Alma: the delicious Corsican tapas bar and restaurant in Montorgueil

Take a trip to Corsica at Alma, a restaurant and tapas bar typical of the island of beauty, in the Montorgueil district, where you can feast on good food in a lively, welcoming atmosphere.

In the Montorgueil district, perpendicular to the busy street of the same name, rue Mandar is much quieter, surprisingly, and it's here that a bit of Corsica has taken up residence for dinner. Alma is a tapas bar that smells of sunshine and good cheer, with its warm, welcoming atmosphere. In a room that fills up quickly, where you can sit just a stone's throw from an olive tree or a guitar, you can enjoy a menu that comes 100% from this magnificent island just a few hundred kilometers from the capital.

In this third restaurant from Romain Barboni and Saveriu Cacciari, managers of L'Alivi and Chez Minnà, Corsica is always on the menu, as you sit comfortably on high chairs or red banquettes, with mirrors and plant decoration on the ceiling, reinforcing the impression of conviviality, amidst objects and souvenirs reminiscent of theisland of beauty. Don't forget to make a reservation, because as soon as the evening begins, the place quickly fills up with chatter that makes us raise our voices to get along.

Alma's menu doesn't really distinguish between starters and main courses, but offers a variety of savory dishes, each featuring a Corsican ingredient. In addition to platters of cured meats and Corsican cheeses, there's something for every palate, on land, sea or vegetable, such as octopus romesco, gnocchi with brocciu and coppa or croquetas with truffled ham.

Suffice it to say that with so many beautiful proposals, it was hard to choose, so we tried a little of each, since it's recommended to eat three plates per person, for fairly affordable prices. Obviously, we had to try the Corsican charcuterie, with coppa, lonzu, prisuttu and saucisson, which we found much stronger and spicier (or should we say"full-bodied") than we're used to.

A fine appetizer before tasting our three plates of beautifully presented tapas, which made you salivate with envy. The zucchini fritters proved crisp and excellent, contracting with their very light Corsican fromage frais sauce, sprinkled with an ounce of lemon to add a sparkling edge. With our three small Corsican burgers, whose fig-based barbecue sauce is memorable and brings a certain originality, we nibbled on superb fries with Corsican tomme and paprika, infinitely melt-in-the-mouth and spicy.

To finish on the savory side, our sweet tooth opted for the appetizing Croque Truffe, which literally filled the air with its characteristic aroma when it arrived at the table. These three thick pieces of focaccia topped with mozzarella, tomme (as always), truffled ham and a mushroom cream, gave us a real moment of gustatory pleasure, with the truffle exploding in the mouth and giving character to the whole, marked by the sweetness of the cheese and the crunch of the bread.

After these rather hearty dishes, despite their tapas feel, we wanted to finish on a fresh, light note, despite the tiramisu and the chestnut moelleux that we'd been eyeing. So, the citrus fiadone proved to be a perfect choice, as visually beautiful as it is tasty, although this typical dessert is rather unusual. Made with brocciu cream and fromage frais, its texture is a little spongy and the balance between the sweet cheese and the acidity of the citrus fruit is ideal.

To accompany our discovery of Corsican gastronomy, a choice of drinks ranging from Corsican beer to cocktails with typical spirits such as citron brandy or Matteï gin, but we opted instead for the two mocktails on the menu, both house creations: the sparkling"A piaghja", with bergamot tea syrup, rosemary foam, lime and cucumber tonic, perfect for acidity lovers, and the sweeter, ginger beer-infused"All'estero", with basil and red berry coulis.

Here's a restaurant with a soul, that makes you want to take a trip to Corsica to see a bit of the country and its divine dishes!