March 21, 2013

Sing it with me: impeccably-sourced products, natural wine, chill ambiance, warm service…

Vivant is another contender in the list of modern bistros with spin-off wine bars in Paris (see: Frenchie, Verjus, Septime), and they’re doing it right. I went with lunch on a rare sunny day with A, who can eat with the best of them.

Risotto / encre de seiche

Gnocchi / ragout de canard

Both of our entrées were, surprisingly, Italian-themed and, less surprisingly, amazing. I dream about that gnocchi. Cloud-like pillows in a rich duck sauce, it blew the gnocchi I had at Le 6 Paul Bert the night before out of the water.

Poularde / légumes Racines

Joues de cochon braisées / haricots rouges

I found lunch at Vivant to be surprisingly homey. I could see a particularly skilled French or Italian grandmother (with access to the best ingredients of course) feeding it to her brood. It’s lovely to see a hip restaurant in Paris serving a braise, for example, when it seems that nearly everything I’ve had recently has been à la minute.

Tartelette aux pignons de pin

Terrine de chocolat / olives kalamata

This chocolate terrine doesn’t look like much, but it was my favorite course. That dusting of dehydrated kalamata olives atop something like an uncommonly rich chocolate mousse made a gratifying and unexpected salty-sweet combination.

At €60 per person for three courses and two glasses of wine, there are better values, especially during lunch. But Vivant is worth a stop, and I suspect moreso if you know more about wine than I do.

Vivant
43 rue des Petites Ecuries, 75010 (Château d’eau, Bonne Nouvelle)
01 42 46 43 55
€29 for two dishes, €39 for three, €79 carte blanche (lunch, prices not including wine)

Posted in: dining out, paris, Uncategorized | Tags: 75010, bistro, food, lunch, paris, paris restaurant, pierre jancou, restaurant, travel, vivant, vivant paris, vivant table