A British-style gastro-pub in the heart of Paris, The Public House is headed by Chef Calum Franklin.
If for no other reason than that it signalled the demise of one of the worst and most dispiriting restaurants in the capital – the horrendous American Dream – many long-time Anglophone residents of Paris are in love with this new British gastropub in the heart of the city. Its vivid Alice-in-Wonderland take on Anglo tavern décor was signed, however, by Paris-based designer Laura Gonzalez, who likes extravagant mixtures of hue and pattern, and here her touch mostly works to create spaces that have a convincingly eccentric, if slightly staged, British charm. Perhaps because I’m still traumatised by the abrupt withdrawal of Marks & Spencer from France for the second time since I’ve lived here (this time round Brexit was the culprit) and because I occasionally liked pub grub from my London days, first as a penniless student and then as a busy editor, I was happy to meet a Scottish friend for lunch here a few weeks ago. I think our first surprise was that the place was heaving, because the French have long had a theatrical disdain for British cooking.
Young British chef Calum Franklin, who’s become known as the ‘Pie King’ from his years making artistically latticed savoury pies at London’s Holborn Dining Room, was lured across the Channel to lead the gastronomic crusade to convince the French that there’s good food in the UK. Many Parisians – secret Anglophiles – know this already and are quietly keen fans of British farmhouses cheeses, Colman’s mustard, Tiptree’s jams, and other Anglo staples, slamming on the breaks just short of Bird’s Custard and Marmite, because they just can’t). Still, lan couldn’t hold back a guffaw after glancing around. “Kind of takes the mick to see a bunch of French eating pies,” was his take on things.