Chez Georges

Warm tones, burning embers, very olé-olé seasonings: chef Georges Laurent and his team really set things on fire! Seated in the ochre and terra cotta dining room one evening, we ordered all of the following à la carte: silky cucumber gazpacho with nigella seeds: a thin tomato-tonnato tart that was pure insanity, with slow-roasted tomatoes in a sensual rose harissa; sexy puffed up tapioca chips, basil mayonnaise, shrimp and fresh raspberries; sliced potatoes beautifully shaped into a rose and topped with toum made with smoked garlic from Arleux; bluefin tuna tartare seasoned with chili oil, mint and sesame seeds; a flavorful bowl of eggplant and artisan-made tofu from Monsieur Suzu, marinated in a wild garlic teriyaki sauce, with scrambled egg mousse and a sesame crisp. And for an autumnal dessert, tiramisu with pear poached in black cardamom syrup, vanilla mascarpone mousse and a coffee cookie. Spices are life! // Victoria Bout

FEELING THIRSTY? : Beautiful natural options that are a little on the pricey side: Bordeaux reds from the Domaine l’Astré (€40-50), a skin-contact Provence wine from the Domaine Milan (€45), or Johnny Popper, a Loire chenin pet’ nat’ from Julie and Toby Bainbridge (€8 a glass).
PRICE: : Plates €7-27, set menu €39-45 (obligatory on Friday and Saturday night), food and wine pairings €20.