Colvert, chef Arnaud Baptiste's devilishly sexy bistro

In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the bistrot Colvert serves up some devilishly scoundrel bistronomy. Not surprising, with chef Arnaud Baptiste behind the stoves.

After Christine and Les Fous de l'Ile, Emilie and Boris Bazan opened Le Colvert in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés at the end of 2018. The young couple, who trained at hotel management school, continued their career, which began in Italy for Boris and in London for Emilie.

United in work and in life, the Becs Parisiens first set out to save the family restaurant, Le Christine, which they eventually bought in 2004. This was followed four years later by the purchase of Les Fous de l'Ile, a bistronomic institution on the Île Saint Louis, and then of the restaurant a stone's throw from Le Christine, Le Colvert.

After months of refurbishment, the Colvert has given way to a Colvert plucked of its definite article, unveiling a new face, an enticing menu and a new chef, Arnaud Baptiste, cut out to take it on a definitive flight to the upper echelons of bistronomy. Not surprising from a chef with such a distinctive look and personality, who has worked at Le Meurice, Le Carré des Feuillants and L'Allénothèque, and was revealed to the general public in the 2021 edition of Top Chef.

A change of era for Arnaud Baptiste, who leaves Les Mérovingiens, Jacky Ribault 's restaurant in Noisy-le-Grand, for Colvert, his'bistrorant' as he likes to call it, neither really a bistro, nor totally a restaurant, but rather a little of both.

There's no need to beat about the bush: Arnaud Baptiste's version of the Colvert is right at the top of the list of restaurants we tested this year.

Canaille yet refined, generous and never boring, this enticing, even downright naughty bistronomy can be discovered at lunch - à la carte, starter/main course or main course/dessert menu (€30) and starter/main course/dessert menu (€36) - and at dinner, small-plate version as is now customary.

Vapid pea tartlet, mousseline of said peas, wild garlic, dulce seaweed and almond-garlic emulsion (17€) of great delicacy; marinated organic egg, smooth parmesan cream, cecina and fried onions (16€) less simplistic than it sounds; raw veal condiment, shiso leaves, smoked trout roe and pickled mustard seeds (18€}, this lunch gets off to the best possible start.

The rest is all the better, with this whole carrot burnt with cumin, sweetened with almond milk, prunes, coriander and wild garlic (23€) - vegetarians won't yawn with boredom; this cod confit, zucchini, granola and wormwood gel (30€) ; veal knuckle, ziti, rye milk, thyme juice and large button mushrooms (32€); or guinea fowl from the Gâtinais region cooked twice, chard and fava beans, green beans, anchovies, black garlic and sliced juice (31€). We're sailing in the spirit ofArnaud Baptiste, and that's just what we need.

The sides don't go unmentioned and even benefit from their own crockery, ensuring double service for each dish and a spotlight amply deserved in view of their dressing as meticulous as their content. Of course, we're happy to toast you with our own wines, sourced from producers and friends of the couple, so why deprive yourself?

The festivities end as they began, with a dessert featuring strawberries, served cooked and raw, orgeat yogurt, caramelized almonds and maras des bois sorbet (14€), a clafoutis served warm with Céret cherries, marmalade, orange blossom and shiso ice cream (15€), and the dessert of the day, based on apple, elderberry, rhubarb, frozen yoghurt and meringue powder.