Nearly 150 years ago, Emile Zola gave Les Halles its nickname of "thebelly of Paris", due to the abundance and richness of the foodstuffs you could buy there. No wonder, then, that this central district of the capital, where Victor Baltard 's Halles have since been replaced by the modernized canopy we know today, is brimming with fine restaurants andhistoric institutions.
CHAUD DEVANT
From January 8 to February 8, 2025, chef duos Albane Auvray x Hugo Riboulet and Kelly Jolivet x Tom Laureau have come up with an exceptional tourte served at Restaurant Benoit or as street food at Groot La Tourte. Inside, foie gras, truffles, sweetbreads, trumpets of death and cabbage!
Among these is the restaurant Benoit Paris, opened in 1912 by butcher Benoit Matray, which quickly became a popular address for the Parisian elite. In 2005, Alain Ducasse took over the Parisian institution and ushered in a new era, awarding it its first Michelin star , making Benoit the only true starred bistro in Paris.
Inside, the place looks as if it hasn't changed since the restaurant opened, with its old-fashioned wood panelling, red velvet banquettes, chiselled glass delineating the space, vast counter and period crockery. In an elegant, hushed atmosphere, the waiters bustle about in a carefully choreographed ballet, always offering good advice on the dishes or the fine wines that accompany them by the glass, pitcher or bottle.
On the à la carte menu, in keeping with bistro tradition, Benoit Paris unveils the greatest classics of French cuisine, brilliantly executed by Kelly Jolivet, behind the stoves since the start of 2022. The 28-year-old chef, who graduated from Louis XV-Alain Ducasse in Monaco and Ducasse sur Seine in Paris, honors the Parisian Maison's signature dishes, but also adds her own creative touch to the bistro menu.
Benoit's legendary dishes include pâté en croûte, escargots en coquille and boudin aux pommes, available in three lunch formulas at €32 (starter/main course or main course/dessert) and €42 (starter/main course/dessert), as well as a la carte, featuring festive designs from the restaurant's early days.
For starters, the beef tartare (26€), carefully seasoned and spicy, is accompanied by pommes gaufrettes, while the fine woodland mushroom tartlet (24€) brings us firmly into the autumnal season, much to our delight.
We then opt for one of Benoit Paris's cult dishes, the organic tiger calf's head in ravigote (34€), a real marvel; before moving on to a dish full of reliefs and devilishly sapid, the gourmet sauté of sweetbreads, rooster crests and kidneys, foie gras, truffle jus (48€), which we sauce down to the last drop and can't recommend highly enough if you're an offal lover.
Served very generously, the dishes prevent us from falling for the desserts, made, it should be noted, with ice cream, coffee and chocolate from Alain Ducasse's various factories. But that's only a postponement, as we dream of tasting the profiteroles or the Savarin à l'Armagnac.
Over 100 years ago, the slogan "Chez toi, Benoit, on boit, festoie, en rois" was coined - and nothing has changed since!
Dates and Opening Time
Starts January 14, 2025
Location
Benoit
20 Rue Saint-Martin
75004 Paris 4
Access
M° Châtelet
Official website
www.benoit-paris.com
