10 Rue Du Grand Prieure (11)
Tel: 01-71-24-58-44
AMBIANCE/DÉCOR
The food isn’t fussy but the history is.
Opened in late 2017, Rigamarole is a small space in the 11th, around the corner from Clown Bar (see). A counter behind which the 2 chefs work, the French-American husband with the unlikely combination of skills in yakitori and fresh pasta, and his Asian-American wife, a pastry chef with a distinguished French and American restaurant pedigree. They are assisted by a dishwasher and a single waitress, an unusually thoughtful, articulate and intelligent American. Unlikely, but it works!
FOOD
A la carte grilled dishes, pastas and tempura, but the 49€ and 69€ tasting menus are the way to go. A seeming unending flow of small plates, including tempura vegetables, multiple charcoal grilled chicken pieces on skewers including organ meats (they ask first) – every tasting menu customized for the tastes of the table. Grilled white asparagus, whole grilled fish, pastries. Dessert charcoal grilled strawberries over ethereal ice cream. A wine card in a wide range of mostly reasonable prices chosen to complement the food.
The food is delicious and pleasant, fresher and better than New York’s premier yakitori table, Torishin, where the chef used to work.
The order of the dishes isn’t entirely clear, but it didn’t seem to matter – to me, at least. Every dish was delicious.
SERVICE
Informal, but highly personal. Only a few degrees away from eating at home.
PRICES
Very reasonable.
(1x) (2019)