Coppia

Clearly, the competition for the coolest eatery in the L’Écusson neighborhood of Montpellier is still attracting new contestants… After Hop Smash Burger, Bravo Babette and Faim, among other mouthwatering spots, it’s Coppia’s turn to make a flavorful entrance onto the scene on a poetic, tree-lined little square. Determined to reinvent the timeless and traditional menu ouvrier (a simple, affordable prix-fixe menu designed for working-class customers), owners and BFFs Charlotte Guyot and Ardea Macqueron (both of whom used to work at Ikonka) welcome laborers, tradespeople and hungry bellies alike into their tiny restaurant with orange walls, aluminum-topped tables and a bar you’ll want to cozy up against, plus a few seats on the terrace. For a mere 18 bucks the day we went for lunch: tender baked ham chiffonnade served with anchovy butter, plus sourdough bread from Delavoza bakery; exquisite stewed white beans and smoked sausages with spiced tomato sauce; before a perfectly tangy pear poached in vermouth for dessert. Other days, there’s sea bream tartare with Granny Smith apple and barbecued beets, chanterelle mushrooms in red wine sauce with creamy polenta, focaccia topped with stracciatella, fresh figs and homemade speck…. One final piece of advice? Consider going on a Friday or Saturday night, the only two nights of the week they’re open for dinner. // Megan Linar

FEELING THIRSTY? : In addition to a few well-shaken classic cocktails (gin and tonics, spritz, etc., €8-12), there’s a selection of high-quality, low-intervention wines: Le Verre Solidaire, a Mâcon chardonnay from the Domaine de Thalie (€7 a glass), Chelou, a white blend from the Gard vineyard Un Coin sur Terre (€27 a bottle), or Bisou, an Anjou red from the Mosse estate (€38).
PRICE: : Prix-fixe menu €18 (weekday lunch), à la carte €29-44 (Friday night and Saturday).