Italian cuisine by Giovanni Passerini under a splendid glass roof at the Hôtel des Grands Boulevards

It's a secret address, well hidden on the thundering Grands Boulevards. At the end of a small, leafy passageway lies theHôtel des Grands Boulevards, a charming hotel housed in a building dating back to the French Revolution. Beyond the glass doors, at the end of a hushed corridor, a magnificent glass roof shelters the hotel's 4-star restaurant in a courtyard bathed in natural light.

Behind the menu is a well-known figure in Parisian gastronomy, Italian chef Giovanni Passerini, praised and acclaimed for his Italian restaurant Passerini, in the 12th arrondissement. The menu at the Hôtel des Grands Boulevards also includes some of the chef's specialties, such as his fabulous trippa alla romana (€21), beef tripe with pecorino and fresh mint, a must for all palates, even those with no particular appetite for offal.

Here too, the restaurant revisits the great classics of Italian cuisine, executed with skill and elegance by chef Mariola Cid Corral. Of course, sourcing, short circuits and the seasonal nature of the fresh produce that passes through the kitchen are paramount, and this is reflected in the dishes, such as the green asparagus tartlet (19€), the first of the season, spiced up with roasted sesame seeds; the fine Italian charcuterie (19€) or the artichoke broth (25€) and gnudi, little balls of ricotta, parmesan, semolina and spinach.

Italian gastronomy also unveils its finest assets through fine meats and fish, which express themselves alongside products from La Botte and other sunny countries. The fusilli with Challans duck ragù (27€), topped with tarragon, olives and Parmesan, sends us off into the Tuscan heatwave; the monkfish tail (32€), spiced up with a piquillo and basil emulsion, and accompanied by snacked broccoli sprouts and guanciale, that lovely bit of pork, would almost have us looking for an express flight to Umbria.

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Of course, the whole thing is accompanied by a good glass of wine, subtly recommended by the restaurant's sommelier, a creative cocktail or a refreshing mocktail. These drinks are also available a little higher up, on the top floor of the Grands Boulevards hotel, on a small rooftop overlooking the rooftops of Paris, called Le Shed. The address, open from 5pm to 11pm, is popular and reservations are recommended.

The unfortunate can always fall back on The Shell, the other cocktail bar on the restaurant level, with its speakeasy decor. Our discovery of the restaurant stops at the dessert door - the oatmeal dessert was a real eye-catcher - the dishes are copiously served, but we're sure we'll be back to discover the other aspects of this hotel of a thousand secrets.