There were times when Paris’ disaffected and slightly decaying 10th didn’t have much to recommend it but times change…
Ex-Racines chef Pierre Jancou has come back to roost in the 10th in a former exotic bird shop. The pretty polly tiles (above) alone worth a stop. Jancou dishes up smoked mozzarella, proper Italian prosciutto, pinky, peppery Challans duck and suckling porky with a mound of creamy potato at Vivant (43 rue des Petites-Ecuries. Tel: 01 42 46 43 55).
Ex-Rose Bakery chef Kaori Endo is doing funky Paris-style bento lunches (meat, fish or tofu for €13) at Nanashi (31 rue de Paradis). Locals can’t get enough of them, the fresh fruit juices, brioche pizza, pumpkin soup and cheesy cheesecake. You can even pick up some organic fruit & veg. Try brunch on the weekend – smoked trout and scrambled eggs or chunky homemade muesli.
Le Napoléon (73 rue Faubourg St-Denis. Tel: 01 47 70 21 36) also slings a mean weekend brunch, trots out an above average burger (even a tofu one!) and club sandwich. The tarte tatin is a perfect afternoon pick-me-right-up.
Super-sympa wine bar, Le Verre Volé (67 rue de Lancry. Tel: 01 48 03 17 34) is the place for a glass of (natural) wine and a plate of grilled squid fresh from Basque beauty, St Jean de Luz.
Venerable La Grille (80 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière. Tel: 01 47 70 89 73) serves up a côte de bœuf that would do a caveman proud. Utterly old-fashioned and good with it.
Du Pain et des Idées (34 rue Yves-Toudic. Tel: 01 42 40 44 52) has excellent breadside manners, from mouna (orange blossom brioche) to mini-pavés (bread dough crammed with green olives and herbs or chocolate and raspberries, just to name a few of their irresistible “mini-bricks”). Artisanal baguettes here are worthy of the name….just try getting one of these babies home in one piece.
Then there’s food for the eyes: any beaded, embroidered, ribboned, pleated, plaited, crocheted, appliqued, patchworked bag from Jamin Puech (61 rue d’Hauteville. Tel: 01 40 22 08 32). Slick retro 50s through 70s furniture from Coin Canal (1 rue de Marseille 01 42 38 00 30) – I’ll take that and that and that and that and….that! Bambi lamps and burnt orange boots from Antoine et Lili (95 Quai de Valmy. Tel: 01 40 37 41 55), a Mexican beer tray and a stroll along the rather glorious Canal St-Martin.