(V)ivre – Canal Saint-Martin La fille de guy savoy remet le couvert

After (V)ivre Opéra, which we highly appreciated, opened by Caroline Savoy and Bruno Blain, the daughter of three-star Michelin Chef Guy Savoy has done it again just a hop, skip and jump from the Canal Saint-Martin. In keeping with the spirit of the first location, this restaurant cultivates a joy of life and good eating without spending a fortune, in a welcoming setting like a cross between a New York loft and neo-bistro. The weekly menu, featuring daily casseroles at affordable prices, boasts good and hearty no-frills eats: pot-au-feu stew on Wednesday, blanquette of veal on Thursday, bouillabaisse on Friday and flambéed kidneys on Saturday. Otherwise, the menu changes regularly to suit the market and the season, featuring fresh and original cuisine. On the day of our visit, we chose a veal tongue carpaccio accompanied with balls of fromage frais, shallots in red wine, aged mimolette cheese, arugula and caper vinaigrette (€12), which was very good. Then came a delicately roasted line-caught pollock with mackerel powder, vegetable spaghetti and turmeric cream with garlic (€22), along with a melt-in-your-mouth breast of lamb with toasted hazelnuts, crispy polenta and piperade (€22). The desserts, ice cream and sorbet chosen from the dessert cart were all just as delicious. The excellent cuisine with a prix-fixe menu at only €39 makes the restaurant one of the neighborhood’s main contenders for best value for money. Very nice wine list that gives pride of place to small growers. Sunday brunch at €39.

Noon to 2:30pm and 7pm to 11:15 pm
Closed Sunday for dinner, Monday and Tuesday
Average price: €39