In their luminous café that combines vintage furniture, a tiled bar and bouquets of wildflowers, Bouchra Zahar (a former elementary school teacher) and Delphine Marleix (a former interior decorator) pamper the Croix-Rousse neighborhood with bowls overflowing with love. The star of the house? Their buddha bowls that are always inspired and locally sourced, a far cry from the classic avocado-grain-hummus combo. For us, the day we went for lunch: incredible Japanese-style scrambled eggs with sprouts; a bowl of the day with spicy linguine all’arrabbiata, plus tender zucchini and fennel in a Parmesan gratin, delicious green lentils, pickled carrots and shallots, all intensified by a beautiful spicy chicken skewer; before a generous homemade apricot/orange blossom clafoutis that had us weak in the knees. Otherwise, opt for a tasty brunch of scrambled eggs, farm-fresh regional cheeses, granola and homemade pastries, etc. // G.V.
FEELING THIRSTY? Fruit juices (orange, apricot, apple-strawberry, €3), Lemonaid, Charitea (€3.70) filtered V60 coffee (€2.90) and a few natural wines: a Gard white from the Domaine de Rapatel (3.70 a glass), an Hérault red from André Bourguet (€11 a carafe)…
PRICE: Plates €6-11, desserts €4. Brunch €18.
