The notion of a long boozy lunch is about as Australian as a game of cricket on Christmas. In Paris, however lunchtime has a well-observed time frame of 12.30-14.00pm. So when friends from home come to visit they are often shocked to find they are being shown the restaurant sortie well before the sozzling has started. Luckily (or perhaps not so for the establishment) I can now direct them to Haï Kaï; the hip new Canal-side restaurant that opens its doors from 10am til midnight, 6 days a week.

Haï Kaï (a reference to a form of traditional Japanese verse) is the new venture by the fabulously diverse threesome, chef Amélie Darvas (ex Bristol, Meurice, Ami Jean), foodie/wine connoisseur/photographer Gaby Benicio and comedian/interior decorator Elsa Kikoïne.

Don’t be fooled by the tagged-up façade – the sleek, light-filled interior is all hardcore normcores sipping Chablis and eavesdropping on the open kitchen. Indeed Haï Kaï has all the elements of a successful bobo hangout with its Scandi design, delicious, light, innovative flower-topped dishes and peonies on the counter in as many shades as there are styles of Nike Air Max under the tables.

Darvas serves up ever-changing dishes that are equally as stunningly on the palate as they are on the plate. We devoured our delightful prix-fixe lunch menu (€17 for two courses or €23 for three), which included a serving of juicy tender pork with the most incredibly moreish mustard mash, line-caught mackerel and a mouthwatering coconut lime crème brûlée, while basking in the sun filled room overlooking Canal Saint Martin.  Beautiful, unpretentious food, in a stylish, welcoming space – Haï Kaï is indeed a welcome addition to the canal-side community.

What can I say? You had me at Haï.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Haï Kaï
104, quai de Jemmapes Paris 75010
+33 9 81 99 98 88
metro: Jacques Bonsergent, Goncourt, Colonel Fabien
haikai.fr

 

Overhearing someone wax lyrical about their latest cupping session, debating various methods of extraction or the merits of a cold drip, you may be forgiven for thinking they were talking about day spa treatments.  But, thanks to an influx of highly skilled and passionate baristas, coffee-centric catchwords like this have become standard in Parisian café banter. It is safe to say that the days of bad brews in this city have bean and gone.

These days in Paris, all the cool kids are ordering chemex.

Boot is the latest by-product of the Parisian coffee revolution; and this little Marais-based hole-in-the-wall café just couldn’t be more delightful.   At only 4m² Boot café is (somewhat ironically) a literal shoebox, but the owners – a furniture designer by the name of Phil Euell and his fashion-industry partner Elsa Dahan – have managed to create a sleek and welcoming little hangout.

The pair set up shop in what was once a shoe repair studio (I guess you could say the old cobbler got the boot) and have retained the charming blue shop-front with its original Cordonnerie sign.  Meanwhile Euell, who designed the layout of the interior and built much of the furniture including the counter, tables and shelves himself, has transformed the interior into a beautiful light-filled little space complete with white tiles, colourful chairs and marble bench tops.

The coffee by Belleville Brûlerie is (needless to say) amazing, as are the ridiculously moreish sweets by Emperor Norton (the prevalence of these amongst great coffee shops in Paris is becoming a problem as I have now developed a worrying daily 3pm craving for the EN chocolate chip oat cookie).

If you’re lucky enough to nab one of the three small tables take a seat and have a chat with the very charming barista Rachel while you sip your cortado. Otherwise grab your coffee-to-go because, as the sign on the window explains with true Nancy Sinatra finesse, these coffees are made for walking.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Address: 19 rue du Pont aux Choux, 75003
Metro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart
Opening hours: Open every day except Monday.
Telephone: 06 26 41 10 66
Site: https://www.facebook.com/bootcafe

And never fear ladies, despite the name it ain’t all about the snaggers. You can have your fried snickers bar cake and eat it too (Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was famously caught downing numerous smoky chili dogs on a former political trip to Washington DC).

So dude up, and get on the bandwagon.

1.   The gourmet kebab from Grillé

A gourmet kebab shop why didn’t I think of it first? This is the thought that crossed my mind when I surveyed the long line of punters outside Grillé on a rainy Wednesday lunchtime.

The solid ménage à trois behind this ingeniously simply concept: Frédéric Peneau of Le Chateaubriand fame, Marie Carcassonne and boucher du jour Hugo Desnoyer, have got the mix just right. They serve high quality produce (pork, veal and suckling lamb by Desnoyer and herbs by Annie Bertin, all nicely wrapped up in a homemade organic flour pita) in a small chic setting (by Clément Blanchet, who designed Le Dauphin), with quick, friendly service. What more could you want?

Kebabs are served with a choice of two sauces: fromage frais and horseradish or green tomato and pepper, and adequately greasy finger-licking French fries.

