Restaurant Edgar

Paris’s ‘Little Egypt’, a tiny area outlined by the Rue d’Alexandrie, the Passage du Caire and the Rue du Nil, has a new centre of gravity: the restaurant at the Hôtel Edgar, with its big terrace looking out over a shady square.

Here, you can catch some sun over briskly-served drinks, including cocktails. Inside, by some sleight of hand, designer Guillaume Rouget has turned the former textiles workshop into a swanky, hedonistic refuge. On one side a series of rooms are done out in safari, rock or kids themes (around €200 a night). On the other, an atmospheric restaurant is filled with vintage furniture and pretty lamps, everything in copper, turquoise and black and white. Next to the bar, in front of the kitchens, the seafood platter that sets the tone of the menu: things like Roumégous oysters with bread and Bordier butter, breaded calamari, mussels with chorizo, langoustines, cod with blood oranges and grilled octopus. There’s more meaty fare as well, with excellent boudin, pork steaks and spare ribs, for example.

All the dishes are served with home made chips and fresh spinach, and you need to allow around €20 for a main dish. The prices are slightly inflated for cooking that is good without being exceptional, but the other parts of the equation – the charming service, the quality of the ingredients and the undeniable charm of the place – manage to balance everything out. You’ll want to come back – perhaps on a Sunday for a fish and chip brunch (€27), or to take your time on the terrace on a sunny afternoon.