Grain[s], the Becs Parisiens wine & sake cellar in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Already behind ChoCho, Thomas Chisholm's excellent restaurant, Les Fous de l'Ile, the Île Saint-Louis institution, Le Colvert and Le Christine in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Les Becs Parisiens are now continuing their momentum in Saint-Germain, with the inauguration of Grain[s] a stone's throw from Marché Saint-Germain, a protean venue that is part wine cellar, part sake cellar, part dining bar .

At the helm of this discreet little bar that hides its secrets well - as evidenced by the hushed, subdued room in the basement, invisible from the street - are sommelier Mathieu Guérin, a Mosuke alumnus, and chef Julian Avila, spotted at Sur-Mesure and ChoCho. The former puts his expertise in wine and sake at guests' disposal, and signs off on a wine list of reds, whites and rosés, with a focus on biodynamics (but not only), and sourced from trusted producers.

The same applies to sake for the man who trained with David Biraud, head sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental , and alongside France's Best Sommelier Xavier Thuizat. And what a pleasure it is to sip this delicate and highly refined beverage for what it is, or to discover it through pairings with chef Julien Avila's small dishes to share.

In charge of the solid part of the menu, he imagines a short, seasonal menu that changes from week to week. And he always takes the same care in sourcing quality local produce, which he transforms into recipes inspired by both Mediterranean and North American cuisine, street food and bistronomy.

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During our visit, we were treated to crosnes with burnt butter (7€) to nibble like radishes, patatas bravas (9€) to dip in a smoked sauce and aïoli, thin slices of Serrano ham (16€), a club sandwich (14€) with grilled oyster mushrooms - a little too dry - and soubressade stuffing, linguine (15€) with smoked butter and sage, an original quail skewer (16€) with BBQ sauce and fermented pear, and to finish with delicacy, a dessert based around roasted quince (6€) and vinegared mascarpone.

All accompanied by carefully prepared beverages, of course. What better way to spend an evening in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.