Paris is alive and well as far as I can see, at least on the culinary front. There is a lot of osmosis going on with London, New York and Tokyo. French chefs have been abroad and eager to return to share their experience. Meanwhile, the Japanese invasion continues! Maybe it's low rent or low interest rate loans, but 2014 boasted the most restaurant openings ever in the capital. Another observation is that the 11th still rules on the culinary map. Here are some recent finds, some spontaneous and others less so.
- Clamato (11th): Septime's little sister, what a gem.
- Yard (11th): probably my second favourite of this trip; St John's meets Paris down deep in the 11th. Maybe because we were hungry, but the Cod, Lentils and Salsa Verde were dynamite!
- Buvette (9th): lovely Pigalle location, NY chef hits the bullseye with a bistro that is Frencher than French. Great casual vibe, gutsy food.
- Clown Bar (11th): bar-cum-bistro next door to the Cirque d'Hiver. Short menu, simple parings, great Morgon, slick and hip. Fooding's best bistro for 2015.
- Pages (8th): upscale near l'Etoile, no star yet but I guarantee they will have one next time I go. Yet another example of a Japanese chef perfecting modern French cuisine with Japanese discipline and technique. Teshima-san is ex Passage 53, maybe one of the first French restaurants in Paris with a Japanese chef to get stars. There are many others, including Abri.
- Hai Kai (10th): a bit amateur but I get it! True farm to table, young chefs and service. Nice location on Canale St Martin.
- Spring (2nd): this has been on my list for ages and while it didn't disappoint there's so much competition now!
- Juveniles (6th): more a wine bar with good food run by a Scotsman and his daughter. The chef is Romain Roudeau formerly from La Regalade. Vegetables come alive, but great beef cheek too.
- Penati al Baretto (11th): Ligurian food on rue Balzac. Didn't make it this time. Apparently nice Paccheri stuffed with diced scorpion and a spider crab sauce.
- Chez Aline (11th): more of a cafe in an old horsemeat butcher's shop, looks superb but sadly no time.
- Verre Vole (11th): a wine bar with emphasis on food, next time.
- El Cafe Bar (11th): a real hole in the wall, just the way I like it.
