With “Pâté et raisin” daubed in burgundy across its cream facade – tone set, appetite primed! Just steps from Place Saint-Germain, this quietly confident bistro from Pierre Clolus and Lucas Parigot (the duo behind L’Ambassade and Caneton) preaches no-nonsense terroir cooking and natural, biodynamic wines persuasive enough to win over the unconverted. Inside the handsomely refreshed space (pale wood floors, bistro chairs, a brown leather banquette), chef Léo Dubois (ex-Le Canut and Les Gonnes in Lyon, Bistrot Coco in Strasbourg) delivers plates with pitch-perfect balance. At lunch, the eternal dilemma is real: set menu or à la carte? Whatever you choose, don’t skip the farmhouse pâté from Ferme Pradenn, reverently smeared onto excellent bread from nearby La Tête Enfarinée. Then comes the season’s final eggplants, breaded and golden brown, reclining on toasted focaccia with a slick of tomato coulis and a pillowy-soft ricotta quenelle. To finish, surrender to tonka bean rice pudding swirled with salted caramel and puffed rice – airy as a whisper. Come evening, graze freely from the à la carte lineup or go the three courses (starter, main, dessert), with a vegetarian option in the mix. Pépin: a gloriously fuss-free hymn to good eating, sung from the heart. · Catherine Jamon

FEELING THIRSTY? Honest, gluggable wines: a menu pineau from Domaine du Buissonnière (€5 a glass), Le Croizillon, a malbec from Château Les Croisille (€25 a bottle) or a red Faugères from Binet-Jacquet (€34). Plus a few soft options, including apple juice from Ferme Pradenn (€4 for 250 ml).

PRICE: Set menus €17-22, à la carte €7.50-15.50 (lunch), appetizers €7.50-14, plates €16.60-22.50, desserts €7.50-9 (dinner).