Back in 2017, Japanese chef Yoshinori Morié (ex-Petit Verdot and Auberge du 15) set himself up in this stone-filled space right near Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Under the whitewashed rafters, there are stone walls and wooden panels carved with kumiko patterns, a few tables and comfortable blue chairs with views of the kitchen, where, even more serene than Master Yoda, the chef carefully prepares his floral dishes. Featured on the €45 lunchtime package – served with fabulous bread from Thierry Delabre: a delicate suckling veal tartare with small cauliflower buds, clams from Carnac, crisp Piedmont hazelnuts, briny sea beans and three borage blossoms to bring some blue hues to your plate; robust, thick-sliced pork loin from Dordogne, over a greeny-bronze lovage and black Kalamata olive coulis, dotted with mini yellow chanterelles and pink radishes sliced in half; before a Taïnori dark chocolate dessert with buckwheat tuiles and meadowsweet ice cream covered with yellow and purple petals. These are works of art served at both lunch and dinner on various tasting menus, including some with caviar! The other night, for example: spider crab meat with zucchini and cilantro stem jelly; browned veal sweetbreads with carrots and black cardamom; fig ice cream from Pierre Baud with yogurt sorbet and licorice-scented basil… // D.C.
FEELING THIRSTY? Skip over the 2004 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Château Rayas (€900 a bottle) and ask sommelier Olivier Marchand for some advice… He’ll give you some welcome suggestions: a Languedoc white from the Mas d’Espanet (€9 a glass), a red Bourgogne-Chitry from Olivier Morin (€10), a red Saint-Joseph from François Villard (€60 a bottle), a Pouilly-Fumé from Alexandre Bain (€75 a bottle)…
PRICE: Menus €35 (lunch except Saturday), €45-68-120 (lunch), €70 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night), €95-150 (dinner).
