September Restaurant Buzz: What’s New in Paris

“The essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well.” –Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee (1908) 

The summer may be coming to an end, but the festive mood continues in Paris with crowds enjoying the Paralympic Games. La rentrée is also buzzing with Parisians back from their August holiday. Looking for a great place to eat? Here are some recommendations.

1. Le Grand Véfour 

Guy Martin’s menus and locations always tempt. Now enjoy an exceptional experience on the terrace as the Indian Summer continues. A jewel of 18th-century decorative art, within the gardens of the Palais-Royal, Le Grand Véfour has been the gastronomic mecca of political, artistic and literary life in Paris for over 200 years. Here’s a sumptuous setting throughout the day – choose from two spaces, the recently installed terrace in the gardens of the Palais Royal and the other in the shade, and shelter, of the arcades. 

Signature dishes to try include starters of seared langoustine with grilled leeks and shellfish emulsion (€98); and duck ravioli with foie gras and black truffle emulsion (€92). Mains include beef filet, jus of girolles mushrooms, pink garlic, chard (€75); and roast blue lobster, seasonal vegetables, onion and citrus condiments (€96). 

DETAILS

17 rue de Beaujolais, 1st 
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 96 56 27 
Metro: Palais Royal Musée du Louvre 
Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch & dinner 
Average spend: Le Semainier (weekday) menu €57-€68 + wine  

2. Joia  

Hélène Darroze’s chic bistro, in the Sentier ‘hood, announces the arrival of Charlotte Bringant, the talented 30-something cheffe who was formerly of the Ducasse group, at Les Lyonnais, then chez Allard. This skinny and dynamic talent trained at Laurent with Alain Pégouret, then at Le Hyatt Vendôme alongside Jean-François Rouquette, before joining the Ducasse group – working for a time at Spoon 2 then chez Sapid where she created plant-based cuisine highlighting “naturalness.” There’s no doubt that Cheffe Charlotte will put her delicate and light touch at this gourmet bistro with Basque influences. 

DETAILS

39 rue des Jeuneurs, 2nd 
Metro: Bonne Nouvelle 
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 20 06 06 

3. Bouillon du Coq by Thierry Marx 

Thierry Marx, the former maestro of ** Michelin star Mandarin Oriental, heads to the suburbs of Saint-Ouen! A new adventure in the former Coq de la Maison Blanche takes place on this buzzing boulevard near the famous rue des Rosiers flea market. (The recently extended metro line 14 makes it easy to access!) In the kitchen, there’s another Thierry (Martin), a faithful lieutenant of the Marx team who we remember from the Mandarin O and at the now closed Etoile du Nord. Thierry Marx wants his cuisine to be accessible to everyone and presents  classic Parisian dishes at reasonable prices. “The concept’s to delight diners with a menu for around €15.50”, he says. Think egg mayonnaise, leek vinaigrette, onion soup, chicken & fries, sausage & mash, crème brulée etc. Completely renovated, inaugurated on July 4th in the presence of Saint-Ouen Mayor Karim Bouamrane, Valérie Pécresse and executive chef Thierry Martin, the spacious three-story restaurant features two bars and a rooftop terrace with city views.  Exciting!

DETAILS

37 boulevard Jean-Jaurès, Saint-Ouen, 93400 
Tel: +33 (0)1 86 53 46 56 
Metro: Mairie de Saint Ouen 
Open 7/7 – no reservations 

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4. Elsass 

Guillaume Keusch, a proud Alsatian expat, launched Elsass in September 2023, as a “tasty tribute to [his] native region.” Elsass is above all a winegrowers’ restaurant: the only one in the capital to offer a 100% Alsatian wine list highlighting the diversity of regional vintages. Big names and private estates make up the thread of this unique address where the menu’s designed to enhance the wines, and not the other way around!

Check out Les Domaines Mélanie Pfister, Valentin Zusslin, Jean-Claude Buecher, Trimbach, Albert Mann or Josmeye. Everything relating to Alsatian vineyards is on the menu, telling, via the well polished glasses, the story of a great wine region. Elsass is the story of vines and friendship that Guillaume Keusch nourishes day after day, this native born Alsatian who grew up to became an enlightened oenophile – appreciating the vintages and those who create them. 

