Le Mordant may have undergone a name change, but it hasn’t lost any of its verve! Under the patronage of Vincent Geraud (who was part of the initial adventure) and after a colorful makeover by interior designer Charles du Pouget, the young chef Michaël Gamet makes his CV shine (Astrance, Mandarin Oriental) as he stitches together dishes that are as clever as they are euphoric. During our last lunch there: seasonal melon covered in a veil of daikon radish, silky beurre blanc sauce infused with Ricard and a fennel-aniseed condiment; gothic steamed cod surrounded by cream of coco de Paimpol beans with squid ink, sliced purple carrots darkened by a berry jus and pickled cherries; before a roasted peach with blackcurrant sorbet and a popcorn cream. At night, Michaël takes things a step further either à la carte or via the tasting menu, which might feature something like: Salers sirloin steak roasted with miso; bluefin tuna with smoked and pickled mirabelle plums and a sweet woodruff emulsion; a cannoli filled with pine bud ice cream and a green Chartreuse condiment… // Thomas Jossin

FEELING THIRSTY? A menu with 80 clean labels chosen by Joachim Beltrame: a Côteaux-du-Lyonnais red from Clusel-Roch (€8 a glass), a Burgundy Aligoté from Athénaïs de Béru (€47 a bottle), Ouvrage, a Cheverny from the Domaine des Huards (€43)…
PRICE: Set menu €25-32 (lunch) and €70 (dinner), à la carte €53-67.