Vert Sauvage, a friendly wine and tapas bar in a lush jungle setting

Did you know that just off the Grands Boulevards, a stone's throw from the Grand Rex and Max Linder, lies a veritable lush jungle? Step through the door of Vert Sauvage and you'll find yourself in the heart of a tropical forest, where it's pleasant to spend some quality time with friends.

Part wine bar, part tapas bar and even part cocktail bar, Vert Sauvage is the latest project from Serge Ahovey, already behind La Mangerie in the Marais and Rouge à Lèvres next door! With Vert Sauvage, Serge Ahovey has imagined a unique Balinese-influenced space, featuring majestic rattan seating, straw hanging baskets and a large tree in the center of the room, whose branches and foliage reach down to table level, providing a natural barrier for privacy.

A little cocoon of greenery, open only in the evening, where you can curl up to discover a menu of delightful, well-executed tapas. The warm, friendly team will be happy to advise you on a multitude of small, respectably-sized dishes to share with your guests. Of course, seasonal produce is the order of the day, and everything is homemade, from starters to desserts, by Chef Filipe.

With a 24-month Galicianbeef cecina (16€) offered to us in its simplest form; burrata, grilled butternut and roasted hazelnuts (17€); poached egg, grilled pastrami and mature cheddar (14€), the dishes parade across our table and hit the mark.

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We continue with excellent shrimp ravioli, sesame chard and a fabulous airy corn cream (15€), a naughty gua bao with caramelized chicken and peanuts (12.5€) and black pudding with apple and ginger chutney (14€), for a subtle harmony of sweet and savory flavors. The more attentive among you will have noticed the Asian influences on the menu, with little touches scattered here and there in most of the tapas.

More in the mood for cocktails that evening, we left the wine list aside, telling ourselves we'd come and try it next time. It's worth noting, however, that this wine bar boasts a fine selection of quilles from the four corners of France, from confidential winemakers to the most famous Maisons.

So it's more tempting to indulge in cocktails that don't hide behind an arm-long list of ingredients. To be sipped on the spot, the Mimi (vodka, lime, strawberry syrup, basil; 15€), the Reine Margot (gin, lime, yellow chartreuse, cucumber syrup; 15€), or the Délice de Candice (cachaça, lime, syrup and passion fruit purée; 15€), fresh cocktails in the right proportions to toast our return.