Comptoir central des bazars

Back in 2015, his legendary restaurant Saint Eutrope was named Best Bistro of the Year by Le Guide Fooding…. A decade later, Harry Lester is once again putting the Auvergne on the map for culinary pleasure seekers! His bazar ? A distinctly pan-European concept: a Spanish-style open bar, Italian simplicity and the warmth of a British pub all wrapped up in a très French wine bar. But on the menu and the plates, everything is refreshingly straightforward, with a single offering at lunch (a rotating weekly menu), shared plates at apéro hour (spicy eggs mayo, vitello tonnato, mortadella pizzettes) and, best of all, the luxury of all-day service, and the option to order a croque-monsieur sandwich at breakfast, or an ice cream (and what ice cream it is! Flavors like milk and cereal, Korean mulberry leaf, fig leaf, etc.) whenever you please. For us, that particular day at lunch, we savored a divine slice of slow-roasted, flash-seared leg of lamb, served with tabouleh studded with crisp broad beans, radishes and fresh herbs. In short, he’s mastered the art of elevated simplicity, at prices that you really can’t beat. · Henri Depecker