I heard about Septime lunch a while ago and decided to take Jonathan to try it out. It’s not easy to make reservations there, they have a web-site with a booking system calender but free spots turned out to be not so free and so we had to book far in advance.
I reserved our table for 13:30. Jonathan was early, but unfortunately early for the wrong address: he mixed up “Charonne” st. with “Charenton” st… Surprisingly it’s only 800 meters between 80 rue Charenton and 80 rue Charonne and he was only few minutes behind! Amazing coincidence.
I really liked the rustic-effortless style of the place, at lunch time it was full of colorful people sitting in wooden chairs and wooden tables, simple but neat, old yet chic.
An outside look in the restaurant
the menu for lunch is very short, not much of a selection. It’s 26 euro for 3 course or 55 for a 5 course menu.
The beautiful table
Sitting in this restaurant it’s possible to see inside the kitchen in one side and the street if you look the other way.
Our tap water came in what looks like a potion bottle but in fact an old gin bottle.
Jonathan arrived (and an old mirror behind him)
Me, ready for lunch
The service was a little bit annoying at the beginning, we were confused by two waiters, one for drinks and one for the menu, and as we hadn’t decided on the drinks yet, that made both of them a bit stressed. We took our time but they kept asking about the drinks and insisting on speaking to us in English even though both of us preferred speaking French and even after I said we’re fine with French…
We were also confused because we read the lunch menu includes a wine glass but now it’s not… Prices increasing. The wine glass were additional 6-7 euro .
We ordered two different entrées and plates and the same dessert (because there’s only one dessert / fromage and both of us are sweet endings believers) and a glass of dry white wine.
Crevettes / Faisselle / Salicorne
Shrimp / Raw milk cheese / Salicornia.
There was also crunchy whole wheat breadcrumbs and pickled red onions
The bite Jonathan left me. We were both very impressed with this entrée, it was raw fresh shrimp of two types, which were delicious and matched nicely with this salty crunchy greens called salicorne and the smoothness of the fresh cheese. Very gentle yet sophisticated way to start the meal.
Thon de ligne / Eau de tomate / Groseille
Tuna caught with a fishhook / Tomato water / Currant
There was also cucumber and salicorne. The tuna was white and very beautifully just seared, sour and salty condiments to balance and the tomato water was like the water left in the end of the salad seasoned with some olive oil and salt, perfect with the delicious sourdough bread.
Cabillaud / Moule-Xérès / Pak Choï
Cod / Mussel-sherry / Pak Choi
This this was well made. I don’t really love the cod as it is but the mussel cherry sauce was enough dominating to balance the naturally “fishy” cod. There was also cauliflower and pak choi.
Poitrine de cochone /Oignon doux / Capucine
piglet belly / Sweet onion / Capucine
That dish had a lot going on in addition: lemon confit, white beets, radish. It was very interesting to me. Jonathan found it too fatty but it’s baby pork and I liked it like this. The lemon cutting the fattiness and I wish there was more of it. The Capucine leafs are also sour but fresh and the vegetables very good. I enjoyed every element by it’s own as well as a bite with all the elements combined. And it was a beautiful dish.
Fruits rouges / Fromage blanc / Basilic
Red fruits / White cheese / Basil
Very light dessert. It was fresh and clean, some gentle meringue bites, strawberries, raspberries and casis (first time I eat a fresh casis), red fruits coulis and a sorbet of fromage blanc covered with basil oil. It was nice, maybe too light.
A nice surprise when going to the toilette, a charming little green garden appears behind the washing room glass, it’s so pretty!
Adds some points in my book, made me smile and feel more relaxed, matched nicely with the whole feeling of the place.
We enjoyed our meal, took the time, and no one rushed us out, we were the last ones in the lunch service, and it felt very cozy and comfortable.
I really enjoyed this lunch, it was such a beautiful meal in a small price. Everything was pretty but also worked well together to balance the flavors, every dish thought through. The cons: no selection of a dessert… it’s a shame because if you’re a table of two sharing everything you can use another different dessert, maybe something less fruity. Also the meal is very light and not heavy which can be good, but in a sense we could use a little amuse bouche or another little bite of something.. It wasn’t very fulfilling. The waiters were a little bit nervous in the beginning but chilled down after we ordered. The rhythm of serving the dishes was perfect for me.
הגינה נראית כמו ציוראימפרסיוניסטי, כמעט לא אמיתי,
[…] salmon eggs and red fruits. I love this vegetable (I just mentioned it in my article about Septime) but this dish was too salty. Salmon eggs – very salty, salicorne – very salty. Not […]
i want my Salicorne!!!