Spezia Piadina & Co, the piadina restaurant in Paris's 8th arrondissement

For a change from pizzas and sandwiches, how about a piadina for lunch? Head for Spezia Piadina & Co, an Italian restaurant offering this fine specialty from the Emilia-Romagna region, a cross between a pizza and a sandwich, consisting of an artisanal wheat patty, topped and toasted. The establishment opened its doors in 2008, in the heart of Paris's 8th arrondissement, and was one of the first to offer piadine in the capital!

The menu features a dozen piadine dishes, each as tasty as the next: Antica, with tomato, mozzarella and pesto; Verdure, with marinated grilled vegetables; Pollo, with roast chicken breast and Parmesan shavings; Cotto, with white ham; Melanzane, with eggplant; and Bresaola e Carciofi, with bresaola and artichokes? They're all so tempting, it's hard to choose!

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Alongside the piadine, Spezia Piadina & Co also offers more classic dishes, such as salads and pasta plates, for those who want to stick to the tried-and-tested. And for dessert, a fine Nutella tiramisu, classic tiramisu, strawberry cup or gourmet coffee (or tea ) should delight the sweet tooth! Note also that all the piadinas are homemade, with the exception of the bread and pasta balls making up the piadina, which are made by an artisan baker in Val-d'Oise. For the rest, all products are sourced.

A menu that the editors were able to try out. To start, two cocktails: a non-alcoholic Limonana, made with lemonade and fresh mint, and a Bellini, a cocktail made with prosecco and peach juice. We were then tempted, for starters, by a truffled burrata to share, and for main courses by a piadina and a pasta dish. On the piadina side, we tried the Melanzane, made with eggplant, smoked scarmoza, mozzarella, pine nuts and tomatoes. A delight, what's more with its accompanying salad, even if we found it hard to finish as the dish was so copious. As for the pasta dish, we opted for the penne with truffle cream and bresaola. A very good choice, obviously, with a sauce particularly well-balanced in truffles, neither too much nor too little.

For dessert, we had to try the homemade tiramisu, which was relatively hearty but particularly tasty, as well as a gourmet tea for a change from coffee. A dessert consisting of a cup of tea of your choice (we opted for Earl Grey), a mini red fruit pana cotta and a mini tiramisu with Nutella... We love it! In short, a great place to discover if you like piadine... or simply good Italian food!