Le Café du Coin

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.