Best bar d’auteur of 2019
Here’s the undeniable proof that we were in a typically Parisian bistro the day we went for lunch: a Japanese TV crew was filming all the interiors, from the old zinc bar, to the Art Nouveau tiles and the paintings dating back to 1911. Snatched up by Franck Audoux (an ex-gallery owner and a partner of Le Châteaubriand) and named Cravan after the boxer and poet from the Dada movement, the Best Bar d’auteur of 2019 sucker punches all the codes for cafés in the 16th arrondissement! Here, you won’t find any wines, beers or fries… however, on the menu that’s as short as a haiku, expect meticulously sourced produce that’s transformed into lovely dishes. Our lunch featured: a delicious (but very expensive!) lobster roll with blue Breton lobster, sourdough bread, sea urchin mayonnaise and pickles; chocolate mousse with olive oil and Maldon salt – or a levitating Eton mess. In the morning, it’s all about the incredible breakfast: really good homemade granola, tartines made on bread from Circus Bakery, or a rather unusual finding of freshly-made porridge. It’s worth knowing that Cravan has the perfect thing at brunchtime on the weekend: Aveyron lamb roast with vegetables and Yorkshire pudding. // A.B.
FEELING THIRSTY? Hexagon coffee (€2.50), sleek cocktails like the elegant French 75 with an anise touch (gin, absinthe, Champagne, €14) or a subtle Bloody Mary (vodka, tomato passata, spices, €12).
PRICE: Plates €8-35, roast lunch €32 (Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm).
