazzed up with marinated apples and blanketed in crunchy almond and pumpkin seed granola; muy buenos pulled beef tacos slicked with lime-spiked satay mayo; honey-roasted root vegetables dusted in za’atar and crisp buckwheat, sprawled over Greek yogurt with a parsley and chervil jus; potato, rosemary and Cambrai cheese focaccia that didn’t quite hit the same high notes; but redemption arrived swiftly with roasted apple compote tangled with hibiscus-pickled apples and cardamom crunch, or a devilishly good chocolate mousse with salted almond brittle. · Maude Zarella

FEELING THIRSTY? No pomp, no pretense, just clean, well-chosen wines by the glass (€4), carafe (€13 for 500 ml) or bottle: All You Need Is Loew, an Alsatian pinot noir from Domaine Loew (€45), Les Graviers, an AOP arbois from Domaine Tissot (€72) and bottled beers like Poule Mouillée IPA from Brasserie Tandem (€5.50 for 330 ml).
PRICE: Appetizers €8-10, mains €13.90-19, desserts €6-7.50 (lunch), plates €5.50-16 (dinner).