Orgueil: The Paris Restaurant Named for One of the Seven Deadly Sins

Located in the 11th arrondissement, Orgueil was created in 2022 by the Bonaloi group, with award-winning chef Eloi Spinnler spearheading the creative kitchen. Since then, the Bonaloi group has also opened Colère and Envie Le Banquet (grand opening in August), which follow Orgueil’s zero-waste, experimental model.  

Orgueil means “arrogance” or “pride” in French, and each Bonaloi restaurant is named after one of the seven deadly sins. Even Orgueil’s décor implies pride, with a dark, red-and-gold interior featuring depictions of lions. The lunch and dinner services are always fully booked, a testament to Orgueil’s popularity — and the appeal of a zero-waste restaurant.

With each menu item carefully considered for its impact on the environment, Orgueil selects ingredients only if every part can be used or turned into something new, like a garnish or vinegar. Each dish is out-of-the-box: even a simple apple crumble comes with an inventive twist. The restaurant’s motto is “share for yourself,” keeping with the theme of arrogance. The small dish sizes certainly tempt you to keep the delicious food to yourself — though if you want to try a bit of everything, there’s plenty to share.  

With sur mesure menus, each meal can be adapted to fit any dietary restrictions. Orgueil’s menus follow five themes: snacks, vegetarian, sea, meat, and desserts. As a vegetarian myself, I definitely appreciate their variety of vegetarian options. Each of these themes comes with its own menu written on mini posters that resemble tarot cards, and the choices vary depending on the season. This means that the menus change every three months. For the culinary adventurers among us, the menu mystère is a fixed-price, multi-course meal in which each course is a surprise. 

No matter the season, zero-waste is always at the forefront of Orgueil’s work, as well as sustainable fishing, meat, and poultry practices. They work hand-in-hand with local producers and buy in bulk, storing many of their ingredients in glass jars. To ensure nothing goes to waste, they create powders, pickled vegetables, sauces, and even chips out of vegetable and fruit peels or food that is starting to go bad. 

Each time I visit, Orgueil never fails to amaze me not only regarding their level of sustainability, but also the quality of their food. On our most recent trip, my partner and I tried a variety of dishes (mine being all vegetarian, of course). To give you an idea of what they’re serving this season, here are some of the dishes we tried: 

• Gnocchi with shallots 

• Potato purée with egg and soy sauce 

• Aile de raie (stingray) 

• Apple crumble 

While the service is excellent, dinner is laid-back and follows the traditional French method of multiple courses served individually, so expect to spend a couple of hours relaxing and enjoying your meal.  

In line with its experimental vision, Orgueil is comprised of two restaurants in one: a bistro and a hidden speakeasy. The bistro is perfect for groups of friends, couples, or casual dinners, and the dishes are small in keeping with the motto of “share for yourself.” The speakeasy, which can fit up to 12 people, has a chicer atmosphere, offers an immersive multi-course meal at a fixed price, and is accessible only through the kitchen, where diners have a front-row view of the goings-on throughout their meal. The bistro is open for lunch and dinner daily, and the speakeasy offers dinner every evening at 8pm and lunch from Thursday to Sunday. 

Due to Orgueil’s popularity, reservations must be made in advance. You can find out more about Eloi Spinnler and Orgueil’s zero-waste mission on his YouTube channel or discover zero-waste recipes on his Instagram. 

DETAILS

Orgueil
6 rue Popincourt, 11th
Tel: +33 1 83 97 34 80
Open 7 days a week, lunch and dinner
Two-course lunch menu at 22 euros
Sharing plates from 9 euros

 

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