La Famille

Eva Fèvre and Alex Domergue have been running this bistro (an open kitchen, communal tables, industrial seating, old tiling, walls covered in wine bottles) for the past three years now. In addition to a lunch formula menu (green grape gazpacho, pork loin stewed in IPA, almond tartlet), the two chefs, Diego Azarloza and Alan Guitart, spare no effort. Take the day we went for lunch as proof: oysters seasoned with red sangria and lump roe for an intensely briny touch, shaken up further by some additional fermented chili peppers and softened by some diced apple; extremely tender BBQed eggplant wrapped up in homemade soy cream and sprinkled with some incredible crispy fried lentils; raw sardine fillets resting on a soft flash-seared slice of brioche bread and topped with an irresistible combo of roasted peppers, onion compote and silky mayo; finally, a less comprehensible dessert featuring black trumpet mushrooms (which were undetectable), but which was worth trying for the roasted apricots, crumble topping and whipped cream combo. At night, there are shared plates to devour: prime rib, rice with shellfish or slow-roasted lamb shoulder. // Adrien Nouvaire

FEELING THIRSTY? One hundred and fifty labels of living and clean wines: a Grenache-Macabeu blend from the Famille Dornier in the Roussillon or a Languedoc Cinsault from the Clos des Pères, a Catalan Syrah from the Domaine Riberach, all served by the glass (€4.50 to €7) and a sharp selection of bottles, like Coume de Maliès, a blend of six white grape varietals from the Domaine Balansa in the Aude, or Indigène, a Côtes-Catalanes vieux Carignans from Gilles Troullier (€28 and €42).
PRICE: Menu €17-21 (lunch), tapas and small plates €8-20.