Red brick walls, a marble bar, leather banquette seating, long mirrors… Ever since serial restaurateur David Lanher (La Crèmerie, Le Bon Saint Pourçain, Anima, Cèna…) opened up this charming restaurant across from the Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin church, neighborhood foodies have been flocking there with their eyes closed and mouths wide open. The person responsible for such an enthusiastic response? Zakariya Badda, a talented chef who trained at Substance and Le Laurent, who unveils cuisine that walks the line between traditional fare and risk-taking compositions. Consider the day we went for lunch as an example, and the flawless menu: heirloom tomatoes served diced and as tempura (including a deliciously tangy green zebra tomato), with burrata and basil ice cream, all surrounded by a thick gazpacho poured tableside; hand-cut veal tartare prepared like a vitello tonnato, with tuna mayonnaise and capers, sprinkled with puffed up buckwheat groats, plus slivers of citrus and a sublime sorrel condiment; before a delightful cherry and anise compote, along with fresh cherries and cherry sorbet, plus chantilly, a financier and crumble topping. // Albert Gredinbar
FEELING THIRSTY? Beautiful bottles at steep prices: a Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine from the Domaine Luneau-Papin (€12 a glass), Maurice, a Beaujolais made by Marc Delienne (€12), a Montagny premier cru from Albert Bichot (€110 a bottle), Saint-Urbain, a Marsannay produced by Jean Fournier (€95)…
PRICE: Prix-fixe menus €38-45 (lunch), €68-79 (4 or 6 courses, dinner), à la carte €55-95.
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