Hoist the sails high! Franck Baranger and Edouard Bobin’s (Le Pantruche, Caillebotte, Le Coucou) Belle Maison takes to the high seas at both lunch and dinner, in a chic nautical atmosphere designed by Emilie Bonaventure (midnight blue walls, dark wooden furniture, graphic tiles, globe-shaped light fixtures…). The night we went, we dove headfirst into the à la carte selection: small-medium sized oysters served unadorned from La Famille Boutrais in Cancale; fabulous whelks from Normandy with a hay-flavored mayonnaise; strikingly fresh sardines marinated with seaweed and wasabi; marvelous line-caught whiting with a perfectly pearly texture, vanilla-infused cauliflower and crisp broccoli seasoned with a lemon condiment; before ending on your sea legs with a salted butter caramel Saint-Honoré – or cherry cream over a tarragon streusel, with a very delicate white peach mousse and vanilla-tarragon ice cream. At lunch, the set menu may feature: spider crab cannelloni, line-caught pollack, fregola sarda with shellfish and wild mushrooms; roasted sweet potato and toasted buckwheat infused chilled cream. // O.D.
FEELING THIRSTY? White wine a go-go: Pays-d’Oc from the Domaine de la Grande Courtade (€7 a glass), Mâcon-Chaintré from Dominique Cornin (€7 a glass), Pouilly-Fumé from the Domaine Chatelain (€45 a bottle), Condrieu from Julien Pilon (€80) or Selosse Version Originale Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Champagne (€190).
PRICE: Oysters €12 for six, dish of the day €14 and set menu €23 (weekday lunch), à la carte €41-53.
