Carabot

Of the original carabots, those sans-culottes revolutionaries in Normandy, chef Brice Moncuit (ex-Plaza Athénée) kept the populist spirit alive in his unfussy bistro (mismatched furniture, tangled lightbulbs) with resourceful plates. Savored the other day at lunch, while seated in the shade of the plane tree on the terrace: delightful chicken and pork liver terrine pimped out with pickled black radish and ginger; juicy razor clams sautéed with white wine, garlic and parsley butter; a creamy stracciatella salad with grilled zucchini, strawberries from La Verdura, arugula and toasted almonds; before roasted apricot paired with a rosemary jelly and homemade almond ice cream. At the next table over, we saw a gargantuan guinea fowl supreme with creamy polenta, plus monkfish medallions on a bed of eggplant caviar and spelt wheat in tomato sauce. At night, the same plates make an appearance as live music is played. // Henriette Ma 

FEELING THIRSTY? : In addition to the often organic wines (a Var white from the Domaine La Marseillaise at €6.20 a glass, Confidence, a Costières-de-Nîmes red from the Château Beaubois at €35 a bottle), there’s hard cider (dry Lemasson cider at €6.60 for 330 ml or from the Ferme du Vastel at €19 for 750 ml), and a loooong list of house cocktails (€7.50 to €10), including an Espresso Martini made with homemade coffee liqueur, and a Gin & Tonic that combines Japanese Komasa gin and Artonic water.  
PRICE: : Dish of the day €15 (lunch), à la carte €37-48.