restaurant

Paulownia

La toque ne tombe jamais loin de l'arbre

Restaurant Paulownia (Paris)

© Picture and Motion Studio, Paul Lombard

  • Date
  • share

At 15 Rue des Vignoles, a young and determined tree had already cracked its way through the pavement… Tess Duteuil (your sommelier and host) and Geoffrey Belin (her toque-wearing partner) took this as a sign that they should set up shop here, against the leafy paulownia tree after which their restaurant is now named. Struck by Cupid’s arrow while working for Passard, the duo tackled other restaurant-industry heavyweights before opening this extremely cozy spot with a windowed wine cellar, a rounded zinc-topped bar, and a daring kitchen. The night we went, the blackboard menu featured all of the following: a masterfully made miniature Auvergne pork pâté en croûte, paired with a shallot and smoked beetroot condiment, plus roasted apple and jus de viande; a stratospheric millefeuille composed of the finest seasonal vegetables (chanterelles, treviso, cabbage, radish, carrot, spinach and celery), prepared roasted, raw, grilled, in cream or in a moussey beurre blanc sauce; before rounding out the meal without another jewel-like creation, a cream puff filled with Madagascar vanilla whipped cream, plus a pistachio mousseline cream and a cheeky praline center. // Renaud Fuego 

FEELING THIRSTY? : Tess’s wine cellar hides an arsenal of low-intervention gems: Direct, a wild red from the Gard produced by Paul Chabal (€8 a glass); Grain de Sable, an Alsatian riesling with a hint of oxidative notes, vinified by Léo Dirringer (same price), Le Petit Chemin, a Angevin chenin from Benoît Courault (€39 a bottle)… 
PRICE: : À la carte €51-69. 

Save this spot in the Fooding app, available on iOS! Download it now in the app store.

The new Fooding Belgium Guide is now available to pre-order!

Inside you’ll find: 250 brand-new places from all over Belgium – that’s a whole lot of restaurants, bars, wine cellars, food shops and hotels to eat, drink and sleep your way round, in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia; our hotly-anticipated list of 15 award winners, for a pure slice of Belgitude and 9 interviews with 40 of Belgium’s finest winers and diners.

Le Fooding’s brand-new Belgium guide frontcover
PRE-ORDER
About

Le Fooding is a print and digital guide to all the restaurants, chefs, bars, stylish hotels and B&Bs that make up the “taste of the times,” plus an annual awards list for new establishments across France and Belgium, a series of gastronomic events, a tool that allows you to make reservations at some fantastic bistros, and an agency specialized in event planning, content production and consulting…

Fooding® is a registered trademark.