An American at the helm of Muxu

This neo-bistro, which opened fairly recently in the boboland of northeastern Paris, boasts a skillful play on current food trends, with an original decor by interior designer Marine Belmon. Old and new come together in harmony, contrasting pale wood paneling with an edgy urban fresco, and baroque chandeliers with LED lights to create a truly pleasant effect, the perfect place for cocktails and friendly after-work drinks. But Muxu (pronounced moochoo the Basque way), is first and foremost a wine cellar & eatery, with shelves stocked with nice bottles sold to go and a see-through kitchen so you can watch Ethan Goode at work. This young, talented American-born chef knows the bistronomy concept well. He was head of Frenchie for a time, and it shows in his trendy, albeit somewhat short, menu: the sole prix-fixe menu at €35 offers a choice of only two starters, main dishes and desserts, along with two daily specials. We began with a salad of clams on a bed of al dente zucchini noodles, topped with slivers of raw wild asparagus. A fresh and tangy starter, perfectly in season. Then came a nice fillet of poached codfish in a green crab bisque, escorted with pumpkin seed pesto, white beans… and two practically raw carrots! Not a big deal, since overall it was very good, and we could overlook the carrots. Everything ended well with a caramelized peach, topped with mascarpone whipped cream. And all for just €35. Starter and main dish combo at €30 for dinner. Lunch prix-fixe menu at €23 and lunch special at €17.

11:30pm to 2:30pm and 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Closed Saturday and Monday
Average price: €35.