Food guide Les Apothicaires Lyon More-than-just-TV-chef Tabata has taken the scenic route before settling at Les Apothicaires, her first pied-à-terre in Lyon. Psychedelic wallpapers, same for the cushions, open kitchen, large jars everywhere, drawings and mirrors on the walls, a very “at home” style restaurant. As for the food, no magic potions here, despite what its name suggests. Her cooking is often bold, sometimes pickled, sometimes dehydrated, sometimes smoked, but always perfectly pulled off. On one day you might find on your plate three large jacket potatoes, some goat’s cheese and cecina, and on the next, some yellow zucchinis, apricots, almond humus and elderberries… In the evening, a single menu. Have a seat.
without any plans for reopening. But one year later, two blocks down, the kitchen rises again. Oh joy! Fabrizio Ferrara and Federica Mancioppi are back with Osteria Ferrara, with the same pasta-attitude and the same food goals. Legendary burrata, vitello tonnato for the ages, zucchini flower dough with mozzarella and anchovies, and of course, their lifeblood: pasta, with sausages and peas, or crawfish and saffron, or shoulder of lamb. On the grape front, as long as you like Italian deviances, no problem. Limited edition orange wines, Gelsomoro Marche Rosso, Langhe Nebbiolo from Cascina Roccalini… my osteria is your osteria. 7 Rue du Dahomey, 75011 Paris
23 Rue de Sèze, 69006 Lyon
Café Mirabelle Paris
Osteria Ferrara
Paris
The fans of the Caffe Dei Cioppi remember: national tragedy struck on the day Fabrizio closed shop,
Marion put so much of herself into this authentic and unusual restaurant that she could have named it the Café Marion, but it was out of the question for this 22-year-old to not use a name reminiscent of her native Alsace. At 8 am on the dot, out of the oven come the fresh croissants, pains au chocolat, gianduja brioche, and apricot strudels… all homemade, a habit she picked up from Sébastien
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Gaudard. Lunch chez Mirabelle is main course and dessert, no starters. And it is as amazing as it is Alsatian: grumbeere kiechles (potato pancakes), fleischnaka (a roll of egg and meat stuffing), mussel pasties, and a puits d’amour (the “well of love”, a French pastry) you could easily fall for… All afternoon, they serve tarts, Paris-Brest pastries, madeleine’s, cookies. And on weekends, a gargantuan brunch! The definitive “good vibrations” spot, vibes sent out from the kitchen by Marion, a ball of energy and passion. 16 Rue la Vacquerie, 75011 Paris
Le Tagine Paris If everyone was like Marie-Jo(sé Mimoun), the world would be a better place. The big-hearted adoptive-Moroccan has been running her restaurant since 1982, but don’t go calling her a dinosaur. Or it’s a very up-to-date dinosaur. As a pioneer in natural wines, she uses Drappier Brut Nature wine on her runny egg pastries, drowns her mechoui in Alain Graillot’s Tandem (a Moroccan Syrah), dunks her chicken and peaches tagine in a Sierra du Sud from Gramenon… A complete outsider, with multicoloured carpets on the wall, loud music, mint tea served from up high, and a trickle of orange water to wash your hands as you leave… The kind of place you would like to keep to yourself. 13 Rue de Crussol, 75011 Paris
Les Arlots Paris It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Les Arlots is the embodiment of that sentiment. From outside, it is not much to look at, but don’t
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