Les Petits Parisiens: Arnaud Duhem’s new restaurant feat. chef Rémy Danthez in Paris

And two for Arnaud Duhem! After Les Petits Princes in Surenes, he has opened Les Petits Parisiens. And it is in Paris 14^th arrondissement, in lieu of the famous La Régalade, that his new restaurant opened on September 15, 2020.

To delight our taste buds, Arnaud Duhem has once again let the kitchen to the expert hands of Rémy Danthez. Former Les Petits Princes chef, he first spent 12 years with Bruno Doucet at La Régalade in Paris 14^th arrondissement, as well as Sain-Honoré and Conservatoire. As for the indoor design, Arnaud Duhem called in Be Dandy that took care of Les Petits Princes. The idea? Offering a convivial place mixing sobriety and elegance of the materials and colors.

“I don’t want to follow Yves’ (Camdeborde) and Bruno’s footsteps and go the opposite way” Arnaud Duhen explains. “We will empower the legacy of the joie de vivre and chic feast of a restaurant where one eats well, all the time, where plates are hearty, as if we were at Les Petits Princes”.

And it is true, one eats (very) well at Les Petits Parisiens! To tickle gastronomes’ taste buds, Rémy Danthez has come up with a short but effective menu, “bistro-inspired and without fuss”. You are warned, everything is homemade and based on raw produces thoroughly selected.

On the menu, then? Old-fashioned flavors and indulging offers, with always perfect cooking, impeccable jus and perfect seasonings.

We start the tasting with the famous and flavorful homemade terrine by Rémy Danthez. Then, the smooth pieces of sate-marinated swordfish, delicately topping crispy rice and enhanced with some unforgettable wasabi butter and a few vegetable pickles. Across the table, there is the plate of raw and cooked button mushrooms, under which hides balsamic-candied egg yolk with coffee emulsion and toasted soba-cha, the famous buckwheat tea. Two beautiful starters as different as tasty!

We go on with candied veal, diced tomatoes with lemon, cherry tomatoes and fried capers. Once again, taste buds are bursting with joy thanks to this ultra-hearty dish with perfectly mastered cooking.

• To be read
• Papi: Étienne Ryckeboer's excellent neighborhood restaurant in Paris
• Pépita : the new restaurant of Saveriu Cacciari in Paris
• Tips for the week of November 18 to 24, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings

My partner goes for the raw and cooked Roland Rigaud vegetables (beetroots, yellow zucchinis, French beans, grilled red bell peppers…), with some delicious mashed eggplants with white balsamic. Original and colorful, this proposition – perfectly plated – puts the vegetable at the heart of the plate to provide you with a genuine explosion of flavors in the mouth.

That night, the chef also offered some roasted cod, sweet onion compote, celery julienne, Kalamata olives and parmesan emulsion.

Last but not least, we could not leave without trying the house sweet delights including the unmissable vanilla rice pudding with dry fruits and its salted butter caramel to pour yourself. Once again, the chef delights our taste buds with this delicious dessert of an extreme generosity.

And if you are more into cocoa, close your eyes and go for the light 66% Mexican chocolate mousse with peanut ice cream and chocolate crumble. And what can we say about the roasted figs in their leaves served with some surprising and incredible fennel whipped cream. What a beautiful light and original success!

To pair these super-hearty and indulging dishes, Les Petits Parisiens enjoys a very rich wine cellar including over a hundred references. The red wine list is impressive: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire River Valley, Languedoc Roussillon, Rhone River Valley… Do not hesitate and ask the sommelier that will help you right like she did for us with this Burgundy Hautes Côtes de Beaune du Domaine Vincent Bachelet.

No need to hide it from you; discovering Les Petits Parisiens has been a pure delight, to the eyes and the taste buds. So, we cannot recommend it enough. Run there and enjoy!

Alcohol abuse is bad for your health, please drink responsibly.

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.