Café César

Hail César, all those who dine at this café salute you! After 17 years of loyal service in France’s fine dining world (Robuchon, Le Squer, Gagnaire, Frechon), Charles Boixel decided to found his own little empire in Clichy – with the help of Baptiste Guegan, his front-of-house foot soldier (ex-Monsieur Aristide), and Robin Fayet, his faithful centurion in the kitchen. From this hall of mirrors (floor-to-ceiling glazing, a Mediterranean blue tile counter), the conquering trio is seeing double: a short prix-fixe lunch menu that changes weekly, and another menu that’s more extensive and precise, updated each season – available at both lunch and dinner. The day we went, we opted for the latter: a classic pâté en croûte (veal, foie gras, pistachios); thinly sliced beef cheeks served warm with a punchy sauce ravigote; flash-seared scallops served with tender gnocchi, all swimming in whipped satay butter and a creamy butternut squash velouté. It was all so delicious that we skipped dessert entirely: a tropical fruit pavlova with coconut sorbet, cream puffs or a decadent XXL cookie. In addition to all that, Café César also serves breakfast, and when the weather’s nice, the terrace overlooking the cemetery can seat up to 40 guests – luckily, the neighbors don’t mind the noise! // Tino Rôti