Feature

The once stale Parisian culinary landscape has recently come alive with a slew of interesting mini-gastros, tiny tables created by young, talented and forward-looking chefs and restaurateurs who seek inspiration from afar while respecting the holy grail of traditional French produce and culinary know-how.

Passage 53 53 passage des Panoramas, 2nd Arrondissement

This modern bistro located in a gorgeous fin de siècle covered passageway has really come into its stride lately with superb, inventive French cooking from Japanese chef Shinichi Sato, and a tasting menu-only philosophy that gives free rein to his creativity. Under the watchful eye of Guillaume Guedj, whose father-in-law and business partner just happens to be one of the world’s best butchers, Hugo Desnoyer, this table is destined to be future Michelin star material. Word to the wise: last minute bookings are virtually impossible to get.

Tartes Kluger, 6 rue de Forez, 3rd Arrondissement

Former lawyer Catherine Kluger switched her powdered wig for a rolling pin to open the upper Marais neighbourhood Paris’s chicest pie house. Her all-organic quiches (savory or sweet) are served in what was formerly an ancient bakery, now modernized with a cutting edge kitchen, communal lunch table, and relaxed bohemian bourgeois vibe. Their ham and parmesan tart with crispy bacon, a delicious homage to the Mac and cheese, is a decadent must. They also offer a web-based delivery service.

KGB, 25 rue des Grands Augustins, 6th Arrondissement

This recently opened sister restaurant to globetrotting chef William Ledeuil’s Michelin star-rated Ze Kitchen Galerie is one of the hottest tables of the year, thanks to twenty-something chef Yariv Berebi’s well turned out French/Asian crossover menu. From hors d’œuvres, a sort of Thai tapas, to fusion pastas and crock pots, This eatery has been packed day and night with international jetsetting foodies since opening.

Caffé dei Cioppi, 159 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 11th Arrondissement

This tiny Italian diner-style twenty-seater is currently one of the best value eats in the city. Located in a quiet passageway in a bustling, popular onzième, the Caffé is packed daily with local gastronauts who come for the excellent charcuterie, home made mozzarella, risottos, and generous service. Advance booking is essential.

Mon Vieil Ami, 69 rue Saint Louis-en-l’Ile, 4th Arrondissement

On the busiest street of the charming Ile Saint Louis lies this tiny modern table owned by one of the greatest of Alsatian chefs, Antoine Westermann. His disciple Frédéric Crochet, who worked with him for five years at Strasbourg’s legendary Buerehiesel, creates a daily market menu, heavily vegetable based, and accompanied by well-chosen, small production wines.

Jabugo Iberico & Co, 11 rue Clément Marot, 8th Arrondissement

Arguably Paris’s smallest restaurant with just three tables, this establishment has nothing French about it. The best ham shop in the capital offers a lunch only degustation of the world’s finest Iberico hams, accompanied by a selection of top-quality Spanish cheeses and wines. For a decadent and luxurious take away, try their famous boccadillo Bellota-Bellota sandwich.

Zinc Caius, 11 rue d’Armaillé, 17th Arrondissement

Located in the residential seventeenth, this annex of one of the city’s more interesting restaurants, Caius offers a scaled down and more casual version of the mother house’s spice-based cuisine. With just a handful of tables, and homey dishes with excellent produce, the Zinc makes for one of the best non-touristy lunches in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe.

Yam t’Cha, 4 rue Sauval, 1st Arrondissement

This year’s surprise gastro is Adeline Grattard, a young woman who trained with some of France’s greatest chefs (Pascal Barbot at the three-star Astrance and with chef Yannick Alleno, pre-Hotel Meurice). She did a culinary sabbatical in Hong Kong then opened this tiny table not far from the Louvre. The cuisine is fusion in the best sense of the term, marrying the best of both French and Asian products in an exceedingly subtle combination, using wok or steam-cooking. There is also an interesting selection of teas, cultivated by Adeline’s Chinese born husband Chi Wa.

Frenchie, 5 rue du Nil, 2nd Arrondissement

The interesting thing about Frenchie, one of Paris’ best small bistros is that its French chef, Gregory Marchand’s culinary education was formed almost exclusively outside of his mother country. After prolonged stints in both the United Kingdom, where he seconded Jamie Oliver at Fifteen and at New York’s famous Gramercy Tavern, Marchand opened this micro table near the ancient rue Montorgueil market street. The no choice market menu is spartan enough to enable the bistrot to serve the highest quality products while keeping its prices reasonable.

Les Papilles, 30 rue Gay-Lussac, 5th Arrondissement

Just a stone’s throw from the poetic Luxembourg gardens, this pocket-sized wine store/deli/restaurant created by the former head pastry chef at Paris’s legendary Taillevent has been a smashing success since opening more than five years ago. The look is rustic, with old wooden bistro furniture and walls lined with excellent hand-chosen small production wines, while the thirty-something-Euro daily market menu draws the elite of Parisian foodies for its excellent value.

For more information on Paris, please visit our destination guide

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About the writer:

Named top concierge by MONOCLE, Paris’s Hottest Food Blogger by Woman’s Wear Daily, and Paris’s ‘Bad Boy’ blogger by Newsweek/Budget Travel, Adrian Moore balances his life between his day job working at one of the world’s best palaces, writing freelance for numerous international magazines, guides and websites, and sucking the marrow from the bones of the City of Light.