Like in many major cities around the world, one of the most rampant culinary trends in Paris right now essentially involves giving run-of-the-mill fast food a plush gourmet makeover. There are already gourmet burgers, gourmet kebabs, and now there’s luxury fish and chips too.
Stylistically a bit Ikea, while also conveying the relaxedness of a Breton beachside bar, cosy blue-and-yellow restaurant Mersea serves an upgraded take on the classic British dish to diners on the restaurant-packed Rue du Faubourg Montmartre. Its fish and chips menu is simple: customers must choose between two types of delicately breaded fish (pollack or cod, according to market availability), depending on how thick a batter they want. Each fillet comes with a side of freshly cut chips and a sauce of their choosing (tartare, spiced yoghurt or rouille, a piquant provençal mayonnaise).
Though we can’t possibly complain about the quality of the cooking, €14 for the lunchtime menu seems a little excessive for food that arrives served on a McDonald’s-style plastic tray. But if you’re after a quick, indulgent, gourmet fix, it’s probably worth shelling out.
TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER