Le Jourdain

Rough walls, an octopus-like light fixture, metal rafters… Inside this cool bistro with a focus on seafood, the friendly Antoine Houdré (ex-L’Esquisse) has created a lively hangout for bon vivants in a rather gloomy part of the Belleville neighborhood. The night we went, Béarn-native Baptiste Capdeboscq prepared some impressive tapas: good shrimp tartare with mascarpone and a bed of finely chopped beetroot (€7); somewhat sleepy yellow pollack ceviche (€7); excellent fine de claire n°3 oysters (€10 for three); delicious prawn ravioli in bisque, with grilled baby squid and cream of piquillo peppers (€7); salted caramel rice pudding (€5)… At lunch, there’s a friendly set menu for under 15 bucks – for example, grilled mackerel with cream of watercress, followed by Aveyron veal chops. And don’t forget about the mussels and fries served Saturdays at lunch (€15) and the very natural wines selected by Antoine: a joyful white Anjou from Pithon-Paillé (€5 a glass), a good-humored Languedoc red from Catherine Bernard (€6), an Alsace white from Philippe Brand (€33 a bottle), etc. Menu €14.90 to €17.30 (weekday lunch), tapas €5-10. // A.A.