Starters such as potato, fermented cabbage and haddock or homemade boudin noir are produce-led and delicate, and retro puddings ( île flottante, crème caramel) are subtle, not sticky. The food, at a glance, might seem unadventurous, but there is great skill in cooking a really wonderful blanquette de veau or steak frites with béarnaise.

Le Cadoret, opened in 2017 by chef Léa Fleuriot and her brother Louis-Marie, is a neighbourhood bistro, with mirrors, terrazzo floors and a relaxed atmosphere, which has been cleverly refreshed by its young owners with a jolly blue awning, craft beers and an up-to-date wine list (Loire- and Jura-heavy, and there’s quince liqueur from Domaine Binner in Alsace). The holy grail: classic French food, not too fancy, brilliantly well prepared and super value. Frequent tableside drizzling and grating means you have to concentrate a bit, but why wouldn’t you? In contrast with the smart, mushroom-toned design that mops up any clanking of bespoke ceramics, the food is distinctive, thrilling and vitally French.Īddress: Marsan par Hélène Darroze, 4 Rue d'Assas, 75006 Paris Website: ĭish to order: Île flottante, crème caramel

A starter of sea urchin, caviar and cauliflower is disarmingly creamy gilthead bream with Colonnata back-fat, Paris cep and black truffle is a major savoury mouthful robustly thyme-scented baby lamb from the Pyrenees is a restrained showstopper. Tiny appetisers might include beautifully crafted crisps of chicken skin packing a foie-gras flavour bomb, or miniature goat’s-cheese pastries, light as air. The tasting menu served at the chef’s table (get your hair done – they’re looking at you too) name-checks Béarn, Saint-Jean-de- Luz, Périgord, as well as her brother and grandfather. The name is a tribute to her home region in Landes, and there’s no doubting the sincerity of her attachment to the south-west and its flavours. But Marsan by Hélène Darroze (who has three Michelin stars for her London outpost at The Connaught Hotel) is relatively new otherwise, opening in 2019 as a fresh incarnation. The smart Left Bank address – a short-ish walk over the river from many of the other restaurants here – hasn’t changed and nor have its regulars. Le Poule au Pot is comfortingly beyond cool, yet only retro on paper, thanks to the dynamism of team Piège.Īddress: 9 rue Vauvilliers, 75001 Paris Website: ĭish to order: Gilthead bream with Colonnata back-fat, Paris cep and black truffle Big-hitting mains include Charolais beef fillet and fabulous poached chicken puddings are flawless, generous old-school treats. Classic onion soup is served daily, even in a heatwave, and snails, frogs’ legs and bone marrow make consistent appearances.

But for the most part, La Poule au Pot feels exactly as it always did, preserved for the nation, and the menu of cuisine bourgeoise, plated up family-style, is intact, if elevated in terms of both produce and pricing. So it was that much-garlanded Piège, who runs a handful of restaurants in the area with his wife Elodie, took on the historic doll’s-house-like building, ripping out the café curtains and old wallpaper, giving it all a good scrub and polishing the little brass plaques that name-drop all the music stars who have nibbled the baba au rhum here (Motörhead, Tricky, Nu Shooz).

It is said that the previous owner of this Les Halles institution anointed star chef Jean-François Piège as his successor, having snubbed every other approach.

Location of all white gems