The latest contender in eastern Paris’s new gastro sweepstakes is Le Cotte Rôti, a tiny place not far from the eminently gastronomic Marché d’Aligre. Despite the fact that he describes his restaurant as a bistro, young chef Michel Nicolas puts a lot more creativity into the menu than such a label would imply. His cooking veers between such surprises as an oyster milkshake and nougat de volaille (a sweet riff on chicken terrine) and homier dishes like pork loin roasted in hay and served with gratin dauphinois. Nicolas’s classical training (he worked with Marc Meneau at L’Espérance, in Burgundy) and respect for the best French produce are the perfect springboard for the kind of creativity found throughout the 11th and 12th, a part of the city that treasures the past as ardently as it loves discovering the new.
11th/12th Arrondissements Address Book
Astier 44 R. Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11th (01-43-57-16-35). Traditional bistro with a fantastic cheese tray.
L’Atelier Des Arts Culinaires 111 Ave. Daumesnil, 12th (01-43-40-20-20)
La Bague De Kenza 106 R. St.-Maur, 11th (01-43-14-93-15)
Le Baron Rouge 1 R. Théophile-Roussel, 12th (01-43-43-14-32). A terrific neighborhood wine bar that’s packed with a young crowd.
À La Biche au Bois 45 Ave. Ledru-Rollin, 12th (01-43-43-34-38)
Le Bistrot Paul Bert 18 R. Paul-Bert, 11th (01-43-72-24-01)
Le Bistrot du Peintre 116 Ave. Ledru-Rollin, 12th (01-47-00-34-39). Art Nouveau café with decent food and a fun crowd.
Café Place Verte 105 R. Oberkampf, 11th (01-43-57-34-10). With an hors d’oeuvres bar and delicious plats du jour.
Café Titon 34 R. Titon, 11th (01-43-71-74-51). Where the shopkeepers and restaurateurs of the fashionable Rue Paul-Bert hang out. Good for quick lunches; on Saturday, there’s a Sri Lankan spread.
La Cave de l’Insolite 30 R. de la Folie-Méricourt, 11th (01-53-36-08-33)
Le Chateaubriand 129 Ave. Parmentier (01-43-57-45-95)
Chez Ramulaud 269 R. du Faubourg-St.-Antoine, 11th (01-43-72-23-29)
La Cocotte 5 R. Paul-Bert, 11th (01-43-73-04-02)
Le Cotte Rôti 1 R. de Cotte, 12th (01-43-45-06-37)
Crus et Découvertes 7 R. Paul-Bert, 11th (01-43-71-56-79)
Le Duc de Richelieu 5 R. Parrot, 12th (01-43-43-05-64). Steps from the Gare de Lyon; a best bet for a hearty meal before or after traveling.
L’Écailler Du Bistrot 22 R. Paul-Bert, 11th (01-43-72-76-77)
L’Équateur 151 R. St.-Maur, 11th (01-43-57-99-22). Delicious Cameroonian and Senegalese cooking.
Eurotra 119 Blvd. Richard-Lenoir, 11th (01-43-38-48-48). A sort of discount version of Dehillerin, the famous cookware store in Les Halles.
La Gazzetta 29 R. de Cotte, 12th (01-43-47-47-05)
Marché d’Aligre and Marché Beauvau (the covered market in the middle of the open-air Marché d’Aligre), two of the greatest and least-known markets of Paris, both with a distinctly neighborhood feel. Place d’Aligre, 12th.
Le Marsangy 73 Ave. Parmentier, 11th (01-47-00-94-25)
Le Pause Café 41 R. de Charonne, 11th (01-48-06-80-33). Trendy, with nice, simple food.
La Pharmacie 22 R. Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11th (01-48-06-28-33). A former drugstore; now a grocery store, organic tea salon, restaurant, and bookshop.
Le Quincy 28 Ave. Ledru-Rollin, 12th (01-46-28-46-76)
Le Réfectoire 80 Blvd. Richard-Lenoir, 11th (01-48-06-74-85). Hip little bistro specializing in nostalgic retro dishes.
Le Repaire De Cartouche 8 Blvd. des Filles-du-Calvaire, 11th (01-47-00-25-86)
Au Vieux Chêne 7 R. du Dahomey, 11th (01-43-71-67-69)
Le Villaret 13 R. Ternaux, 11th (01-43-57-89-76)
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