Ramdam, unpretentious bistronomy with a bang

Here's a new restaurant that's causing a stir! Opened a few months ago by Axel and Damien in the Barbès district , Ramdam is waking up the neighborhood with its bistronomic dishes. The emphasis here is on conviviality, with small plates to be shared with guests every evening. Tzatziki, lean tartar, croque-monsieur, Southwestern charcuterie... The formula is now well known and recognized in Paris, and plates are paraded around the tables as the party progresses.

At lunchtime, on the other hand, Ramdam takes a more classic approach, with two affordable lunch formulas - €20 starter/main course or main course/dessert, €25 starter/main course/dessert, which include more generously-sized evening dishes. Behind the latter is chef Léo Giorgis, who works hard behind the stove to vary the menu on a regular basis, depending on the arrival of fresh, seasonal produce, mostly from France, but also and above all on his own tastes.

During our lunchtime visit, we were won over by the simplicity of the dishes, which hit the nail on the head. There's no fuss here, just brilliantly prepared produce expressed in recipes that are as simple as they are generous: roasted eggplant (8€) married to a yogurt, lemon thyme, fresh herb and zaatar sauce; semi-confit heirloom tomatoes (8€) and their tarragon and old-fashioned mustard cream; it's simple, it's good, it works.

We continue our discovery of Ramdam, cocktail in hand, with the ribeye of matured beef (17€), sliced tataki-style and served with homemade fries to dip in a homemade béarnaise; and with the cocotte of the moment, a traditional Basque chicken (15€) cooked at low temperature and therefore absolutely melt-in-the-mouth, and which transports us under the sun with its ratatouille and light red bell pepper sauce.

• To be read
• Bichettes, a friendly little canteen and grandma's recipes
• Vesper, Lucas Felzine's stunning nikkei restaurant
• Orgueil, small plates to share without prejudice and gastronomy by Eloi Spinnler

To finish on a high note, and while we still have a little room, we fall for the Corsican cheesecake (8€), an airy version of this now classic, with sheep's milk brousse and a dollop of blueberry compote. Just the right touch of sweetness. A lovely address in the 9th arrondissement!