Steak and chips with a black drizzle of…squid ink. You’ll want to set aside a night for trendy new bistro Tannat, an Asian-influenced French canteen, opened in April 2015 on Avenue Parmentier.
Co-owners Ariane Stern and Simon Auscher both worked as chefs at the five-star palace hotel Shangri-La; Auscher also honed his craft at La Cantoche in Hong Kong and Paris’s Richer. Tannat is definitely chic but also surprisingly laidback, with about fifteen tables arranged around an oval counter (where you can also be seated for dinner).
The menu is slim, but well rounded, offering four appetisers (€5-€8), four starters (€8-€10), three mains (€19-€21), and three desserts (€8-€9). For a light treat, try the seasonal green asparagus, chorizo-crusted with a nasturtium mousse. Equally good was the waffle with salmon fingerlings and cucumber sorbet. The sea bass filet, served with an artichoke cream, melts in the mouth. For beef lovers, the Angus Beef Chuck, marinated in a Shiitake broth, is an excellent option. For dessert, the pistachio ice cream was a little bland, but the chocolate ganache proved outstanding. The wine list also offers a nice selection of around thirty fine wines, ranging from €24 to €42 per bottle.