Unlocking Paris with... Maheva

Swiss by birth, but Parisian by adoption, super talented fashion designer Maheva Ambresin has lived in Paris for 10 years and counting – working her sartorial magic at a selection of stylish French ready-to-wear brands and rubbing shoulders with the cool kids along the way. We caught up with the SoPi resident and gal about town at brand new boat Playtime for the first in our new series where we ask locals for their insider tips on what to do in the capital. Here’s what Maheva told us between dips in the pool and sips of Lillet on ice.

Where’s the best place in Paris for an al fresco drink?

Paris is known for its terraces but rather than being roadside or riverside, we all want a bit of greenery, a rooftop and some sun, so I’m afraid I’m going to say Le Perchoir, as, even if – victim of its own success – there are long waiting times and a slightly irritating clientele, the two Perchoir addresses remain the most beautiful terraces in Paris. I particularly enjoy sipping on a mojito granita and lying back on a sofa with my head in the clouds of Paris.


What are your favourite places for an off-the-cuff kind of an evening?

Unplanned evenings tend to happen after work, so I’ll head towards rue Saint-Anne, stopping by the Chez Moi boutique where Jean-Baptiste lives. You’re always welcome here to chat about future projects, to flick through books and admire the latest curiosities in store. Then Kunitoraya 2 is just a couple of minutes away and I can never resist dinner here – the waiters are too cute with their 100% Japanese shyness and the prawn tempura is incredible.

Concept Store Chez Moi

Most romantic place for a date?

Definitely Buvette. Try to nab the two places at the counter in the corner to the right of the entrance. The high stools allow for a bit of sexy leg flashing, the soft lighting hides all kinds of sins if your skin isn’t looking its best, and it’s all about small-sized sharing plates so you don’t look like a pig, and you can play with each other’s forks. Oh, and CHOCOLATE MOUSSE.

Chocolate Mousse at Buvette

Where is your favourite place in Paris to hole up when it rains?  

In my bed in a man’s arms. Or, for an easier option, L’Avant Comptoir –  even if it’s standing room only, you’ll want to stay to sample the dozens of tapas-sized dishes, washed down with sparkling rosé. If Yves Camdeborde wants to adopt me, I promise that I’ll never miss a family dinner ever again.

Wine and tapas-sized bites at l'Avant Comptoir

What’s your favourite local hangout?

I’m going to give you two as I love my hood and it’s too difficult to choose. So the first – and, sorry, but it’s not at all glamorous - is Le Paprika. I go for one thing and one thing only: the owner is Hungarian and serves his grandmother’s goulash – and even 10 minutes before closing time he’ll serve you, eyes full of pride to be continuing the family tradition. And the second is Caillebotte – oh go on, and the third is le Pantruche. I call them regularly begging for a table because it’s always fully booked. Both are lovely places, with friendly staff, delicious food and unbeatable prices.

Pink Grapefruit with Tarragon Ice-Cream at Caillebotte

Thanks, Maheva! We look forward to dinner at Pantruche with you soon (if you can can get us a table that is… Otherwise we'll settle for late night goulash). Stay tuned for the next in the series of insider tips with another local unlocking Paris for us. 

Artisan - Cocktails and Small Plate Dining in South Pigalle

You know how much we love small plate dining here at Unlock Paris and you might have noticed that we're partial to a cocktail, too. And then there's our penchant for the area that we like to call SoPi (that's South Pigalle, to you) with our tongue firmly lodged in our cheek. Well, as luck would have it, Artisan ticks all of our boxes: located just behind the trendy rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement, this cosy establishment serves a range of expertly mixed cocktails alongside tapas-sized dishes to share - perfect! Counter seating and a no-reservations policy create a laidback atmosphere - pitch up, pick a bar stool and order as you wish from the concise menu. Seasonally varying dishes include delights such as a jazzed-up croque monsieur with cured ham and mushrooms (€8), delicate root vegetables with hard-hitting horseradish (€7), langoustine ravioli in a sea of seafood emulsion (€10) and the pungent truffled brie (€10). For pudding, you can't go wrong with the creamy rice pudding with salted caramel and lime (€6) or the lemon creme brûlé with apple petals (€6) - both to be devoured with groans of wide-eyed pleasure. On the drinks menu are cocktails such as Be Sage (Bourbon, lemon juice, sugar, sage and Amaro, €13) or the playfully-named Are U Nuts (walnut-infused Cognac, white vermouth and chocolate bitters, €13) as well as a carefully chosen selection of wines (from €5 for a glass of Coteaux du Giennois). The high quality of the food combined with the casual dining format, coupled with a laidback yet softly-lit setting, makes Artisan a destination that's just as suitable for a romantic date as a dinner with friends - all in all, it's a winner in our books. 

