Chef-patron Gregory Marchand’s guide to Paris’s secret eats

This article is part of a guide to Paris from FT Globetrotter

A number of my favourite places in Paris are situated in Sentier, a bustling pocket of the city’s 2nd arrondissement. The Rue du Nil, a 72-metre cobbled street, is particularly special: it feels like an escape from the city to a small French countryside town, though it has become famous for its restaurants and bars (it’s also where most of my establishments are based), with the offering ranging from excellent Taiwanese cuisine to boutique chocolate. Some of my favourite new spots and longtime haunts in Sentier are highlighted below. Each is slightly off the beaten track, and beloved by those in the know.

Shosh

14 Rue Saint Sauveur, 75002 Paris

Jars of olives and pickles and glass bottles on a rustic wooden cabinet in Shosh restaurant — . . . a small Israeli eatery in Sentier

Shosh is a tiny Israeli buffet-style restaurant that reminds me of rustic meals out in Tel Aviv. It’s where I like to go for a quick lunch (it closes at 4pm). From the pots of delicious dishes on display, you can choose from pastries both sweet and savoury, beef burek, spiced chickpeas and vegetable stew, lemon and onion chicken stew, babka — and some of the best hummus and baba ganoush you will find outside of Israel. There are endless choices, but my favourite dish is the Persian stew with herbs and Israeli lemons. Only a few seats are available to eat in, but food is also available for takeaway. I like to find a bench in Place Goldoni, a nearby pedestrian-only square, and watch Paris go by while tucking into the deliciousness. Website; Directions

Bar Herbarium

243 Rue Saint Martin, 75003 Paris

Situated in the Hôtel National des Arts et Métiers, this little gem serves fabulous drinks based on plant infusions and other interesting concoctions. My favourite cocktail is called Sud Sud Sud, made with cognac, pear and bergamot marmalade, lime cordial and mandarin velvet. When the weather is nice, you can imbibe on their tiny rooftop, which overlooks the city. Head there early: seats are limited, and the bar is popular with locals, especially during the warmer months. Website; Directions

Plaq

4 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris

. . . ‘you can smell the cocoa as you walk past — it’s impossible to resist going inside’ © Mickael A Bandassak

Rue du Nil is home to some of the best gourmet shops in the city, starting with Plaq, a bean-to-bar chocolate factory. You can smell the cocoa as you walk past the storefront — it’s impossible to resist going inside. Everything they sell is outstanding, though their filled chocolates are my favourite, especially the Piedmont hazelnut praline and Sicilian pistachio. Chocolate purists will certainly enjoy a bar of pure Venezuelan, 76 per cent Chuao. In winter, you must try the thick, rich hot chocolate too. Website; Directions

Terroirs d’Avenir

Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris

The pink facade of Terroirs d’Avenir’s cheese shop — . . . and a cheese shop, all on the same street

Terroirs d’Avenir owns a vegetable shop, a butcher’s, a fishmonger’s, a cheese shop and a bakery all on the same street. They source the best ingredients from all over France, Italy and Greece, choosing small-scale growers, fishers and farms, from line-caught fish to pasture-raised poultry, and independent cheesemakers. Their breads are made with “population” flours, which are particularly tasty and nutritious, as well as being lower in gluten. It’s where we buy most of the ingredients for our restaurants, though it’s well loved by home cooks too. Website; Directions

L’Arbre à Café

10 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris

A coffee farmer wearing a straw hat gathering coffee beans on a mesh on a Peruvian farm — L’Arbre à Café sources its beans mainly from Panama, Brazil and Ethiopia, as well as growing its own in Peru

Customers in L’Arbre à Café — In Marchand’s opinion, L’Arbre à Café makes some of the best coffee in Paris © Bereflex Photos

L’Arbre à Café, a hole-in-the-wall spot that brews some of the best coffee in town, has been a favourite of mine for more than 10 years. They source their beans mainly from producers in Ethiopia, Brazil and Panama, and the founder, Hippolyte Courty, has even started growing his own beans in Peru at a 35-hectare farm called Finca Mariposa — you can buy them at the shop. I enjoy siting on the bench outside with a strong coffee, observing the microcosm of the Rue du Nil. Website; Directions

Foodi Jia-Ba-Buay

2 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris

A bowl of pork wontons at Foodi Jia-Ba-Buay — . . . whose wontons are also a favourite of Marchand and his son

If you are looking for somewhere fancy, you will be disappointed here. However, for those after the best Taiwanese food in Paris, Foodi Jia-Ba-Buay certainly fits the bill. Virginia Chuang, the Taiwanese chef, has reached celebrity status in Paris, so much so that even Taiwanese tourists flock here to eat her food. My son and I often go for lunch to enjoy ginger and pork wonton, pork belly gua bao or the beef noodle soup. It’s one of my favourite places for a casual dining experience — and reliably sensational food. Website; Directions

Gregory Marchand is the chef-owner of the one-Michelin star Frenchie in Paris, its local offshoots, and outposts in London and Verbier

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