Over the past decade or so, a generation of responsible cooks and food activists has taken up the challenge of preserving the environment at a time of dramatic climate change, as well as animal welfare. Arthur Lecomte is one of them.
While it's now advisable to avoid excessive consumption of red meat, the vast majority of meat lovers have understood that it's not a question of giving up meat for good, but rather of eating less and eating better.
In 2016, Arthur Lecomte inaugurated Bien Élevé with the idea of turning it into a convivial bistro dedicated to well-behaved meats - it's in the name, after all! Eight years later, the place continues to sell out every lunchtime, proof if any were needed that his concept of good eating has been heard and understood by gourmets, who are convinced that well-raised meat obviously tastes better in the mouth.
From meadow to plate, the restaurateur has relied since the opening on a short circuit of carefully selected producers who supply him with top-quality, impeccably traceable products. Respect for the environment and sustainable agriculture, rearing using traditional methods with progressive growth of the animals, choice feed for the animals - these values so convinced Arthur that he joined forces with Ferme de Châteauneuf in Hauts-de-France, his sole supplier of beef and veal.
At Bien Élevé, the kitchen team receives halves or quarters of animals and details them on the spot, so as to make full use of the animals and limit waste. Better still, the cuts of meat are matured on site, in a maturing cellar located in the restaurant's basement, to obtain exceptional meats, slowly and over a long period of time.
Quality comes at a price, but the restaurant's prices are also very fair. At lunchtime, the lunch menu costs €22 (starter/main course or main course/dessert), while the Bien Élevé menu (starter/main course/dessert) costs €41. On our visit, the special of the day was a delicious hay-smoked free-range chicken, wild asparagus, fennel and poultry jus - the restaurant's policy is to offer at least one fish dish and one vegetarian dish, in addition to red meat.
The menu is divided as follows: "very well raised" meats offered on the slate by weight, in their simplest form (for Angus beef, count €56 for 400g of faut-filet matured for 40 days, recommended for 2 people, €26 for 200g of cat's tongue, or €56 for 350g of beef tenderloin, for one or two people), to be accompanied by a side ( pommes grenaille in vinaigrette are a must!) and a homemade sauce (pepper, béarnaise, chimichurri or jus de viande).
Alternatively, you can take a look at the more elaborate and equally delicious à la carte starters (11€), main courses (23€) and desserts (10€). We can't recommend enough the Angus beef tartare, offered as a main course but also as a starter - it's original - and absolutely stunning.
Sprinkle with a natural or biodynamic wine, and the whole thing tastes like heaven.
Location
Well-bred
47 Rue Richer
75009 Paris 9
Access
Grands-Boulevards (Metro Line 8-9) Cadet (Metro Line 7)
Official website
www.bieneleve.fr
