13th Arrondissement

15, rue de la Sante (13)
Tel: 01-47-07-07-45

AMBIANCE/DÉCOR

Call it a “find” for the 1%. For the rest of us, a below-the-radar small luxury restaurant with a traditional, largely a la carte menu of finely executed, richly prepared dishes and desserts from a limited menu. Twenty-five guests seated at 6 widely spaced, large tables in a clean, nicely decorated modern room with open kitchen.

Enter and be greeted by a young chef in whites. He takes your coats, offers menus, takes orders, consults on wine, cooks and serves. Other sources report two brothers. We saw only one owner/chef, with a female chef-helper and dishwasher in a quiet, orderly kitchen.

On second visit, with a total of eight guests at three tables, a dedicated young server.

FOOD

Either very pricey a la carte with a handful of choices, or a 68€ five course “surprise”, meaning no choice, supposedly inspired by the wine choice. Our courses: Cream of cauliflower soup with chestnuts (DuBarry), a single scallop over mushrooms and shredded cabbage, roast rack of veal with mashed potatoes and two desserts, both exceptional: a take on fromage blanc and warm chocolate cake with sorbet.

SERVICE

The chef by day is the server by night. No other front of the house help.

PRICE

With wine, etc., and 68€ menu, 100€ pp. Don’t even think about a la carte. It appeared as if most tables followed this plan. (As is normal, the entire table must order the chef’s menu. All or none). The window displays notes about a formula lunch at 30€.

(2x) (2013)

92, rue Broca (13)
Tel: 01-47-07-13-65

AMBIANCE/DÉCOR

The books describe L’Ourcine as rustic. Maybe. Or just low budget decor. Perfectly safe, but entirely nondescript location in the 13th. Casual. Young. Interesting blackboard menu with high style, sophisticated, diverse food.

FOOD

In the L’Epi Dupin/Regalade genre. Ambitious, sophisticated chef who turns out an interesting, well executed, stylishly presented menu – at a low price.

SERVICE

Casual and competent, without finesse.

PRICE

The menu (and wine list) are reasonable, 34€ for three courses.

(1x) (2013)

9, bd de Port-Royal (13)
Tel: 01-43-31-58-59

AMBIANCE/DÉCOR

On the border between the 5th and the 13th, a nice walk. Good looking bistro, but since my last visit ten years ago, it has changed ownership and lost its soul. Everything looks right, but there is a veneer of the slick, the fast and the commercial which has overtaken what was a traditional a la carte experience.

FOOD

The food good if not memorable. The menu relatively predictable, having shifted to a modified formula. That is, formula with every other item an extra, some quite expensive.

SERVICE

Three servers handle a large room, but do it professionally. The food comes too quickly.

PRICE

Next door (and maybe serving from the same kitchen) is an annex, making the prices at the original seem high, although they are not.

(1x) (2010)