Baci Baci, Italian brasserie, cocktails, aperitivo and karaoke

If we were to tell you that on the Place de la République, before going to see a play in one of the Porte Saint-Martin theaters, you could enjoy a nice aperitivo with friends, just a stone's throw away; and that after the play, after having had a good time laughing or crying, you could have a good Italian feast followed by a wild karaoke, all in one and the same place, you'd certainly be delighted. Well, this multi-faceted ( disco ball!) venue does exist, and it's called Baci Baci!

Opened on boulevard Saint-Martin at the start of 2020 by Damien Zappavigna and Rudy Lafont, already at the helm of Zazza and Ammazza, the Italian brasserie Baci Baci is sure to please gangs of gourmet friends. From lunch to dinner, including coffee in the sun on the terrace, aperitivo from 3pm to 7pm from Wednesday to Sunday with the Spritz/antipasti combo at €10, and even a brunch in the colors of the boot on weekends, all followed by a karaoke session to break the vocal chords in the basement in a small private room, you're bound to want to spend some time here.

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Open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., the Baci Baci trattoria offers classic Italian dishes: focaccia, pizza, pasta, burrata and more, enough to please lovers of transalpine gastronomy. Of course, and this is not to our displeasure, the dishes are made from products sourced directly in Italy.

For example, we love the mozzarella sticks (9€), crispy on the outside, extra cheesy on the inside, to dip happily in a marinara sauce. Without hesitation, we accompany them with two cocktails with Italian accents, an Amaretto Sour (Amaretto, lemon, cane sugar, egg white; 9€) and a Bacino Spritz (red vermouth, strawberry purée, basil, Prosecco, sparkling water; 11€), before moving on to the next course.

The pasta al ragù (16€), devilishly naughty and made with all the love of a true Italian mamma, was a real crowd-pleaser; and the spicy Piccante pizza(15€) with mozzarella fior di latte, Spianata piccante and gorgonzola. We'd have liked to try the desserts, but our already full stomachs said no. Another time!

To make digestion easier, some of you may want to head for the basement to sing a song. The karaoke room, reserved for groups of 4 to 10 people, costs €5 per person per hour. But real gourmets will be looking forward to the weekend brunch, on offer Saturday and Sunday for €25.

What we haven't told you yet is that this brunch includes an all-you-can-eat sweet and savory buffet, followed by a dish of the day (pasta, pizza or frittata del giorno) and a dessert, all accompanied by a freshly squeezed juice and a hot drink.

In short, Baci Baci has it all.