Le Bon, la Butte, friendly neighborhood bistro and organic bowling on the Butte Montmartre

Situated between the legendary Moulin de la Galette and the touristy Place du Tertre, Le Bon, la Butte is one of those beloved Parisian bistros where it's good to sit down and eat and drink with friends. In 2019, chef David Polin took over the helm of this lovely restaurant that has to be earned - you've got to climb it, that Butte! - after a most atypical career.

A former sound engineer for cooking shows, this self-taught chef from Marseilles fell in love with gastronomy and decided to drop everything to don an apron. Having worked in the kitchens of Le Poitou, a restaurant in the Marais district, then Le Square, a stone's throw from the Buttes Chaumont, it was finally when he took over the Bistrot de la mère Venet, an institution on the Butte Montmartre that he renamed Le Bon, la Butte, that David Polin blossomed and expressed all his love for cooking.

In devising the menu for Le Bon, la Butte, this jovial hoodlum of a chef, who greets you with a big smile, drew inspiration from his many travels across borders and oceans. The result is a short, varied menu that draws its inspiration from French gastronomy, Spanish cuisine and even Japanese izakaya. Bridges are built and broken between these influences, which stretch from the Mediterranean basin to Asia and South America.

Overflowing with ideas and imposing no limits on himself, chef David Polin never compromises on one thing: the freshness and quality of his seasonal produce, sourced mainly from small French producers who are committed to eco-responsible and organic farming; while allowing himself a few forays to Japan and Galicia to get his hands on exceptional meats.

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Depending on the chef's whims and market arrivals, the menu changes frequently. During our visit to Le Bon, la Butte, for example, we sampled the chef's excellent three-pepper pig terrine (10€) with pickles, as well as Corsican ewe's brousse (13€), one of our pet peeves, prepared here in the style of a cervelle de canut, with Luberon honey, watercress, dried pork cheek and a drizzle of olive oil. Two generous and devilishly delightful starters.

But that's without knowing what was waiting for us next: pigeon de Racan (32€) with parsley mousseline and Brussels sprouts, and above all a marvellous poule fermière au pot (24€), plump, juicy, fragrant, comforting as can be, and accompanied by a fine trio of morels, turnips, carrots and a small mound of glutinous rice. Of course, it's impossible not to fall for one of the fine wines on the menu, almost exclusively organic and biodynamic. A glass of Alsace pinot gris (7€), round on the palate without being too syrupy, before moving on to the desserts.

A Montmartre-Brest (9€), a charming reinterpretation of the French pastry classic, and a chocolate dessert (12€) with the sweet flavors ofAfter Eight later, and we're ready to roll back down the Butte Montmartre.