Big news: The arrival of chef Michalis Papafilis, who has worked with Bruno Cirino and Marc Meneau, and in the kitchens of Epicure at Le Bristol, Le Meurice and La Tour d’Argent. Papafilis’ dishes showcase deceptively simple French cuisine with subtle Alsatian influences. A few examples: delicate Brittany artichoke, simmered in Riesling, fennel and Alsatian saffron vegetable sauce; mushroom ravioli, pan-fried shiitake and mushroom sauce; roasted pigeon, angostura onion puree, caramelized endive and tarragon-infused devil sauce. And, forget the clichés, beg for the five-meat choucroute! Alsace’s signature dish costs €35 pp.

DETAILS

Open Tuesday & Saturday for dinner (average spend €70 + wine) 
Wednesday & Friday at lunch from €28-€34
153 avenue Parmentier, 10th  
Tel: +33 (0)9 55 66 77 68 
Metro: Parmentier 

5. Walk off the calories/build up an appetite – with JSM 

Why was “The Idiot” (aka Joel Stratte-McClure) walking around Paris during the Olympics? One intriguing aspect of France’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics was the creation of a 50-kilometer hiking path around the perimeter of Paris.

It’s called the GR75  – GR stands for Grand Randonnée, or long-distance hike, and 75 is the designated administrative number of the Paris region. Says JSM: “The pleasant urban walk zig-zags into picturesque neighborhoods, meanders through verdant parks, follows out-of-use train tracks, wanders through busy shopping areas, crosses canals and the Seine River, and features lots of charming churches and fascinating architecture, between Parc de la Villette, where GR75 begins, and Cité Universitaire in the southern part of the city.” The guide is priced at €12.40. 

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6. Monday Sports Club x La Compagnie des Bâteaux Mouches 

Looking for a unique sports experiences on the Seine? Monday Sports Club is leaving its studios and teaming up with the Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches to offer a unique Paris sports experience. Work out during a sports cruise on the route of the opening ceremony on the Seine with dynamo (cycling), Punch (cardio-boxing) and RIISE (yoga & pilates) sessions.

3 dates to remember: September 14, September 21 and 22, 2024 

Address: Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches, Port de la Conférence 7th  

7. Maison Elysée

The iconic presidential palace announces a fabulous new exhibition space (costing €3.5 million) with café and gift shop. The goal is to help teach presidential history to visitors. The Maison Elysée site is just opposite the Elysée courtyard. Buy super souvenirs: Snow globes: €12; Limoges porcelain mugs emblazoned with the Republican motto “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”: €39; T-shirt “Enfant de la Patrie”: €59. These are just some of the 300 products – some kitsch, all Made in France – available at the boutique – open since July 30th. 

According to President Macron’s press release, they want “to give every French citizen a behind-the-scenes look at a house that belongs to them.” Created by designer Sarah Lavoine in a former wedding dress boutique, the premises are realistic, according to Franck Mérel, a visitor from the Basque country: “You can really feel the spirit of the Elysée, even though I’ve never been there!”

At the heart of the exhibition, the 1740 magnificent Regency desk created by cabinetmaker Charles Cressent (1685-1768) on which Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand − among others − worked, takes pride of place in a reconstruction of the gilded salon.

88 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, 8th 

8. RIP 

Michel Etienne Robert-Guérard (1933-2024) – We owe you so much. 

Guérard’s influence on French cuisine/restaurants was immeasurable. He pioneered La Nouvelle Cuisine, eliminating rich sauces thickened with flour. His besties were like-minded chefs such as Roger Vergé, Paul Bocuse and Pierre Troisgros, who wanted to break away from the rigid, 19th-century rules of French haute cuisine. Remember Guerard at Pot-Au-Feu, Asnières, in the 60s and his delicious eggs with caviar, mushrooms and asparagus tips? He’d worked at the Hôtel de Crillon, where he became head pastry chef and the Paris Lido cabaret and restaurant. Then in the 70s, he took over the kitchens of Les Prés d’Eugénie in southwest France. “I assume the product has more talent than I do,” he said modestly. Christine (his wife) sadly died in 2017. Their two daughters, Éléonore and Adeline, run the Chaîne Thermal du Soleil. “I see restaurant as theatre”, he said, “which cultivates taste and beauty, and the beauty of tastes”.