In one of the capital’s dullest neighborhoods, located between Champ-de-Mars and the Palais Bourbon, the lovely Fumitoshi Kumagai (ex-Loiseau des Vignes in Beaune) improves the mood of grumpy diners. At Le Gentil, a discreet, minimalist refuge (immaculate walls, blonde wooden furniture), the Japanese chef puts forth unpretentious, seasonal fare. The other day at lunch, his unbeatable €26 menu (we are in the 7th arrondissement after all!) featured: a creamy and refreshing chilled tomato soup, which was more indulgent than gazpacho but no less cooling; delicious beef carpaccio in a thick and dizzyingly delicious soy sauce, served with an assortment of fried broccoli, sautéed potatoes, crisp haricots verts, thinly sliced white onions, arugula, and a beautiful, achingly tender eggplant marinated in soy sauce; before a light mascarpone mousse hiding under a veil of fruity treasures (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, banana). At night, Fumitoshi takes things up a notch (and the prices are increased accordingly): plancha-grilled octopus; pan-fried foie gras; cod with red lentils and a shellfish sauce; cheesecake; almond tofu… // Albert Gredinbar
FEELING THIRSTY? A nice selection of rather traditional wines: a Bordeaux white from the Château Moulin du Sud (€6 a glass), a Côtes-du-Jura red from Guillaume Overnoy (€56 a bottle), a Chablis from the Château de Fleys (€48)… Otherwise, there’s a beautiful selection of Japanese teas to choose from.
PRICE: Menus €25-27 (lunch), à la carte €55-60 (dinner).
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