Salicorne

Finally, a café worthy of that name in the Batignolles neighborhood! Run by Irish chef Carol Pender, who used to work at Mokonuts, Salicorne (celadon green walls, school chairs, bouquets of dried flowers) keeps the neighborhood well-fed at lunchtime with market cooking centered around seasonal vegetables and briny seafood, which was nicely balanced the day we went for lunch: a small bowl of wild clams (which were a teeny bit sandy, unfortunately) cooked with garlic and white wine; a flavorful octopus ragù with creamy polenta under a deluge of baby lettuce and cavolo nero; before a comforting tartlet-tartine topped with mascarpone cream, pomelo, clementine and candied orange, which wasn’t even too sweet. Also worth noting is the wine bar feel at night (black mullet aguachile, clams in a ginger and chili pepper broth, fresh pasta with octopus ragù…), as well as the épicerie corner where you can bring home unusual bottles, Plaq chocolate bars and even coffee beans from the Colombian micro-roaster Espeletia. // Kelly Slatée

FEELING THIRSTY? Micro-brewery beers (including a blanche from the Brasserie du Grand Paris at €6 for 330 ml), and no fewer than 70 wines from France and abroad – a Jura Grenache from Olivier Boulin at €7 a glass, a Greek Xinomavro from the Thymiopoulos estate at €27 a bottle…
PRICE: Set menus €22-27 (lunch), à la carte €31-47 (dinner).