Le Fooding Guide’s 2012 crush

At this den for gourmet, cosmopolitan diners, passersby are first drawn in by the mosaic tile façade tagged with Miss.Tic graffiti. However, inside this authentic bistro (broken mosaic tiles, vintage furniture, a spotted mirror), the interior décor doesn’t bother with ceremonial fuss, much like the cuisine. But that doesn’t mean the cooking by Portuguese chef Luis Miguel Tavares Andrade (ex-Palais Royal) isn’t sharp. The result? Small plates that delight and take you far away from Paris: adorable cucamelons (mini watermelons the size of an olive, which taste like cucumber) and incredible tender octopus; silky chanterelles with a runny egg and pecorino; cheeky clams Bulhão Pato style (like marinière, but with yellow mustard and lemon) with Thierry Breton’s bread for wiping your plate clean as if you were in Lisbon; exalting veal sweetbreads paired with cauliflower; before a juicy white peach with mascarpone and almonds for a sweet finish. // T.V.X.

FEELING THIRSTY? Natural wines: a Portuguese pet’ nat’ from Folias de Baco (€8), a Gard red from Thierry Forestier (€25 a bottle), a macerated Hérault white from Le Mas Foulaquier (€42)…

PRICE: Plates €6-24, shared cuts of meat €65, desserts €7-8.