Paris into a spring

CLAMATO

There are restaurants that don’t chase the hype. They’re here, period. Solid on their supports, calm in their sneakers, indifferent to the noise. Clamato is part of that team. Septime’s little marine sister — suffice to say that she grew up in a beautiful house. Since we can’t book, we arrive as we can (yes, sometimes we wait a little, but it’s part of the game), we settle down, and there... we let the appetite speak. No need for strategy. You pick, you share, you recommend. Zero disappointment, full pleasure. It smacks, it crunches. Here, the sea is everywhere, but without folklore. Not the seafood restaurant version checkered tablecloth. Rather net iodine, the cool wave, the product that hits just right. Scallops (in high season, hello) make sparks. The monkfish tenders? That puts everyone in agreement, even the suspicious ones. And the nachos are anything but anecdotal. The service is great: precise, cool, never frozen. The right place? At the counter, obviously. Even without a view of the kitchen hidden in the basement, that’s where it lives. In short, when you are lacking ideas but no requirements, Clamato is the safe haven value. The one that reminds you that simplicity, when done right, can be damn crazy.

📍 80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris

✔️ Everyday: 12AM – 2.30PM and 7PM – 10.30PM

💶 20 – 40 €

VIVIDE

And there you go... the discovery that falls on you just like a gift that you hadn’t ordered but that Father Christmas understood well that it would make you happy! Paris is not lacking in good restaurants – we agree – but addresses that really stand out, that surprise, that make you say 'wow!... there’s a thing there!” , it doesn’t run the streets either. Vivide is the second address unpinned by the Pristine team, whose reputation runs faster than word-of-mouth. The welcome is soft like a well-oiled massage, the decor is raw and modern (candlelit dinner on concrete tables), and what about the counter facing the kitchens... The show starts before even the first bite. The signature? A 100% plant-based kitchen - a model that clearly stands out in the Parisian kitchens - which puts an uppercut like Mike Tyson! The proof that the "meatless" can be vibrant and downright generous. Bring a viandard friend, the one who swears that 'without steak, no pleasure': if he comes out disappointed, it’s because he doesn’t like to eat, period. From starters to desserts, the plates are hot. A wonderful barbecue job accompanied by slap sauces, relief, taste... of taste, taste and more taste. One senses the know-how and passion in cooking. No militant demonstration, just pleasure, well executed, well sent. Ah yes, there is also the just crazy bread that comes from Union, the bakery that makes the heads of Parisians turn. In short, Vivide is one of our discoveries of 2025, and spoiler, we will return to it in 2026.

📍 3 rue Dancourt, 75018 Paris

✔️ Tuesday to Saturday: 7PM - 23PM

💶 85€ with no drink

RED SAUCE

At Red Sauce, as its name only half announces (or maybe very clearly, in fact), one does not come to eat warm. Here, it warms the tongue, it speaks loudly, it gestures almost like in Little Italy. A piece of New York placed there, with an Italian accent in soundtrack. À la carte? Pasta and pizza. Simple. Effective. Enough cozy. But clearly not wise at all. We head straight for the local specialty, spaghetti all'‍. Just the blaze is putting pressure. The pasta cooks in a pan, directly in a well-red tomato sauce, well concentrated, and especially well served with bird’s eye peppers. It ties up a little, it caramelises on the edges, it takes that almost roasted little taste that makes you addicted. First bite: it warms. Really. And then comes the stracciatella, served separately. We pour it on it as a gesture of succour and gluttony at the same time, and suddenly the fire becomes softer, more creamy, almost enveloping. The balance is there. The pasta? Perfectly al dente, obviously. Otherwise it wouldn’t be pasta. But the hardest part is not to look away. A Caesar salad passed in front of me — crazy, generous, very New York-esque in attitude. Did the linguine behind also seem to seriously make eye contact. In short. A first slap. And clearly, one turns the other cheek.

📍 9 Cour des Petites Écuries, 75010 Paris

✔️ Everyday: 12AM – 2PM and 7PM – 22.45PM

💶 20 – 30€

OCCASION

There are places where everything starts before the first bite. Barely steps from the door, we know. We breathe differently. Occasion, that’s exactly it. A bubble. A sweet oasis, but not sappy. Just perfectly dosed. The colors envelop you, the design decor whispers that it has been designed by someone who loves details, the chairs hold you back, the smiles catch you. We are already a bit elsewhere. And then the card arrives. Finally... “the card”. Not really any choice. We announce the parade in four stages. No escape. No plan B. You have to let go and trust Margaux and Candice. Honestly? No danger. Behind what one might imagine as complexity hides a real tenderness. It works, it thinks, but it never seeks to impress in order to impress. We feel the pleasure of pleasing. And that changes everything. We flirt with the regressive, but version 2025. We talk about taking risks, but in a safe environment. We guess influences without ever managing to put a label. And so much the better. We let ourselves go. The end is coming, we realize that we have this slightly silly smile of enchantment. The wine list? Bottles chosen with heart. The bill? Almost good news. Because yes, there are so many much more expensive tables that tell a lot less. Ah, and especially... go for a walk in the toilet. The soundtrack is worth the detour. A media diva of gastronomy accompanies you. Total surprise. Discreet laughter guaranteed. Seriously, it’s THE surprise of this beginning of the year.

📍 13 Rue Jacques Louvel-Tessier, 75010 Paris

✔️ Tuesday to Saturday: 7PM - 10PM

💶 50 € – 60 €

BISTROT PAUL CHENE – CHERCHE MIDI

There are days when we want to do tradi. But tradi, like tradi. Of those where fat becomes a tender word, where the checkered tablecloth calls you by your first name, where the stomach demands solid, frank, something that sticks to the ribs. Some real stuff. No revisiting. No perched concept. No unnecessary twist. Just classic well sent. Then head to the Bistrot Paul Chêne – Cherche Midi. The little sister of the 16th, left bank version who doesn’t apologize for anything. Here, we celebrate the scoundrel with seriousness. Eggs mayo at attention. Pâté in a crust of competition. Snails flickering, ready to dive into a butter that slices. And when the dishes arrive, religious silence. Plump quenelles, well-searing beef rib, andouillette proud, precise tartare, confit that frays without resistance. A bistro museum, yes, but alive. Noisy. Inhabited. And then there is the fry. The real star. House. Golden, crunchy at will, salty just right. Listed among the best in Paris—and frankly, no surprises. We fall into it faster than bitcoin on a black Monday. And we have no desire to get out of it. Deep down, we don’t care about being reasonable. Here, we check everything: fun, pleasure, treat. Tradi? Yes. But tradi that puts everyone in agreement.

📍 79 rue du Cherche Midi, 75006 Paris

✔️ Monday: 7.30PM – 10PM // Tuesday to Friday: 12AM - 2.30PM and 7.30PM – 10PM // Saturday: 1PM – 3PM

💶 30 € – 50€