Panurge

In the former home of his Michelin-starred Pantagruel, now relocated a few streets away, chef-owner Jason Gouzy unveils Panurge – a modern bistro tribute to Rabelais’ beloved companion. A graduate of Éric Fréchon’s kitchens at Le Bristol, Gouzy has entrusted the stoves to Japanese chef Tomoyuki Uchida, formerly sous-chef to Stéphane Jégo at L’Ami Jean, to reimagine the classics of French bourgeois cuisine. This Franco-Japanese collaboration injects a contemporary, relaxed sensibility into heritage dishes, marrying meticulous technique with subtle umami accents.

The starters set the tone: pressed guinea fowl with foie gras and prunes challenges the conventions of modern bourgeois fare, while veal tongue tonnato bridges French offal tradition with Italian indulgence and Japanese shio koji. From the sea, a reworked Tom Kha Kai seafood soup with langoustines whisks the palate between the Mediterranean and Thailand.

At lunch, a €30 menu revives the tradition of the weekday “semainier” with comforting dishes for two, served in vintage porcelain terrines.

Desserts continue this nostalgic thread – a silky rice pudding with salted butter caramel touched with miso, or babas au rhum infused with elderflower syrup. The dining room retains the cozy elegance of its Michelin-starred past, with alcoves, plush banquettes, and linen-draped tables. Vintage china evokes family feasts, while whimsical Rabelaisian illustrations on the walls nod to the literary world so dear to Gouzy.