Niní, italian roots, parisian rhythm

Freshly opened on avenue Parmentier, just steps from Canal Saint-Martin, Niní brings a lively Italian-French bistro spirit to the neighborhood, perfectly in tune with its time. In the dining room, Victor Kalczuga oversees the welcome and the wine list; in the kitchen, Fabio Massimo Liuzza, a Roman who has passed through London, Oxford, Copenhagen and Le Grand Bain, works with seasonal cooking rooted in Italy, French technique and even a few detours toward Asia. The bright dining room blends exposed brick, dark wood, red tiling and industrial details.

The crowd is mostly thirtysomething and local, with groups sharing plates, couples from the 10th arrondissement and fans of natural wines. One might begin with radishes and tarama, coppa or focaccia, sheep’s ricotta and zucchini alla scapece, before moving on to yellowtail with Trapani pesto, fennel and kumquat, smoked celeriac with Parmesan, black garlic and hazelnut, or rabbit croquettes with cacciatore sauce and horseradish.