La Table des Résistants Takes ‘Farm to Table’ Dining to Another Level

There’s “farm to table” dining. And then there’s Les Résistants. Restaurateur Florent Piard, whom Le Monde’s Camille Labro calls a “fervent militant d’une agriculture paysanne,” passionately advocates for independent farms in France. His Parisian establishments — including a restaurant, wine bar, and épicerie — showcase the very best produce and meats from a network of some 150 independent farms.

Piard spent eight years crisscrossing the Hexagon to meet with producers at more than 1000 farms. (He also spent time with fishermen, market gardeners, salt workers, and winemakers.) His goal? To learn as much as possible about agricultural production systems, in order to champion these fermes paysannes. This promotoes traditional savoir-faire, while also strengthening links between consumers and rural farmers who are respectful of the environment. What’s more, it significantly lowers the carbon footprint.

The latest project in this remarkable mini empire is called La Table des Résistants. Formerly known as L’Avant-Poste on 7 rue de la Fidélité in the 10th arrondissement, the restaurant is a gastronomic address where chef Maurizio Madaio (formerly at David Toutain and Loiseau Rive Gauche) changes the dishes based on daily deliveries from partner farms. These producers are listed on the menu, along with their geographic region, and waiters tell stories about each ingredient, connecting your meal to the countryside where the produce was harvested, or the Brittany coastline where the fisherman caught the pollack.

Here’s a look at an autumn lunch. (We opted for the Menu Paysages Paysans, a steal at 45 euros for four courses. There’s also a formule of entrée – plat – dessert for 28 euros.) A sea bream gravlax with heirloom tomatoes and hazelnuts. Pollack with tapenade and a green pepper ketchup. Perfectly cooked Breton steak with chard and mushrooms. Oh, and we loved the bread served with hand-churned butter from the Ferme du Wern. The food is so good — served in an attractive dining area with tile floors, high ceilings, and exposed stone — that you’ll wish to prolong the meal as long as possible. Next time we’ll book dinner, where there’s a six-course option (the Menu Embruns Paysans costs 69 euros).

DETAILS
La Table des Résistants
7 Rue de la Fidélité, 10th arrondissement
Métro: Gare de l’Est ou Château d’Eau
Tel: +33 (0)9 81 41 01 07
Open from Tuesday – Sunday from 12 – 2 pm, and 7 pm – 9:30 pm

Note: During the pandemic, Slow Food International highlighted Piard as a “Slow Food Hero” for his work with farmers affected by the crisis. Check out the video below.