Le Percolateur, comforting bistronomy in Saint-Lazare

Today, we're taking you to Le Percolateur, a bistronomic restaurant on the Saint-Lazare side of Paris, where you can savor seasonal dishes that are well thought-out and quickly devoured!

Just a stone's throw from Gare Saint-Lazare, a bistronomic restaurant welcomes those in search of a good meal. Le Percolateur, as it is known, opened its doors 10 years ago under the impetus of the Madamour brothers , Philippe and David, who have worked their way around the world, from the USA to Italy, via Switzerland and Brazil.

Drawing on these international influences, the siblings set up shop in the 8th arrondissement with the aim of creating a chic yet relaxed bistro, with a unique decor featuring a fine collection of around twenty percolators, the famous gas-powered coffee machines of the last century.

In the kitchen, the reins have been left to chef Alexandre Trognon, a former Maxim's and Maison de la Truffe graduate, who, ten years on, still retains the same passion for inventive dishes, good seasonal produce and thoughtful pairings.

At lunchtime, Le Percolateur offers two formulas, one at €29.50 with starter/main course or main course/dessert; the other at €35 with starter/main course/dessert/coffee. For our part, we followed our desires for starters, and listened to the owner's (very good) advice for main courses.

On one side of the table, we ended up with a trio of surprisingly plump little potato crêpes topped with pancetta, in fact Vonnassian crêpes from the Auvergne, a wonderful discovery (9€); and on the other side of the tablecloth, snails in brioche, perfectly spiced up, not rubbery at all and accompanied by strips of chorizo (12.50€). This lunch gets off to a good start.

Then it's time for the owner's recommendations, who points us in the direction of Le Percolateur's signature dish: whis.er.so.se (for whisky-maple-soy-sesame; 26€) salmon back, marinated for over 24 hours, then roasted and accompanied by wok-fried rice tagliatelle with soy sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds. A delicious, hearty dish, rich in sweet and savory flavors. Lovers beware!

We also tried the Cajun chicken (€26) served with home fries, although we were a bit puzzled by the fact that it was served with a sauce usually reserved for seafood: beurre blanc. And we were amazed at the success of this pairing!

And we end on a light note with the pistachio-raspberry crème brulée (9€) and the lemon 7/15 (9€), an intriguing name for a lemon mousse siphoned off (and therefore as light as a cloud) accompanied by fine, crisp puff pastry and pink praline, which the two bosses already offered in their previous restaurant, the Sept Quinze.