Le Bistrot Flaubert

In early 2020, Michel Rostang handed over his Michelin-starred restaurant Bistrot Flaubert to his sous-chef, Nicolas Baumann, and gourmet banker Stéphane Manigold. One lockdown and one victory against the Axa insurance company later, the duo is waking up this beautiful, historic spot (marble tables, bucolic paintings, Art Nouveau chandeliers) alongside Korean chef Sukwon Yong, who also used to work for Rostang! The day we went for lunch, the fare was more bistro-oriented than Korean, and the menu really nailed it on almost every count: a meticulously prepared barbecued boneless chicken thigh with subliminal Korean spices, plated over slices of pickled daikon radish and braised endives; incredibly tender pork belly medallions with golden (but not crispy, unfortunately) skin, served with Mitraille potatoes and carrots glazed in a tamarind jus de viande ; before an incredible café gourmand composed of a small portion of delicious chocolate pudding, an excellent vanilla ice cream with summer berries and a crisp tuile. At night, Sukwon doesn’t stray off course: steak tartare with an avocado mousse and rice chips; pasta with rabbit confit, red curry and kimchi; figs prepared three ways (poached, compote and sorbet)… // Aïtor Alfonso