Shish, it’s a darn good kebab, that’s all I can say.

15, rue Saint Augustin
Paris 75002
Open: Monday- Friday from 12 for lunch
Tél: 01 42 96 10 64
Métro: Bourse or Quatre-Septembre

2.   The arepas from Bululu Arepera

This trendy little hole-in-the-wall canteen brings a little bite of Venezuela to Paris. The team serve up exceptional little arepas (gluten-free corn pancakes) overflowing with hearty ensembles – think pulled pork, sausage, black beans and minced beef, Venezuelan cheese, tomato, cucumber and avocado, to be followed by moreish plantain chips and washed down with a rum-based cocktail in an artisanal jar.

20, rue de la Fontaine du But
Paris 75018
Open: Wednesday- Friday from 12pm to 2:30pm, 7:30pm to 11:00pm and Saturday, Sunday 12pm to 11pm
Tél: 01 42 54 96 25
Métro: Lamarck – Caulaincourt

3.   The burger from Blend

An oldie but a goodie. There is a constant heard of pretty young punters grazing out the front of this haute-Marais hangout just waiting to get their mitts on one of Blend’s famous burgers. And they have good reason: with freshly baked brioche buns, home-made ketchup, home ground cuts of meat chosen by esteemed Paris butcher Yves-Marie le Bourdonnec (Blend is named after the secret mélange of meat he puts in his patties), and homemade potato and sweet potato fries – the burgers from Blend simply never cease to please.   The Smoke (beef, smoked cheddar, homemade ketchup, mustard and honey) is a definite crowd pleaser, as is the more Gallic inspired Signature (beef, bacon and balsamic caramelized onion compote, bleu d’Auvergen, emmental and spinach) and there are vegetarian options for the less bovine inclined.

1, Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire
Paris 75003
Open: Monday- Sunday from 12pm to 11pm.
Métro: Saint-Sebastian Froissart

4.   The fried chicken sandwich from Verjus Wine Bar

I almost want to leave this section blank, as words simply cannot do justice to the fried chicken sandwich at Verjus Wine Bar. It is insanely good. And certainly not any old Colonel Sanders could whip up this little bad-boy; chef Braden Perkins brines the chicken overnight and twice-fries the nuggets to get a ridiculously crispy, juicy, tender, saporous taste sensation before nestling it, amidst a sneaky little slaw, in one of Emperor Norton’s pain au lait.

The confit wild boar sandwich with red cabbage sauerkraut, spicy mustard and arugula, and the duck meatball baguette with carrot slaw, sweet and sour vinaigrette and cilantro are, likewise, immensely enjoyable.

The 15€¬ lunchtime meal comes with one of these rad sandwiches, a drink, and a snickerdoodle (!) cookie or caramel brownie, which you do not need but polish off anyway, because it would be a crime not to.

47, rue de Montpensier
Paris 75001
Open: Tuesday to Friday from 12:30pm to 2pm
Tél: 01 42 97 54 40
Métro: Bourse or Pyramides

5.   Everything from Frenchie-to-Go

Everything on this US-centric menu qualifies as deliciously delectable dude food; from the hearty smoked bacon and egg English muffin, to the bacon and maple syrup scone, from the relish-topped pure beef brioche bun hotdog, to the sky-high pastrami on rye, from the mouth-watering pulled pork sandwich to the ambrosial beurre blanc covered lobster roll.

And I won’t even start on the hand-selected internationally imported craft beer carte.

The youngest addition to Gregory Marchand’s rue du Nil empire (which includes the exceedingly popular and forever full restaurant Frenchie and the equally as popular, no reservations wine bar Frenchie Bar à  Vins), Frenchie-to-go is simply a must-go.

9, rue du Nil
Paris 75002
Open: Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am to 5:30pm
Tél: 01 40 39 96 19
Métro: Sentier

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Le Pantruche, in Pigalle, has garnered quite a reputation
And I could happily say without hesitation
It’s the best bistro in the city
But more is the pity
‘Cause you can never get a darn reservation

No need to despair, you’re in for a treat
I’ve discovered a new favourite place to eat
Just to amuse your bouche
The team from Pantruche
Have opened another little bistro down the street!

This joint’s fast becoming the hippest new spot to dine
With its marble counters, open kitchen and Scandinavian design
The waiters are friendly
The patrons, super trendy
Oh, and did I mention, the food is totes divine?

Try the chef’s surprise menu, or go à la carte
(Just make sure you order the seared foie gras to start)
It’s no wonder they named this spot
After French painter Caillebotte
Because these dishes are truly works of art

I implore you to go there, if you get the chance
Perhaps next Friday, for a night of romance…
You’d definitely be onto a winner
If you took your Valentine here for dinner
Just make sure you book the table in advance!

