Ima Cantine

In their cool vegetarian café near the Canal Saint-Martin, Joe Elliot and Victoria Werlé (ex-Cream) pamper all the mamma’s boys and girls of East Paris. To a backdrop of blonde wood and exposed bricks, the cuisine is deeply nourishing here at Ima (“mamma” in Hebrew). The day we went, included in the daily brunch: cilbir, a Turkish dish composed of two poached eggs in yogurt with mint pesto and spicy oil, plus sesame spinach and soft homemade pita bread (€10.50), then pancakes with ricotta, raw cream, fresh red berries, maple syrup and date molasses (€10). Other options include salads that are bursting with freshness, like bok choy, green asparagus, peas, spelt and feta – or baby lettuce with roasted eggplant, burrata, saffron yogurt and dukkah – €12.50 for the small version, €15.50 for the XL. The sweets will put you in a joyful mood: chocolate-date cookies, apple muffins or homemade Breton shortbread cookies (from €2.50 to €5). And to drink, all the basics are there: Fentimans rose lemonade (€4.50), fresh blood orange, lime, carrot, ginger and beetroot juice (€5), etc. À la carte €15-30. // C.LeH.