Are Greg Marchand’s sophisticated bistro and wine bar interchangeable? As you watch the staff flit between the two on either side of Rue du Nil, you might just think so… And yet at number 6 (rough stone walls, an ornate bar, an open kitchen), the original Frenchie’s flamboyant menus give way to a series of small plates, cooked up according to the inspiration of the moment. For us, the night we went: crisp gougères served with za’atar and labneh; juicy free-range chicken with brioche, wild mushrooms and a cheddar/vin jaune sauce; tagliolini alle vongole that was a little too salty, unfortunately; before an intensely flavorful baba au rhum made with whiskey instead of rum, with an oozy salted butter caramel and Sao Tomé coffee center. // G.D
FEELING THIRSTY? There’s a book of wine that’s as thick as the Bible, including twenty-some wines served by the glass (a Savagnin from Dugois at €7 a glass, a Burgundy red from Henri and Gilles Buisson at €9, a Jurançon from the Domaine de Souch at €10…), and the biggest names in naturalism: Kreydenweiss, Reynaud, Berlioz, Overnoy, Massereau, Barret… (bottles starting at €30).
PRICE: Small plates €7-34.
