Alesti, affordable brasserie on the Grands Boulevards and great French classics

The Grands Boulevards district is the home of great brasseries, and the Alesti restaurant is no exception to the rule on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre. Newly opened in the area, the restaurant stretches over several floors and unveils a décor created from scratch by Hors Limites Architecture.

The 430m2 space pays homage to the codes of Parisian brasseries, modernized for the occasion, with a large central bar, mirrors stretching from wall to ceiling, midnight-blue banquettes and a multitude of vintage objects, from crockery to Formica chairs and cinema posters covering the walls.

However, the comparison with the local brasseries ends there: don't expect to find frozen dishes or products from the ends of the earth, it's all in the name of the restaurant - which means "prepared" in Provençal: Auvergne restaurateur Jules Grouffal has chosen to commit to an eco-responsible approach where every preparation is made on site, using reasoned, anti-waste sourcing.

Locavore to the max, fruit and vegetables are sourced from market gardeners and farms around Paris, as are meats, while seafood is caught on small boats. Behind the stoves, chef Nicolas Jean, who trained at Bourdoncle, is responsible for devising an affordable lunch menu featuring the great bistro classics.

The result is a starter/dish of the day/coffee menu at just €20, which is a small price to pay for the (generous) quantity and (comforting) quality on offer: Morteau sausage brioche (8€) would make the bouchons lyonnais shudder, marrow bone (9€) of good quality, Charolais beef tartare au couteau (18€) spiced up with care, and above all this pork belly confit (14€), a real diablerie snack, and its mashed potatoes whose little crater, hollowed out in its center as in our best childhood memories, contains an absolutely diabolical meat juice.

For desserts, the chef calls on young pastry chef Eugénie Dorr, who apprenticed with him at Le Richer and who has created a generous dessert menu for Alesti, including a lemon meringue tart (8€) that is destructured - to say the least - to end on a high note.

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Supported by an easy-going team full of good will and good ideas, Alesti has established itself as one of the Grands Boulevards addresses with one of the best quality/price/pleasure ratios. To celebrate this bargain, we'll be toasting the place with our very own cocktails!