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Caillebotte
8 rue Hippolyte Lebas
Paris 75009
Tel: 01 53 20 88 70
Metro: Cadet, Saint-Georges, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
Closed Saturday and Sunday

And so this week, instead of stalking Emmanuelle Alt, I have been steaking out the juiciest meat in Paris.  Voila, the steaks that made the cut:

Steaking Restaurant & Whiskey Bar

Set in what was once The London Tavern – an up-market singles club that turned into somewhat of an institution in the 70’s this lavish 3-storey steak and whiskey bar may have just become my new favourite hangout.  Start with a planche of pata negra or a risotto of mushroom and sparkling wine, before moving on to a world tour of A-Grade meat from Argentina, Spain, France, UK, Austria and USA. After your meal, make sure you check out the opulent whiskey bar on the 3^rd floor where it’s all smoke and mirrors and taxidermied peacocks and leather couches and single malts.

Steaking Restaurant & Whiskey Bar
3 Rue du Sabot 75006
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (valet parking available)
Tel: 01 42 22 78 82
http://www.steaking.fr

Bang!

This convivial new steak joint is the latest hot-spot to hit Canal Saint-Martin. The restaurant offers a wide selection of meat from all over the world (including kangaroo from Australia for the more adventurous) and a superior selection of natural wines, as well as a DIY option to cook your own meat (served with homemade BBQ sauce, tartare and chimichurri) on hot stones at your table.

If you’ve had a rough Saturday night and need to fix that wooden head, the Sunday brunch (poached egg with parmesan and bresaola, coleslaw, black angus beef or grilled prawns with fleur de sel and valrhona chocolate mousse) is bang! on the money.

Bang!
112 quai de Jemmapes 75010
Metro : Gare de l’Est, Colonel Fabien
Tel: 01 40 40 07 11
http://www.bang-restaurant.fr

Ma Chère & Tendre 

Touted as the meat and greet’ place for lovers of good steak, this sleek steakhouse in the 17^th is a true American export. Start with crab cakes like in Maryland’ or organic hand-cut black angus in three tartares, before moving onto a selection of quality Beef as you like it’ from around the world.

If you’re feeling a bit low in iron, the restaurant offers the It-Beef’ – a sampler of every meat on the menu including beef tartare, beef fillet, ribeye, skewers and hanger steak served with 5 sauces and two sides.

Ma Chère & Tendre
81 Boulevard Gouvion-Saint-Cyr 75017
Metro: Porte Maillot
Tel: 01 40 68 30 40
http://www.machereettendre.com

The Beef Club

Opened in April 2012, The Beef Club was the culinary debut (swiftly followed by the opening of The Fish Club) for the clever team behind the ever-popular clandestine cocktail bars Experimental Cocktail Club, Curio Parlor and Prescription Cocktail Club. Upstairs, the white tiled restaurant (set in an old butcher’s shop) serves up sumptuous cuts of prime UK beef, which have been dry aged for 30 days by renowned in-house butcher Yves-Marie Le Bourdonnec.   If you are feeling more cocktail than côte de boeuf, the unmarked black door to the side of the restaurant will lead you to a dimly-lit, red-walled world of plush velvet and mad cocktails.

The Beef Club
58 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau 75001
Metro: Les Halles, Etienne Marcel
Tel: 09 54 37 13 65
http://www.eccbeefclub.com

Maison-F

A restaurant where frites have their own menu is my kind of restaurant indeed. Maison-F, the uber-trendy, brand-spanking-new, architecturally designed restaurant in the 9^th, is Paris’ first ever haut-gamme frites specialist.  Choose from two types of traditional frites (allumettes or pont neuf), risotto fries (ah-mazing), sweet potato fries with coconut and lemon and an ever-changing frites’ of the day. For the meat, tuck into beautifully tender steak, hand-cut tartare, AAAA andouillette or a farm-reared poulet jaune fermière chicken from Gers with a side of deliciously caramelised vegetables.

The quality of the meat is superior and the frites, needless to say, are F-ing amazing.  So if you are after ridiculously tender steak, ridiculously moreish frites and ridiculously charming waiters, Maison-F is your one-stop shop.

Ps if you are bored this Wednesday, apparently one of the team members will be doubling as a talented drag performer at the bar downstairs- I personally can’t think of a better way to deal with hump day.

Maison-F
3 rue Rougemont 75009
Metro: Grands Boulevards
Tel: 01 42 46 23 16
http://www.maison-f.com

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

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)

Fondation Café

Hipsters may have ‘ruined Paris’, but this new kale-loving, steel-cut-oat-eating brand of young things have certainly done wonders for the city’s once woeful – if not altogether non-existent – coffee culture. And for that, I shall be eternally grateful.

