After having delighted customers on Rue du Cherche-Midi, Marion Trama and Paul Hayat have opened up a very cool café/bookstore on the slopes of Sainte-Geneviève, beautifully decorated by Marie Carmarans – a midnight blue storefront, a marble bar, a massive family-style table with views of the tree-lined courtyard. There, Paul revises his (neo)-classical dishes in the kitchen, combining the standards from the late Café Trama (including one of the best croque monsieurs in Pairs made with truffle salt, which is served all day long) with his inspirations of the moment. Our last lunch there including a stunning Normandy diver scallop carpaccio, tickled by a dash of hazelnut oil; pan-fried Portobello mushrooms with crisp fennel and a combo of crushed pistachios and pomegranate seeds; before a sublime mango tarte tatin, paired with a very vanilla-heavy scoop of ice cream concocted by Alain Trama – the former chef of the aforementioned Café, who sometimes pops in to treat the crowd to his mouthwatering desserts. // Bérénice Delmy
FEELING THIRSTY? A few well-chosen wines: a Touraine white from the Joussets (€8 a glass), a Gaillac red from the Domaine Plageoles (€39 a bottle), craft Deck & Donohue beers (€6 for 330 ml), ginger lemonade (€6) or even some magical hot chocolate prepared using Plaq chocolate (€6).
PRICE: Breakfast €5-9, croque monsieurs €18, plates €10-23, desserts €9-10.
Save this spot in the Fooding app, available on iOS! Download it now in the app store.
