With Caillebotte and Le Pantruche under their belts, Franck Baranger and Edouard Bobin have struck again. Still in the 9th arrondissement (the pair’s favourite neighbourhood), their most recent spot shows a slight change in direction, with the addition of the Welsh chef Andrew Frost. Spread over two floors, Belle Maison is named after their favourite beach on the Ile d’Yeu. Although there was no sand between our toes, the blue walls and wooden tables made it feel like a trip the coast without leaving the trendy SoPi area.
The first stop on our voyage – whelks and mayonnaise (€7) – are salty and hay-smoked to perfection. The lunchtime menu includes the dish of the day (€14) – either fish or meat, depending on market availability; ours is a beautiful cod fillet caught in Brittany. Pink around the edges, it’s expertly cooked, accompanied by mashed cauliflower with lashings of butter and kale.
But it’s not just the jewels of the ocean that had us all at sea – if you’re more of a land lubber, go for the line-caught zander (€21), a freshwater fish similar to perch, with Jerusalem artichokes and a sprinkle of wild mushrooms.
The Far Breton (a clafouti-style flan from Brittany) failed to make waves – lacking butter and that crucial richness. Hopefully on our next dip, things will be 100% ship shape.
TRANSLATION: MEGAN CARNEGIE