Chris Nielsen, formerly of Ten Belles, is the latest bright young hipster spark to be making waves on the Paris cafe scene with Fondation Café; the espresso bar he opened in October this year. The charming antipodean expat has been creating a veritable storm in a lovely green coffee cup of late – serving up smooth brews, and fruity filters from behind the counter of his cosy, light-filled, Haut-Marais haunt.

The stripped-back interior, with its light wooden stools and tables, and sparse concrete bench top leaves the limelight to what is undoubtedly the main event in this intimate little coffee shop is the enormous spaceship-esque Kees van der Westen Spirit coffee machine, which Nielsen proudly informs me, is the first of its kind in Paris.

The coffee, from Parisian coffee roasters Belleville Brulerie, recently launched by Thomas Lehoux (Ten Belles), David Flynn (Le Bal and Telescope) and Anselme Blayney (Le Bal and Ten Belles) is, as one would expect, the perfect blend of smooth, complex and rich, and the banana cake by sweet-treat extraordinaire Emperor Norton was totally moreish.  Also on the menu: granola, toast with avocado (yay!) or ricotta and honey, as well as a selection of cakes, cookies and tarts.

It’s fair to say that with brews and banana bread as good as these, this hipster certainly ain’t getting a roasting from me.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Fondation Café
16 rue Dupetit Thouars 75003
8.30am – 6.00pm
Metro: Temple or Republique

I had always assumed that Philadelphia cheese (and Bruce Springsteen) came from Philadelphia.  I was wrong on both counts. I had also assumed that a philly cheesesteak actually contained Philadelphia cheese. I, thankfully, was also wrong about that.  And I had definitely assumed that if anyone were ever to make a philly cheesesteak in Paris, it would probably be “frenchified” in the same way as curry, tacos and sushi (which bizarrely does often actually contain Philadelphia cheese).

And boy was I wrong about that.

Following in the footsteps of other Parisian food trucks, the always delicious, ever-popular mobile burger joint Le Camion qui Fume’ has set up a stationary restaurant that serves, amongst other things, a phenomenal philly cheesesteak.

Freddie’s Deli – the charming, laid-back, all-American Belleville eatery – opened its aqua blue doors last month, and despite the August exodus, has had a steady stream of patrons ever since.  But, with a sandwich’ menu offering fillings like homemade pastrami with choucroute and thousand island dressing, shredded pork with guacamole and spicy cheese, tuna fillet with chipotle and crudités, and parmesan aubergine gratin with smoked cheese – I am not at all surprised.

I had the Freddie from Philly cheesesteak (with the spice it up option’) – fine slices of perfectly cooked entrecote steak nestled in amongst a mélange of diced, grilled peppers, onions and aubergine, topped with a spicy chipotle mayonnaise and replete with melted provolone which oozed in stringy goodness out the sides of a light, soft crust hoagie.

It was unbelievable.

And then there’s the Goodman – which should really be called the Greatman – with its high-rise stack of pickled-on-premises pastrami, cornichons and American mustard lounging in between slices of rye bread from boulanger extraordinaire Gontran Cherrier.

What’s more, there is Brooklyn lager in the fridge, refillable soda on tap, coleslaw and Tyrells chips on the side and a washbasin to wipe that cheesy provolone grin off your face.

Oh and did I mention they do an oreo cookie cheese-cake, with a ridiculously dense cream cheese oreo filling, a thick oreo base that will break your plastic fork and a mini oreo on top? It would have been rude not to.

I do love a good food truck – there is something thrilling about finding the next location, waiting in the inevitable line and braving the elements for a stand out, stand-up burger.  But when cheesesteak and cheesecake are served up with comfortable chairs, speedy service and refillable iced tea, the immoveable feast at Freddie’s Deli is pretty appealing too.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Freddie’s Deli
22 rue crespin du gast, 75011 Paris
Tue – Sun: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Facebook Page

Once upon a time in Paris
The only burger was a royale with cheese’
And laisse tomber trying to get a good taco
They were made with melted Emmenthal, oh please

Now burger joints are a dime a dozen
There’s one on every other rue
The burger is the new black, it would seem
C’est vraiment un truc de fou!

Le Dépanneur is the latest to embrace the craze
With burgers and tequila in SoPi town
And with Cantine California making the food
It’s next hottest thing going down.

The name comes from French, to mean fix, or repair’
And the Canadian term for corner store
Cause nothing irons out life’s little bumps
Like a tequila cocktail (or four).

The crew serves up rad tacos
Pulled pork, black beans and chilli sauce
The guacamole and corn chips are pretty good too
But the burger is the real tour de force.

Make sure you try The Cali Classic
Organic patty, smoked bacon and onion confit
And don’t forget the twice-cooked crispy French fries
You’ll definitely be in for a treat.

So pop on down to Le Dépanneur
It’s the best cheeseburger I’ve had yet
Pull a stool up on the bustling terrasse
And soak up the tequila sunset.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Le Dépanneur
27 rue Pierre Fontaine
75009 Paris
http://ledepanneurpigalle.com/
Mon – Sun: 10:00 – 02:00
Phone: 01 48 74 48 74
Facebook Page

[googleMap name=”Le Dépanneur” description=”27 rue Pierre Fontaine” width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]27 rue Pierre Fontaine, Paris[/googleMap]

With its sleek wallpapered interior, black-framed windows and high glass ceilings, the light-filled Restaurant Manger is the chic new comer to the bustling grungy strip of Rue Keller.

From his open kitchen Head Chef William Pradeleix whips up, amongst other treats, tangy octopus ceviche, beef tataki with coriander pesto and tagine of suckling lamb shoulder, as well as the daily specialties – Tuesday it’s grilled and seared, Wednesday it’s roasted, Thursday’s it’s wok and steamed, Friday’s it slow cooked and Saturday it’s everything we love (naughty food!). The seared tuna with crispy rice and spicy mayonnaise and the profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce were unbeatable.

At night let your taste buds revel in ‘le dîner des chefs invités’, a 55 euro set menu with recipes designed by the likes of les grand chefs Pierre Gagnaire, Michel Trama, Yannick Alléno, David Toutain, Christophe Michalak and Akrame.

What’s more, not only is Restaurant Manger dishing up incredible delectable delights in a beautiful setting, it is also devoted to social integration – and the team puts its money where it’s mouth is. Through the association Toques et Partage, the restaurant employs people who have been otherwise excluded from the workforce, and 10% of each bill is given back to the association.

Eating good food while doing a good deed; ça fait du bien.

So pop on down to Restaurant Manger – it’s the toque of the town.

Restaurant Manger

24 rue Keller 75011
Open Tuesday to Saturday 12h to 14h30 and 19h30 to 22h30
Métro: Bastille, Ledru-Rollin, Voltaire
Website: http://manger-leresto.com/
Le Dîner des Chefs is available at night by reservation only.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

 

  

[googleMap name=”Restaurant Manger ” description=”
24 rue Keller 75011″ width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]
24 rue Keller 75011[/googleMap]

So joy of joys when I heard that Frenchie’s equally suave, and much more available, younger sibling had opened up next door. Frenchie to Go, the no reservations, no queue (ish), take-away gourmet sandwich bar which opened 4 days ago, is the latest addition to the Frenchie empire that rules Rue du Nil.

Chef Grégory Marchand and his talented team make everything on the premises, from the pastrami and beef sausages (which you can order by the kilo), to the ginger beer (coming soon) fermenting away in glass jars in the corner.

The lunch menu, a small US-centric selection of take-away foods, consists of classics such the reubens sandwich, pastrami on rye, the all beef sausage hot dog and the lobster roll.  There is also an impressive array of craft beer from around the world, and a very knowledgeable beer connoisseur to help choose your brew.

My pulled pork sandwich, served with a side of crispy skinned French fries and home made sauce and washed down with a Mikkeller Cream Ale from Denmark, was ridiculously good.

 

The team also do breakfast starting at 8am – think granola and fromage blanc, English muffins with smoked bacon, donuts, muffins and scones – which you can munch on from high wooden tables overlooking the open kitchen.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it turns out the coffee is also sensational (with the barista having been taught the art of the latte by the boys from Ten Belles we would expect nothing less).

Frenchie is amazing, and if you are willing to commit to hours of desperate calls and endless rejection, it is well worth it – but for a more laissez-faire affair Frenchie to Go is, well the place to go.

 

Frenchie to Go
Open Tuesday to Saturday 8h til 16h
9 rue du Nil
75002 Paris
Métro: Sentier, Réaumur Sébastopole

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

[googleMap name=”Frenchie to Go” description=”9 rue du Nil” width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]9 rue du Nil, Paris[/googleMap]

After a number of rather unpleasant experiences involving smoked salmon, cream cheese and sweet soy sauce, my tryst with souped-up sushi in Paris was almost at an end. But Blueberry has restored my confidence – the maki is creative, original and most importantly, totally divine.

The blue-lit cavernous walls, sleek modern furniture and colourful Japanese lanterns make the space feel somewhere between an aquarium, a Philippe Starck bar and a temple. But somehow it works.

Cool kids in pumped up kicks ogle over the Iroquois (marinated beef, coriander, cucumber, sesame and piment d’espelette) while cosy couples ruminate over the Rackham le Rouge (tempura prawn, soy marinated tuna, truffle, cucumber, spicy mayonnaise, flying fish roe and chive). The sung choi bao style sea bream ceviche with grapefruit was simple but punchy, the Little Miss Yuzu (yuzu marinated salmon tataki, raspberry, mango, salade and thai chive) was exquisitely eccentric, and the creamy black sesame ice cream was a perfect finishing touch.

