'Fillet of wild sea bass cooked in coriander with a fennel and pastis mousse,18€.'
Afshin Assadian of the Doudingue in Montmartre bravely struck out into the 13th arrondissement a year ago with this lounge/ bar/ restaurant not far from the MK2. Looking like a bank from the outside, inside is Assadian’s distinctive décor with cushions, mustard-coloured chairs and a Da Vinci imitation on the ceiling covered by gold and silver balloons. The place shifts effortlessly from bar (two cushiony lounge areas greet you) to restaurant to club, with tables orchestrated out of the way and a DJ moving in as you tuck into seared tuna on an aubergine purée, vanilla-perfumed gambas risotto, steaks and imaginative desserts. The dance floor fills up with a young crowd after midnight, when there is a door charge, showing that this quartier is finally starting to bouge.