Artisan

14 rue Brochart de Saron, 75009 Paris

Open Tues-Sat, 7pm-2am (kitchen closes at 00.30); Sunday midday-4pm for brunch. 

No reservations. 

photos copyright Kim Laidlaw 2014.

Café Marlette

Created by sisters Margot and Scarlette, Marlette (see what they did there?) began as an organic food brand selling bread and cake mixes (stocked at choice Paris addresses such as Claus and Causses), and has now branched out to include the freshly opened Café Marlette, serving breakfast, lunch, brunch and snacks. The charming space on the trendy rue des Martyrs - with a pared back, bright and breezy decor of bare-brick walls and comfy window seats strewn with cushions - provides a convivial backdrop for laidback daytime dining. On the menu are simple, organic and healthy options at reasonable prices (from €7.50), including sandwiches (such as the delicate yet filling goats cheese, honey and raisin baguette), seasonal salads, soups and sweet treats fresh out of the oven such as cookies and scones. These can all be washed down with superior coffee supplied by Paris coffee masters, Coutume, organic tea from Lov or organic wine for those who wish to indulge. Brunch - featuring a selection of breads and jams, granola, compote and more - is served on the weekends (€25) and the Marlette bread and pastry mixes, from whence this story all began, are also on sale. 

Café Marlette

51 rue des Martyrs, 

75009 Paris

www.cafemarlette.fr

Open: Tues-Fri, 8.30am-7.30pm; Sat, 10am-7.30pm; Sun, 10am-6pm

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw / Unlock Paris

Tsubame

We love SoPi (South Pigalle, dontchaknow), we love Japanese food, we love small plate dining and we love bento boxes - ergo we absolutely fricking adore new Paris restaurant, Tsubame, which combines all of these elements in one neat package. On a corner spot on the sloping roads leading down from Pigalle, the simple, no-frills setting is the backdrop for a bento-box lunch spot, serving fish, meat or veggie options (inlcuding breaded pork served on rice with lotus root and spinach on our visit) in the daytime, and an izakaya - essentially a Japanase tapas bar (and a nascent Paris trend) - in the evening, with small plates to share, washed down with Nikka whisky, wine, sake or tea. Don't miss the distinctive black sesame icecream or the original matcha creme brûlée for pudding. 

Tsubame

40 rue de Douai

75009 Paris

01 48 78 06 84

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw / Unlock Paris

Restaurant Caillebotte

The team behind much lauded South Pigalle restaurant Le Pantruche has reinforced its 9th arrondissement foothold with the opening of neo-bistro Caillebotte, just off the trendy rue des Martyrs. The light and airy space - featuring marble table tops, blond wood and an open kitchen - serves as a suitably bright and breezy setting for the refreshing cuisine on the seasonal menu: featured are starters such as smoked tuna with  mustard broccoli, seaweed biscuit and siphoned piccalilli (€11), mains such as plaice in burnt breadcrumbs, with cauliflower mousseline and parmesan broth (€21) and desserts such as pink grapefruit with tarragon ice-cream and white chocolate crunch, or chocolate mousse with corn crumble and black olives (€9). These innovative and carefully composed dishes are also available on the fixed-price menu (€35 for starter, main and dessert), and the incredibly affordable lunchtime menu featuring the dish of the day comes in at €19 for starter/main or main/dessert. A dynamic addition to the buzzing SoPi neighbourhood. 

Caillebotte 

8 rue Hippolyte-Lebas

75009 Paris

+33 1 53 20 88 70 

Open Mon-Fri, lunch and dinner

all photos © Kim Laidlaw 

Ito

We've said it before, and no doubt we'll say it again: South Pigalle is the place to be in Paris right now, and the recent arrival of casual Japanese canteen Ito only confirms that sentiment. The tiny, inconspicuous restaurant in the SoPi neighbourhood, helmed by chef Victor Magsaysay, serves serious Japanese tapas, with a concise menu of ten small dishes featuring delights such as tofu-stuffed shitake mushrooms, finely cut Chahan cauliflower with ginger and black sesame, succulent dengaku aubergine with red miso and chilies, and a beautifully presented yuzu-black sesame red berry cheesecake for pudding, all to be washed down with Japanese beer (Kirin, Asahi), dangerously delicious Umeshu plum wine or sake or whiskey from their extensive drinks list. Prices are €19 for three plates, €25 for four or €65 for ten (count on having three to four plates per person).

Ito

2 rue Pierre Fontaine

75009 Paris

Reserve by email: reservations@itoeats.fr or phone (from 6pm) 09 52 91 23 00

Open Mon-Sat, 8pm-2am