Le Grand Bain
Dish to order: anything topped with a smoky smiley-face egg
This tumble-down tapas joint in a street-art-bedecked side alley in Belleville is one of the city’s must-visit neo-bistros. Of late, the food has gotten even more daring in the capable hands of Toms Berzins, formerly of Frenchie: His surf-and-turf blend of monkfish and confit pigeon leg is seasoned with a sweet-and-savoury mélange of grilled peaches, white cheddar sauce, and tamarind. A special nod to the plant-driven offerings here, which never give mere lip service to vegetarians. A bouquet of artichokes is served like a vase of tulips, topped with glistening gems of Charente trout eggs. Focaccia, meanwhile, comes topped with a tumble of mushrooms, caramelised leeks, and a smoked smiley face egg that’s become Berzins’ signature. Emily Monaco
Address: 14 Rue Dénoyez, 75020 Paris
Website: legrandbainparis.com
L’Almanach Montmartre
Dish to order: one of the fanciful dishes created with the visiting artist
On the far side of touristy Butte Montmartre, this homey restaurant unites art and cuisine in more ways than one. Each seasonally-driven menu is developed in partnership with a visiting artist, whose work informs and inspires Chef-Owner Léo Giorgis’ culinary creations. A cuttlefish and sunchoke dish infused with rich squid ink could counterbalance Janique Bourget’s monochromatic white paper designs, while a vibrant green-and-orange palette of a soft-boiled egg with vegetable zabaglione and salmon roe may engage with Iseult Perrault’s colorful floral compositions. The high concept never eclipses the culinary artistry; from internationally-accented appetisers scented with curry or ponzu to desserts as fanciful as kiwi-coconut tiramisu, make no mistake: Giorgis always puts flavour first. Emily Monaco
Address: 35 Rue Ramey, 75018
Website: almanac-montmartre.fr
Bofinger
Dish to order: seafood choucroute and crêpes Suzette flambéed tableside
This French brasserie institution is an ode to Old World glamour. Each dining room boasts soaring ceilings and mother-of-pearl inlay. Even the bathroom door is made of stained glass. And the more-is-more mentality continues on the plate, with a menu of towering seafood platters, copious bistro classics like escargots and French onion soup, and hearty regional specialties from eastern French Alsace. The seafood choucroute is a must: Slow-cooked, juniper-spiked sauerkraut is crowned with haddock, salmon, prawns, and horseradish beurre blanc. But you can’t go wrong with sole meunière or the signature vol au vent, with its puff pastry shell stuffed generously with chicken stew and veal sweetbreads. For dessert, choose a showstopper en flambée like classic crêpes Suzette, a spectacle that more than suits the space. Emily Monaco
Address: 5-7, rue de la Bastille, 75004
Website: bofingerparis.com
Dining and Cooking