Blanca, Fernando de Tomaso's stunning Argentinian restaurant with Basque accents

We've known Biondi, which opened a few years ago a stone's throw from the Cirque d'Hiver, for its meticulously licked Argentinian meats, and now the chef Fernando de Tomaso behind the first address is opening a second restaurant in Paris, backed by his good-natured sister Violetta Hernandez, Blanca, a stone's throw from the Place de la Bastille.

Let's face it, greatness of heart seems to run in the family, and the welcome you'll receive at Blanca' s is more akin to a family reunion than a simple visit to the counter of a new Parisian restaurant. There's no shortage of good advice and recommendations, whether for the dishes or the beverages to accompany them.

Seven years after the opening of Biondi, chef Fernando de Tomaso finally decided, after much reflection, to open a new address where he could share his Argentine cuisine, the land of his childhood, with as many people as possible, all at an affordable price. It's quite simple: count €18.50 for a weekday lunch menu, including starter, main course (from a choice of two) and dessert. What could be more affordable?

It was in honor of theirBasque-born grandmother, Blanca Villanueva, that the two siblings were inspired to open this new Argentinian address, and so it's only natural that the dishes arrive on plates with a deliciously retro look, always emphasizing the duo's childhood memories.

• To be read
• Biondi, authentic Argentine cuisine by chef Fernando de Tomaso
• South American restaurants in Paris, our best Latin addresses
• The best meat restaurants in Paris

In an intimate atmosphere that's not to our displeasure, given that the restaurant has only 14 covers, the waltz of wonders that draw their inspiration as much from Argentina as from the Basque country begins, without us having time to open our mouths: naughty empanadas with Beaufort, Comté and onions (13€), dripping with all their best features; astonishing beef tongue and chanterelle salad (12€), which we wouldn't have seen coming, and which surprises us with the almost powdery, herbaceous aroma of its herb mayonnaise; hummus where you can happily dip with corn chips, all accompanied by fine wines from Argentina, Spain and France.

This is followed by two dishes that knock our socks off: on the one hand, the Angus beef skirt steak (€26) with marrow bone, cooked to perfection, although it seems almost ridiculous to mention it, given the Maison's reputation for cooking its finest animals; and above all, thebraised lamb (28€), a dish of sweetness, gourmandise and a memory that will remain pregnant, accompanied by a declination of carrots - in ultra-fine purée, also roasted - and a lamb jus highlighted with Aji Panca, a Peruvian red pepper. One of our discoveries of the month, if not one of the pleasures of our year.

After putting it off for a while on the grounds that we'd eaten too much, as the dishes were very, very generous, we finally gave in to the temptation and insistence of the team to end our lunch on a high note, and accepted the sentence: a caramel flan with dulce de leche (€10) that would have been a shame to miss.

A must-try address on the Bastille side of town!