Casa Pregonda

You can almost hear the waves crashing along the Mediterranean shoreline from inside this casa run by devoted foodies Alexandre Giesbert (in the kitchen), Jonas Ayache (front of house), Valentine Dubois and Nicolas Hoyet (art direction). And for good reason: this restaurant – named after a cove in Minorca – is steeped in laid-back Balearic holiday vibes. Seated around the white-tiled counter or big wooden tables crowned with elegant chandeliers, curious fashionistas and sun-deprived Iberophiles dig into tantalizing tapas from the chef who founded Daroco, Roco and Danico – each pimped out with just the right amount of flair: tortilla de patatas with optional txistorra sausage or caviar, classic olive and anchovy gildas, sweet Padrón peppers delicately dusted with a breadcrumb topping, plump Iberian ham croquetas… But the night we went, the star of the show was the jet-black rice, as dark as a Soulages painting and graced with three raw carabinero prawns (with a very steep €74 price tag, mind you!), followed by a paellero for two which we devoured down to the very last grain of rice. And for a very classico finale to the meal, there was an honorable crème catalane that was caramelized like a crème brûlée, with notes of cinnamon and lemon. ¡Que bueno, que rico, que lindo! // Herber Martin

FEELING THIRSTY? Who would have thought that sangria (€40 for a pitcher) could become so chic when drowned in cava? Otherwise, there’s Pomada de Minorque made with gin and old-fashioned lemonade (€12 a glass) and some very nice Spanish wines, like a Catalan trepat from Òrbita Venus (€10 a glass), or a rioja tinta by Viña Ilusión (€44 a bottle). And if you want to stay on this side of the Pyrenees, there’s a 2005 pauillac from the Château Lynch-Bages (€472).
PRICE: : Snacks and shared plates €7-29, mains €19-49, squid ink rice and carabineros €74 (for two), desserts €8-11.