Septime - now with a Michelin star

Septime is arguably one of the best tables in Paris right now as far as we're concerned - and we're certainly not the only ones to think that: the three-year-old restaurant also features on the World's Best Restaurant list (this year at number 52), won cult restaurant guide Le Fooding's "Fooding d'Honneur" in 2012, and has now received accolade of all accolades - its first (of many?) Michelin star. Chef Bertrand Grébaut concocts fresh flavour combinations with seasonal ingredients - for example, tender bonito with tart rhubarb and aniseed notes of fennel - beautifully and simply presented (there's nary a fancy coulis-squiggle in sight), with the colours and textures of superlative raw ingredients taking centre stage. Knowledgable, non-pretientious sommeliers are on hand to explain the extensive wine list, which includes interesting offerings such as orange wine (referring to its tannic robe) as well as excellent reds and whites, by the glass or bottle. The atmosphere is - in keeping with the food - devoid of all pomp and circumstance, with a pared-back, light-filled decor featuring wood, glass and grey metals a-plenty and not a single starched white table cloth to be seen. Lunch comes in at an unbelievably reasonable €30 for three courses (with two choices for each course), or €55 for a five-course no-choice menu at lunch and €60 at dinner. So what's the catch? With all these selling points, it's not easy to get a table. Log on to their website three weeks in advance for your best chances at scoring a reservation and persevere. Also keep in mind that Grébin's new restaurant next door, the seafood sharing plate Clamato, is for walk-ins only and the the equally charming Septime La Cave is just around the corner for wine, cheese and aperitif fodder - so if you have no luck getting a table at the mothership, you can at least get a glimpse of the greatness that is Septime. 

Septime

80 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris

Tel: +33 1 43 67 38 29 

www.septime-charonne.fr

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw / Unlock Paris

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.

Chez Moi, Paris

Chez Moi, Paris is a brand new boutique in the capital's first arrondissement, based upon the concept of an apartment - complete with bathroom, sitting room, dining room and bedroom - in which owner Jean-Baptiste Charpenay-Limon lives, eats and sleeps, and in which everything is for sale. The clean and sleek space, kitted out with a wooden runway leading from the front of the shop to the sleeping quarters, designed by Freek architects, is a backdrop for a sharp selection of artworks, homeware, magazines and journals (including Self Service, Purple, Roven), wine, furniture, clothes, accessories and more. There will also be food and drinks served in the near future, to offer a total homely experience. The idea is that you come and hang out with JB and his friends (and their cute dogs, on our visit), admire the decor, and leave with some of it under your arm. Come on in and make yourself at home.  

Chez Moi, Paris

25 rue Hérold, 75001 Paris

www.chezmoiparis.com

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw / Unlock Paris

Liberté - Patisserie Boulangerie by Benoît Castel

Hot off the press and fresh out of the oven: brand new bakery Liberté opened its doors just last week on the corner of up-and-coming roads rue Lucien Sampaix and rue de Vinaigriers just next to the Canal St Martin in Paris' 10th arrondissement and has already been drawing in the crowds daily with its swanky interior design and superlative breads and cakes. Following the creation of Left Bank boulangerie-patisserie Josephine Bakery, master pastry chef Benoît Castel - who formerly created delights for luxury Parisian food hall La Grande Epicerie - has now opened his second address in the capital in the ultra-trendy, super-edgy Canal St Martin neighbourhood, a couple of doors up from our favourite fast food joint The Sunken Chip and just round the corner from new café Holybelly. The decor is stylishly modern and breaks the tradi/cosy local baker shop mould, with a sleek and massive marble counter contrasted with delicate tiled floors, brut walls and bare Claude Leveque-esque neon lights. On sale is a beautiful array of sweet things including refined lemon meringue tarts, rum babas each with their own pipette of rum, deliciously fragrant cakes and biscuits (the fruit financier is a winner) as well as top-notch croissants, excellent bread and lunch options including sandwiches and salads. 

Liberté

39 rue des Vinaigriers

75010 Paris

Open Tues-Sat 7am-8pm

Buvette - Pigalle

SoPi, the New Yorkified name for the area of Paris just South of Pigalle, continues its hipsterfication (it's a word) with the arrival of a Big Apple import: wine bar and "gastrothèque", Buvette. Greenwich village-born Jody Williams has recreated her West Village restaurant, Buvette New York, on the charming rue Henri Monnier in Paris' 9th arrondissement, in a casual, shabby-chic setting with a marble bar and exposed brick work, serving small plates to share, including bruschetta-style tartines, and mini fish, meat and veggie dishes such as cuttle fish and chick peas, coq au vin and fennel with spiced orange and honey, plus cured meat and cheese platters (€18 for three plates or €30 for five), all washed down with well-chosen wines from regions throughout France, expertly-mixed cocktails, artisan cider or organic beer. Also on the menu are tasty puddings such as tarte tatin, and croissants and scones are served all day for breakfast or a tea time snack. Buvette doesn't take advanced reservations and the kitchen is open all day, making this a great option for an affordable, friendly or romantic meal off the cuff. We like. 

Buvette 

28 rue Henri Monnier, 75009 Paris

Open Tues-Sun, 10am to Midnight. 

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw / Unlock Paris