For over 30 years, Tim Johnston has been celebrating the “Auld Alliance” between France and Scotland his way, in his wine bar with beautiful bottles and small French plates. Between crates of wine, children’s drawings and photos of rugby clubs, his daughter Margaux (who took over the family business in 2014) and her husband Romain Roudeau (ex-La Régalade), send out clean, unfussy dishes. The night we went: monkfish acras with homemade harissa and crisp salad; generous pork chops from the Ferme de Clavisy with new potatoes, roasted eggplant, zucchini and carrots, perfectly paired with a peanut paste and a fresh lemony salad; before an irresistible vanilla rice pudding served with toffee-style salted whiskey caramel.
FEELING THIRSTY? There are only very good options to choose from in his wine-o-theque of a hundred often natural or biodynamic wines. A Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits red from Patrice Rion (€8 a glass), a Côtes-de-Provence rosé from the Château de Roquefort (€28 a bottle), a Viré-Clessé from Denis Jeandeau (€47)…
PRICE: Set menus €18 (lunch), €26 and €32 (dinner), à la carte €40-55.