Summer may not be the best time for a city vacation, but the fact is that a city like Paris is emptied of local residents and taken over by tourists. Personally, I find cities impossible to do for more than 24 hours in the summer, but I like to make a stop in Paris on the way south. In itself I don’t mind crowds, most tourists often have different preferences than you and me, especially when it comes to food. While the terraces on the Champs-Élysées are flooding and the area around the old ‘Halles’ is almost inaccessible, the gems are simply available. I’ll name a few;
Septime, 80 rue des Charonne (1), is not only the very best restaurant as far as Ron and I are concerned, it is also the most difficult to get into. It’s actually quite simple. If you get the best stuff, and the best hands to prepare it, and above all don’t make it all too complicated, you come close to Septime. Red beets with miso, grilled little gem with watercress and pistachio, sweetbreads with lemon and harissa are just a few examples. It’s that perfection doesn’t exist, but they’ve come a long way. ⭐Michelin, #24World 50 Best
L’Ami Jean, 27 rue Malar (7) has a completely different allure. Even if you are an hour late, they will find you a spot, crammed in between the many other guests. The service is efficient in this authentic bistro, and the food is delicious. Confit foie gras with eel and artichoke, veal cheek for me and a perfect pigeon for Ron, and a divine riz-au-lait with sugared nuts and caramel from the kidde. The bill is not too bad and after an hour you are outside again, which is fine for lunch.
Kei, 5 rue Coq Heron (1). is the textbook example of a Parisian 3-star establishment. Absolute perfection, an abundance of waiting staff, for example we never see the maître who takes the order again (what does such a man do the rest of the evening you ask), and very efficient because within 3 hours of entering you go outside after the largest menu. The food is amazing, the cuissons are outrageously good, and the service impeccable, although the English could use some polishing (once they realize you’re a foreigner, they refuse to speak French). The price is actually quite reasonable for this level, although they will of course still pull you past the cash register with a glass of champagne and a slice of truffles. The 1st Japanese chef with 3 stars outside Japan, we might have liked to see more of his Japanese roots reflected in his dishes, but his score in the lists says it all. His emulsion of lettuce and black olive looks spectacular and when you stir it into a green paste according to instructions, the taste turns out to be amazing.
⭐⭐⭐Michelin, #93 World 50 Best.
Reservations are always a must for me, I hate closed doors (restaurants also take a holiday) and I like it when the table is ready.
A final tip, because there is of course much more to experience in terms of dining in the city of lights, is the super-fun Culinary Style Guide ‘Bon Appétit Paris’ by Mara Grimm. A sea of information and ‘secret’ addresses of this culinary icon, who recently awarded ‘our’ Gastrobar with an 8.5 (Proefwerk Parool, 1 July 2023).
Bon voyage!
