In the heart of the Carmes neighborhood, Lot-native and chef Anaïs Sadek (ex-Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence) and Angevin oenophile Thibaut Martin (ex-Verre Volé and Papillon in Paris) continue delighting guests in their cozy bistro (blue and white walls, rough brick walls, blonde wooden bistro chairs). Their motto? Ingredients from trustworthy producers (organic vegetables from Chloé Muñoz in Ariège, fish from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, meats from the Aveyron), beautiful natural wines and fiery dishes! Served à la carte the day we went for lunch: lovely raw mullet marinated with beets, hibiscus and cornichon; a lovely pearly white, line-caught pollack with sparassis, garlic cream and Tarbes beans that happily avoided ending up in a cassoulet; before roasted greengage plums with creamy rice pudding and crushed coffee beans for the silky smooth yet slightly less polished dessert. Other options on the lunch menu include slow-roasted beets with brousse cheese, mint, tahini vinaigrette and dukkah; slow-roasted Aubrac beef cheeks with pimentón-spiced roasted parsnips and celery; a roasted pear with faisselle cheese and a hazelnut crumble, plus beautiful cuts of meat to share – slow-roasted Ibaiama suckling pig; free-range lamb with buckwheat and a thyme jus…. // M.R.
FEELING THIRSTY? Toast withplenty of natural wines: a Loire Chenin from Dominique Reau (€7 a glass), a Gaillac red from Plageoles (€25 a bottle), La Guerrerie, a Touraine red from Thierry Puzelat (€36 a bottle), a Mâcon-Chaintré vieilles vignes from the Domaine Philippe Valette (€51)…
PRICE: Menu €18-22 (lunch), à la carte €35-48, shared dishes €23-28.
