I’m a frequent diner at Beatriz Gonzalez’s Coretta, but had never been to her original restaurant, Neva Cuisine, in the eighth near the Gare Saint-Lazare. It’s the same style of modern French cooking as at Coretta, but more upscale and maybe even more creative. I’ll be back – a lot. My review is here.
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Looks wonderful. Coretta has long been on my lists of places to try, and will now have three places to try! I need to spend more time in Paris!
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May I ask, @onzieme, what is the list of restaurants now in your regular rotation (and which for lunch and which for dinner, if relevant)? You’ve name a number of them throughout your most welcome reviews, but I suspect there might be a few you’ve not yet highlighted.
Thx.
In no particular order and just thinking off the top of my head and with the caveat that this list isn’t just food-based but it’s also because I want to go to a certain part of town or have a certain kind of experience):
Coretta
Pétrelle
Alliance (lunch)
Garance
Sadarnac (dinner may be better, but I’m not sure)
Les Parisiens (I don’t know that lunch is better, but it’s a lot cheaper)
Willi’s Wine Bar (I go in part for reasons other than the food, but the food never disappoints)
HSP La Cabane and HSP
Hectar (now called Benjamin Schmitt)
Les Canailles (Ménilmontant and Pigalle, but more Ménilmontant because its not too far away)
52 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré
a.léa (dinner better)
eunoé (probably lunch)
Géosmine (I only go lunch because I don’t like set menus)
la biche au bois (Parn doesn’t like it, in part for the clientèle, but his characterization of the clientèle does not match my experience, indicating he may not have been there for a while)
Vantre
Colvert (largely because it accepts my yums, but it is solid food and good wine list)
Oktobre (I’ve only been at lunch)
Hémicycle (have only been at lunch)
Polissons
cho cho
and often for last-minute: Aux Bons Crus, Aux Crus de Bourgogne, Auberge Bressane, Grande Brasserie.
Probably others that I’m not thinking of now. And some close, like Les Climats just did.
There are others that I like a lot but just don’t get to that often for a variety of reasons; and some that fall of the list – chef may change, other aspects may change, etc. Granite was the latest example of that.
Obviously, with a list that long and wanting also to explore new places, my tolerance for disappointment is very low.
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Totally agree with Onz’s excellent assessment of the worthiness of Neva. The only minus for me is its location in the very dull Europe quartier.
Coretta has always been among my top 5 ever since it opened. And Les Batignolles neighbourhood is far more enjoyable and buzz-y for a before or after for us flâneurs.
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Edit to my comment above that was written late at night: what I meant to say about Granite was that it had been close to in rotation but fell out with the last meal, which was great 2/3 of the way through and then ran into major, major problems (not just the food).
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Thanks for reviewing Neva Cuisine, onz. I’ve always been curious about it since I love Coretta so much as you know. The latter is great to take friends to because they’re always so delighted with the food, ambiance, service, etc., whether it’s lunch or dinner. The other Beatriz Gonzalez restaurant near the Marmottan, the one that closed, was Le Rive Droite which was on the second floor of La Grande Épicerie Passy. It was so convenient and I miss it, but I recall that you found something recently also near the Marmottan that was also very good.
But I can’t wait to try Neva this year. The menu looks terrific. And since Neva Cuisine was Gonzalez’ first restaurant I wonder if it has special meaning for her, causing her to give it more attention.
Thanks, sfcarole. The places I currently like near the Musée Marmottan Monet are HSP La Cabane and its sibling Huîtres & Saumons de Passy.
Just to add that the Beatrice Gonzalez universe now includes an excellent tacos place in the 10th. https://www.instagram.com/taco_mesa/
@onzieme , thanks so much for this list! I highly value the places that folks go back to regularly as a source of places to try.
I think I’ve heard from you, or at least others on this board, about most of the restaurants on this list. The three that don’t ring any bells are Garance, Vantre and Polissons. Nor did Google searches of HO bring up anything.
Any chance you will be reviewing these in the near-ish future? If not, maybe a little background on what you enjoy about each?
We were early supporters of Vantre, probably on Chowhound. Drifted away for no reason other than so many fine options. Excellent food and delightful service and wine counsel.
We also tried Neva shortly after it opened but at that tme found no reason to return. Again, years ago…
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I’ll go to two in the next several weeks, but since I don’t report on the majority of restaurants I go to (I dislike taking photos, and especially so when we are eating with friends), I’ll comment on them here.
I hesitated to mention Garance. In the past, I deliberately kept it quiet because it has an outstanding and extensive wine list that was priced at low markups. But the list has since been remarked to standard markups, and so the wine alone is not a special reason to go there.
Garance gives you very pure and fresh food, much from the owner’s parents’ farm. Frankly, it’s probably too subtle and too pure for most tourists to appreciate, but based on your posts, I think you will like it. It’s also located in the 7th surrounded by embassies, ministries, and other power diners. I often seen ipads come out after lunch is through and a business presentation is then given. It’s extremely French (I don’t believe I’ve ever seen another non-French person there); I’d be surprised if they had an English-language version of the carte and frankly, I don’t know how they would handle the loud-mouthed, crude Anglophones (not limited to Americans by any means) that one often encounters in tourist spots. This is really more like a private club in atmosphere. In short, this is not a restaurant for people who don’t feel at home in upper segments of French society, and as such its understatement is very different from the cinema of the two- and three-star restaurants that cater to non-French customers.
Vantre has an extensive wine list at reasonable prices (note: reasonable, not great; you go for access to certain bottles, not to get a bargain – unless you’re comparing to US prices). The food, bistronomic, was ok prior to the pandemic, but it now has a new chef and has much fresher, more interesting food. I wouldn’t call it a destination restaurant, but if you’re in the area or want to explore the area, it’s a good place to go. For me, it’s easy because it’s only about a 20-minute walk from my apartment.
Polissons , I regret to say, now is permanently closed according to google. It was a neighborhood restaurant with fresh, bistronomic food, modest prices, and a cheery atmosphere – a good spot to go to when visiting Montmartre.
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I’m surprised that Neva Cuisine didn’t appeal to you since our late friend John Talbott was most enthusiastic and your tastes seemed largely to coincide with his.
Re Vantre: see my response to Andy, above.