From the inedible to the indelible – imaginative maki has made its mark on Paris and, judging by the crowds, it is here to stay.  So put Blueberry in your Blackberry and make a reservation.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Blueberry
6 rue du Sabot
Paris 75006
Metro : Mabillon, Saint-Germain des Prés & Saint-Sulpice
Telephone: +33 1 42 22 21 56

[googleMap name=”Blueberry” description=”6 rue du Sabot, Paris” width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]6 rue du Sabot, Paris[/googleMap]

The Broken Arm

A few months back I couldn’t find a decent coffee anywhere in Paris.  I’d knock back bitter espressos and nurse UHT infused café crèmes and dream of the rich velvety brews of home. I once even ventured into Starbucks (and had to do the walk of shame home with my misheard name ‘Enel’ scrawled across my excessively large grande latte).

These days in Paris Ethiopian/Guatemalan blend short mac is the new (long) black. These days I have enough good coffee shops in my quartier to be discerning and new kid on the block, über trendy café/concept store The Broken Arm in the haut Marais is my latest squeeze.

Based on a shared love of art de vivre’, fashion forward friends Anê¯s Lafarge, Guillaume Steinmetz et Romain Joste opened the large, light filled space overlooking the leafy Square du Temple in February (three years after starting online magazine De Jeunes Gens Modernes), and it has been packed with like-minded young creative types ever since.

The Scandinavian feel concept store stocks carefully selected prêt-à -porter lines from the likes of Phillip Lim, Carven, Otswald Helgason and Raf Simons as well as a range of books, magazines and other beautifully crafted lifestyle items which make it very hard to leave empty handed.

The little café laté is equally as endearing the talented barista whips up incredibly creamy art-topped latte’s, using beans from Norwegian coffee supplier and roaster Solberg & Hansen – while chef Olivier Le Corre creates simple, mouthwatering dishes with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce.

Aside from being ridiculously cool, uncontrived and engaging, the owners are clearly passionate about their project – and they have succeeded in creating a warm, convivial space that makes you want to stay for hours.

My arm has definitely been twisted this one’s a winner.

Emerald Bond
(author of www.agoodforking.com)

The Broken Arm
12 rue Perrée 75003
Métro: Filles du Calvaire, Temple & Republique
Tel: +33 1 44 61 53 60
www.the-broken-arm.com

  

[googleMap name=”The Broken Arm” description=”12 rue Perrée 75003″ width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]12 rue Perrée 75003[/googleMap]

That is until I found myself polishing off a bottle of Lacrima di morro d’Alba whilst devouring mouth-wateringly fresh mozzarella di bufala at restaurant/cocktail bar CERVO.  Opened only 2 weeks ago by Sardinian Francesco Puddu, who previously worked at Grazie, CERVO brings simple, fresh Italian produce to a delightfully quaint little corner of the already gastronomically blessed 11^th arrondissement.

With its flower embellished tables, wood clad bar, dangling light installations and the token deer antlers that seem to be adorning every hip restaurant wall these days, CERVO makes for a chic and charming little oasis from the bustling streets.

The menu is short and simple, think caprese of amazingly soft buffalo mozzarella with coeur de boeuf tomatoes and homemade pesto, cannolo of prosciutto stuffed with ricotta mousse on a bed of fresh rocket, risotto with clams and homemade pasta.

Go there for a Campari cocktail and a bite of antipasti, or like us, go there for a cocktail, some wine, some food and some more wine, and leave with your top button undone and a big smile on your face.

Emerald Bond

(author of www.agoodforking.com)

CERVO
47 rue Saint-Maur 75011
Métro: Rue Saint-Maur
Tel: +33 7 61 09 46 94

Cervo

[googleMap name=”Cervo” description=”47 rue Saint-Maur 75011″ width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]47 rue Saint-Maur 75011[/googleMap]

There is something very appealing about this enigmatic pseudo-Japanese  ‘squat’ restaurant that has popped-up (pardon the pun) in a funky old Yakitori restaurant in the 12^th. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that the ephemeral underground foodie operation could be shut down at any given moment.  Perhaps it’s the particularly quirky urban grunge meets harijuku setting.  Perhaps it’s the ever-evolving divinely mouth-watering tasting menu.  Whatever the reason, be sure to book a table tout de suite because the only thing that is certain is that Restaurant Clandestino won’t be around for long.

Multi-talented franco-argentinian architect come restaurateur Marcelo Joulia (of Unico fame) and young Japanese chef Masayuki Shibuya, opened the graffiti covered doors of Clandestino in July last year, and it has been a destination for gourmands ever since.

