Like a baby, naming a bar can be difficult. How do you best summarise your business, your ethos, in one snappy yet unique-sounding phrase? At this stylish seafood bar, they’ve simply taken the name of the house speciality and pressed copy and paste – the ‘clamato’, by the way, is a spicy bouillon of clams and tomatoes.
Though the prices are relatively high and the portions not all that generous, the quality and freshness of the produce the kitchen uses – all responsibly sourced – generally make up for it. Depending on the season, you might enjoy things like wild Belle Corde n°3 oysters with Tabasco (€17), some delightful Quiberon barnacles in a punchy lemongrass vinaigrette (€15) or a gorgeously silky fillet of haddock served with asparagus and a ‘red miso’ (€13). Bring up a stool to the industrial-style bar and pair your plates with a glass of dry white wine, like the P’tit Coin de Paradis (Allobroges 2014 Lucas, €7 a glass) or a fantastic Saint-Veran (2015 Perraud, €7). Despite the prices, it’s a worthwhile stop.
TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER