Love is in the air in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, ever since this angular spot from Raphaële Bernard-Salmirs (who used to work at ChezAline, Le Chateaubriand and Le Meurice) has revitalized the former Café Vert, which has been fully revamped for the occasion (an apple green facade, a copper-topped bar, a Venetian mirror, paper lanterns). These days, expect clever bistro cooking prepared in tandem with Ilaria Conti (ex-Il Cuoco Galante), tested and approved by us the other day at lunch: flash-seared radicchio living it up with feta and crispy guanciale; incredibly tender karaage chicken with thick breading, drizzled in mentsuyu (a mix of dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar), served with big pieces of roasted squash and a cumin-spiced white cabbage slaw; before a perfect blood orange pavlova, featuring a lovely layer of lemon curd. Doors open at 8:30am and they stay open until late afternoon, serving up specialty coffee, slices of orange cake, or homemade madeleines and cookies for all your snacking needs. // Angela Dolu
FEELING THIRSTY? Carefully chosen, unfussy libations: Poucèt, an Hérault red from the Château del Ranq (€8 a glass), L’Impatient, a skin-contact gewürztraminer by the Domaine Goepp (€37 a bottle), Champ Libre, a Gallia lager that’s available on tap (€4 for 250 ml), Archipel kombucha (€6 for 330 ml) and Brûlerie Saint-Jacques coffee prepared however you like (espressos, lattes, etc., from €2 to €4.50).
PRICE: : Set menus €19-25, à la carte €31-35, kids’ menu €10, pastries €2.50 to €5.
The menu here includes a main course served in a child-appropriate size, a cookie and a glass of syrup-sweetened water, plus a dedicated kids’ corner with a small desk, books, crayons and coloring books – overall, a very kid-friendly spot! Big and little kids alike are welcome here, so that the taste of their times is as enjoyable as ours.
Save this spot in the Fooding app, available on iOS! Download it now in the app store.
