Le Galopin (CLOSED)

A little restaurant set in the pretty Sainte-Marthe square, whose unique, creative menu changes nightly according to the produce available and the mood of the chef – Romain Tischenko, winner of ‘Top Chef 2010’. The avant-garde Tischenko’s USP is taking unfashionable vegetables and turning them into fusion cuisine 2.0.

Dishes here are deconstructions of traditional cuisine, combining the flavours of parsnips, artichokes, pumpkins, celery and apples with cocoa, scallops and caramel. It’s a disarming culinary adventure, which often surprises with its modernist emulsions, mousses and sauces. Portions are small, again in the modernist fashion, but there are plenty of them: after three starters, you can still expect two mains and two desserts.

The team behind the restaurant is young, attentive and full of good advice on the wine list, all produced by independent winemakers. Make sure to reserve – larger groups can also reserve the two family-sized tables in the basement, and at lunchtime, there’s a slightly more affordable set menu at €25, popular with regulars who work in the area.