Kitchen Galerie Bis

Kitchen Galerie Bis is wanna-be-fancy spot, as the name suggests. Almost artsy in a light, colorful way, the place looks elegant at first, once you enter. The kitchen is hidden behind a glass pane at the end of the room, where the doings of the chefs are exposed for the curious. The place aims to please at the same time, the French-Asian kitchen fanatics (of which Paris is surprisingly full) and people feeling at ease with easy accessible designs. I'm not in either of those categories, but was lead to the place by the numerous good reviews.

However, the food is not at artistic heights. And sometimes it seemed that classical deeds of craftsmanship and savoir-faire were lost too. The ideas behind the small consommés and the too extensive use of roots and other - often raw - vegetables were rarely clear, and in any case not successful. Portions in the tasting menu were not proportionate. The level was simply quite far from what you would expect for a restaurant approaching gastronomical price levels.

A pity. But the bar on the other side of the street can help cheer you up in case you end up going despite my strong advice of the opposite...

La Petite Sirène de Copenhague

This small gem is located in the middle of the vibrant and lively 9th district, where good restaurants are popping up almost on a weekly basis. However, the Danish patron is here to stay. In fact, he already has for more than a decade. And he does it quite well. The kitchen is surely recognizably Danish, although the location in Paris has not passed without affecting the style slightly. And be aware, this is not the place to encouter the new Scandinavian kitchen, the style is light and elegant, although still mainly traditional, which probably also why it remains so popular in Paris. Although focus is on seafood particularly, all dishes are well-prepared and well-presented servings with clear Danish origins. Most definitely worth a visit.

lapetitesireneparis.com/index.php/en/

Le Mary Celeste

A nice and cool spot. On a corner in the upper Marais, this seafood tapas bar is a good acquaintance. If you drop by during the afternoon, you will surely find pleasure enjoying the small sea food tastings in the large bar with a glass of wine. A couple of oysters. Some urchins. A healthy snack made on beets. Not really sophisticated, but very elegant and simply good. If you're still hanging out in the evening, or if you just happen to drop by later on, the place turns into a real restaurant with a bit more comprehensive menu. The somewhat narrow, but good selection of wines is mostly natural. Despite some reservations to natural wines, we only had rich and very beautifully harmonic wines. Excellent. Reasonable prices.

www.lemaryceleste.com

Cave Nansouty

A lively place that is much better than it looks from the outside. Sounds scary? well, just try it then... A very easy going classical no bullshit-bistro. Very good wines - selected to please rather than to show off. 

Le Pantruche

Le Pantruche is an excellent new charming bistro, located in a small side street, right off the vibrant Rue des Martyrs. Discrete, but warmly decorated, and with perhaps just as many tables inside as you could imagine. As both guests and staff are nice, open and accommodating; the proximity of a large number of potential friends just adds to the vibe of the place. The kitchen is inventive, but solidly grounded. Particularly worth exploring is the excellent application of fish and sea food, for example in oyster tartare, mackerel, or the likes. Wines are good - some even very good - and available for a bargain. Most definitely worth the visit - again...

lepantruche.com

Benoit

One of the institutions on the Parisian bistro scene, now taken over by Ducasse, but still emphasizing the tradition in the cuisine francaise. The menu is not surprising and does not aim to be so either. The interior very charming and more welcoming than indicated by the pulsating location in Rue Saint-Martin, not too far away from Les Halles. Waiters are impeccably dressed, and even behaved, and English is noticeably customary for a classical French bistro. So the food... obviously overpriced. And perhaps the chef's attention to elaborate collations is higher than on the less fancy but hearty bistro food.  A number of dishes are nicely presented and very tasty (although still to the classical and very heavy side), but others less so, ending up being pretentious and trivial. A plain countryside dish such as cassoulet could be heavenly, but is simply not. Wines are well selected, but the price-value ratio is not decent and considerably below average. All in all, a decent experience, but you'll find better bistros in Paris for half the price...

www.benoit-paris.com

L'Atelier Saint Germain de Joel Robuchon

Admittedly, this is a bit more sophisticated than most of my usual bistros. But no excuses. Sometimes you just need to get your references clear. Still, despite a cuisine elaboree d'exception, the place is low key and cosy. But make no mistake, Joel Robuchon is now more than a restaurant, it's an international brand - for better and for worse. At the Atelier Saint Germain you enter a discretely designed place where you immediately get the feeling that kitchen is king: No tables, just bar counters with the hardworking food artists behind. And the beutiful thing in a high end place like this, Once seated, you simply feel at ease, the atmosphere is relaxed. The food is of course excellent. No faults. Very refined and well thought through concepts. The idea is based on small tapas style dishes, French haute cuisine in a modern presentation. For example, simple traditional dishes as oef cocotte, remade in a symphony of crayfish, peas, egg and black truffle. Simple ideas, but very eloquently executed. It is worth the quite considerable money spent, although the wines are quite pricey for Parisian standards, particularly by the glass.

www.joel-robuchon.net/

Evi Evane

If you really want to go out for Greek food when in Paris, where to go? Evi Evane is one of the places. Despite the very central location around Saint Germain and Mabillion, the place is very reasonably priced and things are good. Like in Greece: Not sophisticated or extravagant, just simple and well prepared. A very nice and cosy place. Challenge yourself and try the greek wine - it's actually quite decent. 

Huitres et Saumons de Passy

A really good place. As the name indicate, they serve oysters and salmon. Plain and simple. But good. No non-sense, simply just fresh seafood. In one of the small side streets from the bourgeois Passy area, you find this hole small place, practically not much more than a hole in the wall, a small serving kitchen behind a counter - and that's basically it. A perfect spot for a round of oysters or a fresh ceviche. Good and very reasonably priced wines.

www.huitres-et-saumons-de-passy.com

La raLLonge

La RaLLonge is just next to another excellent restaurant by the same patron, la Table d'Eugene (see http://pariseur.blogspot.fr/2012/12/la-table-deugene.html). La RaLLonge is a modern looking tapas bar with excellent jamon iberico, cheeses, a variety of seafood, small elegant and well prepared dishes; this place is an excellent to pass an evening. No reservations are possible in order to keep guests mainly local - and so the crowd is. From half past seven the tables are getting full, and hopeful newcomers quickly fill out the space in between. The food is well thought out and generally very good - although some dishes work less well and a few faults are spotted in the execution. But a very cool and place. Exellent wines. 

Bouillon Racine

Bouillon Racine is in the category of old style classically elegant boulevard brasseries of the rive gauche. Very decorative, and despite some kaleidoscopical interior design anachronisms, the place is most definitely charming. The staff is friendly and attentive, perhaps because the number of american tourists raise the average tips to something way way beyond the quite moderate Parisian standards. The menu is classical, but not quite as well executes as it should be.

www.bouillonracine.com

Marcel

This modern looking cafe serves well-prepared breakfast and brunch all days from 10 and throughout the day. A cool, young team, preparing and selling good stuff, creates an excellent vibe du quartier. On  a charming corner of the upper back side of Montmartre, the place has an ease and calm that would make you come back, also even if the Eggs Benedict were not irresistible (they are...).

www.marcelmarcel.fr 

Le cafe lomi

How strange indeed that Paris, with its countless cafes, have so few places where you can get a decent cup of coffee... Cafe Lomi, however, is one of these few places. Remotely placed in the 18th, on the boarder of the hipster'ish area behind Montmartre and the not quite so area around Porte de la Chapelle, the place has some particular vibe of its own. New York style interior and most often crowded with people. And good, freshly roasted coffee, both single estates and their own blends. One of the better coffee dealers in the northern part of Paris. 

www.cafelomi.com

Les cocottes

A cocotte is a kind of stew pan used for simmer food. Les cocottes is one in a line of three restaurants from Christian Constant, located just next to each other (see also http://pariseur.blogspot.fr/2013/01/cafe-constant.html). The place is warm and has a good ambience, although the well known chef also here implies a quite touristy and international vibe. You dine at high chairs and tables and in the long and cool looking wooden bar. The wine selection is of course very good, and the food also delivers to some extent, although the concept of basic recipes in cocottes is less preparations a la grand mere and more a kind of stunt in the servings. Which actually is a bit a shame. A bit pricy too. A good experience, although you're left with the feeling of missing out on something.

maisonconstant.com

Milord

Context is everything: Imagine that the sun is shining warmly on the first sunny spring day in Paris. You are wandering carelessly on the butte de Montmatre enjoying the weather, the people and the extraordinary places on your way. You feel like a brunch. This place appears in front of you, covering the pavement with uneven tables on the mounting street. People are passing by, saying hi, telling stories, passing by again, walking their dogs, their wives or even their mistresses. And you're enjoying your brunch. Very simple although overwhelming and not expensive (the word cheap doesn't really sound nice). So you can simply chill in the afternoon sun while enjoying the generous plates. Feels good.