Marcelo and Masayuki, it would seem, make a dangerously good liaison – framed Mao era propaganda tapestries and kitsch plastic cookware adorn the walls, while the mismatched vintage plates are packed full with the likes of succulent scallops in a sweet fresh beetroot coulis, impossibly tender veal with devilishly buttery roast potatoes and warm chocolate fondant with salted caramel butter and crunchy chocolate biscuit bits that make you beg for more.

Lets just hope this squatter finds a permanent home.

Restaurant Clandestino
8, rue Crozatier
Paris 75012
Metro: Gare de Lyon, Reuilly – Diderot
Telephone: +33 9 80 68 08 08

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

[googleMap name=”Clandestino” description=”8, rue Crozatier” width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]8, rue Crozatier, Paris, France[/googleMap]

subscribe to our newsletter and never miss out !

Restaurant Abri (which means shelter in French) – home to said sandwich – is the latest hole-in-the-wall address in the labyrinth of the 10^th.  Operating out of a rather unappealing, sign-less, graffiti marked shop front, you could easily walk past the restaurant without looking twice – but for the line of well-heeled punters queuing up for their scandalously scrumptious Saturday sandwich.

The tiny restaurant, run by Japanese chef Katsuaki Okiyama (who has worked previously at both L’Atelier Joël Robuchon and L’Agapé Substance) turns out competitively priced surprise tasting menus from Tuesday to Friday and souped-up sangas on Saturdays and Mondays.

A four-storey sandwich, a glass of organic wine, and a madeleine to sweeten the load – all for a mere 13 euros.  I personally cannot think of a better place to take shelter on a frosty Saturday afternoon.

Restaurant Abri
92 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière
75010 Paris
Métro: Gare du Nord, Poissonnière & Cadet
Téléphone: +33 1 83 97 00 00

Emerald Bond
(author of www.agoodforking.com)

[googleMap name=”Restaurant Abri” description=”92 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière” width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]92 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, Paris[/googleMap]

subscribe to our newsletter and never miss out !

Henry, the divinely bashful young Australian chef, made us moan with his whole slow roasted lamb shoulder, barely cooked bonito and homemade rillettes while working at the oh-so-boho Au Passage.  But it’s at his much-hyped restaurant Bones, that James Henry’s talents are truly on show.

When I walked through the doors of the packed new 11^th arondissement address, there was a whole suckling pig on the counter, Talking Heads on the ipod and the likes of Sebastian Riffault and Fanny Sabre on the wine list.  And the night had only just begun…

The space is divided into two levels; the lower level which features a no-reservations wine bar serving a variety of small plates (think charcuterie boards, freshly shucked oysters and slithers of sashimi) and the raised platform for the absolutely-must-reserve restaurant.  With its stripped-back brick walls, industrial lampshades, concrete floors and marble topped tables; the decor is as brut as a bottle of Veuve, yet the dimmed lighting, casual wait-staff and cool beats ensure an intimate, laid-back living room vibe is sustained.  The place is jam-packed with East-ender trendies in their boyfriend jeans, cocoon coats and man-buns – but quite frankly you’re too busy salivating over the salami being sliced at the counter to really care.

As the name suggests, Henry is bringing cooking back to its bare bones, and the chef is determined to be involved in as much of the preparation process as possible – including churning his own butter, baking his own bread and pickling his own vegetables. Our 47 euro tasting menu for the night included black mullet sashimi iced with raifort, succulent scallops with raw pear and sweet caramelised endives, pork shoulder and its delicious meaty bestie of boudin noir, a selection of cheeses, and a tarte tartin with jasmine ice-cream to top it off.  And that’s not including the plethora of freebies that came along to amuse our bouches (impossibly tender BBQ octopus, gremolata’d duck heart, suckling pig broth with foie gras and sea urchin and ginger granita with lemon cream).

Nope, there were certainly no Bones to pick with James Henry’s hip new venture.  It is unpretentious, honest cooking at its best.  The concept is simple and the results are truly outstanding.

Bones
43, rue Godefroy-Cavaignac
75011 Paris
Metro: Ledru Rollin

Emerald Bond
(Author of www.agoodforking.com)

[googleMap name=”Bones” description=”43, rue Godefroy-Cavaignac” width=”600″ height=”200″ mousewheel=”false” directions_to=”false”]43, rue Godefroy-Cavaignac[/googleMap]

And you can all but forget about ordering your coffee ‘to go’.  My latest attempt ended in me walking the streets of Paris with three miniature lidless plastic cups swerving about on the porcelain plate that the waiter had ‘lent’ me for the journey.

But little by little, smart cafés focused on quality coffee, with baristas who live and breathe their boulot, are starting to pop up around Paris.

Here are my top finds for my daily grind.

