I read a statistic recently that by 2048 there will be no more seafood left to catch except jellyfish. The straits are indeed dire. There are no more fish in the sea.  This is a rather scary thought given what a bad fisherman I am; my first catch was a total turbot, the second was a bit of a grunter, there were a couple in there that should have still been with the school, and I’m sure I’ve caught a prawn or two in my time.

Pray tell, how am I to find a decent sole amongst all the flounders?

Luckily chef Bertrand Grébaut is a much better fisherman than I.  After opening the wildly successful Septime (which came in at number 49 in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013), followed by the equally popular wine bar Septime Cave, his latest venture with Théo Pourriat – oyster bar/seafood shack Clamato is set to take Paris by storm.

Fitted out with seven tables and a long bar-stooled counter, the décor of the Rue de Charonne haunt screams brut minimalism at its cosiest with its wooden chairs, mismatched coloured tables, flatteringly dim lighting and trendy school-camp tin crockery.

The name leaves a bit to be desired (I place this portmanteau in the same category as Cronut or Brangelina), and it seems a particularly odd choice given there is no clammed up tomato juice actually on the menu (although rumor has it a clammy Bloody Mary is set to make a cameo). But thankfully the bivalves make up in taste for what the name lacks in goût.

Along with the creamy, fresh oysters from Normandy, Utah Beach and Maldon (served with a spicy homemade Tabasco and a shallot vinaigrette), the kitchen dishes up an ever-changing selection of delectable delights including a mean veal tartare topped with homemade chips, a decidedly scrumptious Banka trout with raw cream and pickles, gigantic sea urchins from Brittany, deliciously moreish cod fritters with wankaina sauce, line-caught maigre with coriander and radishes, and an indulgent lobster with tarragon mayonnaise.  But be sure to save room for the maple syrup tart with Chantilly cream – it is indescribably, decadently delicious.

Clamato is a little Parisian gem; the service is friendly, professional and genuine; the wine list features a carefully picked selection of natural and biodynamic wines from around Europe; and the fare is honest, innovative and very well executed.

The restaurant takes no reservations, and it is already, unsurprisingly, extremely popular – so get in quick before all the good fish have been snapped up.

Clamato
80 rue de Charonne 75011 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 72 74 53
Métro: Charonne
Open: 19h till 23h Wednesday to Sunday. Non-stop service from 12h till 23h Saturday and Sunday.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)