La Caféothèque

Follow your nose to find this gem – the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans oozing out the door fills the entire street.  The café is decked out, rather peculiarly, with three entirely mismatched salons – one dark room with overgrown walls of hanging plants that make you feel like you are having coffee in a Costa Rican rainforest, a second salon decked out with walls of colorful coffee jars, and the third, my favorite, a sun-filled, carpeted room with long couches and comfy upholstered vintage armchairs overlooking the Seine.

La Caféothèque is host to a range of diverse characters, who are as incongruous as the furniture, including the corduroy-clad local music composer who waves his non-existent conductor’s baton in the air while sipping on his V60 filter, and the young boho artist who idly sketches unwitting customers over an Ethiopian espresso.

It isn’t ‘sceney’, and you will be hard pressed to find anyone who has been snapped by the Sartorialist amongst the palm leaves, but it offers damn good brews from Colombia to Guatemala and beyond.

La Caféothèque
52 rue de l’Hôtel de Ville 75004
Métro: Pont Marie
Tel: +33 1 53 01 83 84

 

Télescope 

The cosy wood-clad interior of this café in the 1^st arondissement consists literally of a kitchen bench, a coffee machine and 4 two-person tables. You pull up a chair, tap your feet in time with the rad background music and smile into your cup of smooth and intensely aromatic coffee as the owner, charismatic Frenchman Nicolas, chats happily with his regulars over the counter. A fashion photographer for years, Nicolas decided one day (after a shoot involving coffee) to give it all up and travel the world learning the art of coffee making before opening Télescope in March.  And his efforts have paid off, the coffee is absolutely divine.

I was sandwiched between a quiet English couple and two young Australian girls for the duration of my filter and flat white, which took away slightly from the quaint French vibe, but then again a Parisian coffee shop devoid of brewed-up foreigners, would simply not bode well for the quality of the coffee.

Télescope
5 rue Villedo 75001
Métro: Pyramides
Tel: +33 1 42 61 33 14

Flat white РT̩lescope

Coutume Café 

In the world of coffee (and food), there is something very attractive about lining up; there is a line, ergo the coffee is good.  I lined up at Coutume Cafe, and the coffee wasn’t good – it was the best I have had.  With the in-house coffee roaster and co-owner, Antoine Netien, named the Meilleur Torréfacteur de France (‘best roaster’ in France) in 2011 and baristas Nico and Kevin coming consecutively 2^nd and 3^rd in the National Barista Finals 2013 – Coutume Café has been creating a veritable storm in a coffee cup, of late.  And rightly so. Antoine, and co-owner Tom Clark import and roast some of the best beans the world has to offer. From extraction froid to flat white and siphon to soy latte, these boys do it right. What’s more, the weekend brunch is utterly mouthwatering. But make sure you reserve your spot in advance, or before you have time to wake up and smell the coffee your table might be already snapped up by a couple of Kooples.

Coutume Café
47 rue de Babylone 75007
Métro: Saint- François-Xavier
Tel: +33 1 45 51 50 47

Flat white РCoutume Caf̩

Black Market 

Stepping into this delightfully cosy one room café tucked away in the maze of Montmartre, you have the impression you are entering your granny’s living room (in a good way). Vintage typewriters and well-loved books adorn the counters, and an old hat stand in the corner remains draped with with the coats of the uber trendy set that frequent Black Market (French band Justice were sipping their cortados at the counter when we arrived). Young owners Youssef and Baptiste serve up smooth, rich coffees (filters, espressos, iced-coffees, lattes, you name it) that leave a big smile under your milk moustache.  And with beans from Coutume Café, need I say more?

Full of yummy mummys, young loved-up couples, trendy freelance bloggers and, on my last visit, a man in a full pleather suit with chains – Black Market is so very Montmartre.

Black Market
27 rue Ramey 75018
Métro: Château Rouge

Black Market

Ten Belles

Following in the theme of trendy hole in the wall cafés, Ten Belles is the epitome of minimalistic cool with its polished concrete floors, demountable plywood furniture and sparse but chaleureux mezzanine style fit-out.  The coffee machines are manned by two dashing young lads, Frenchman and owner Thomas Lehoux, and laid back Australian Chris, with great taste in music and even better taste in coffee (using beans roasted by Télescope).

Red lipsticked, high waisted jean wearing, balayaged bohemian locals pack the tables, tapping away on their Macs while enjoying their macs. But something tells me – perhaps the plethora of hot young things batting their lashes at the baristas, or the fact there is no reception or wifi – that most don’t come here to work…

Ten Belles, two beaux and a lot of seriously great coffee – what more could a gal want.

Ten Belles
10 Rue de la Grange aux Belles 75010
Métro: Goncourt, Jacques Bonsergent
Tel: +33 1 42 40 90 78

Thomas and Chris – Ten Belles

Article & Photos: Emerald Bond

subscribe to our newsletter and never miss out !