British chef Calum Franklin arrives in Paris to open Public House, an English brasserie in place of theAmerican Dream, a stone's throw from the Opéra. He brings with him his best pies, tarts and other English specialties renowned for their comfort. Calum Franklin's reputation precedes him: dubbed'the Pie King' by chef Jamie Oliver, he's part of the new British guard.
After spending quite some time at the Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London from 2014 to 2022 as executive chef, he subsequently opened the Pie Room there in 2018 after discovering ancient pie moulds in the hotel's basement."These ancient, traditional techniques were falling into oblivion and might even have disappeared if a generation didn't learn them. For me, it became important to teach myself these techniques, and then to teach them to all the chefs in my team, so that they would live on," explains the chef. Which explains his passion for pies!
After several awards, including the Olive for Best Pastry Chef in 2018 and Best Hotel Chef in the UK in 2019, followed by a best-selling book on pies - of course! - which topped the bestseller lists, Calum Franklin has moved to Paris, a capital he's particularly fond of, with the aim of introducing the French to traditional flavors and English savoir-faire.
"I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share the British cuisine I love, and to do it with the best of French produce. Public House will be a wonderful marriage of these two ingredients. I've always dreamed of working in Paris, I've been here so many times over the years that the city has become like a second home to me; with Public House, I now have that home." declares the cheerful chef.
And how beautiful is this new 300-seat (!) venue, which blends the codes of the French brasserie and the English pub, laid out over three floors by decorator Laura Gonzalez! Tartans and leathers rub shoulders with elegant tiles typical of the capital's great brasseries, comfortable seating and elegant bars on each floor.
The restaurant is spread over three levels, with a beautiful winter garden on the second floor, bathed in natural light, several privatizable rooms for groups of friends, and a hidden speakeasy in the basement. Public House 's emphasis is on clever beverages, with a gin bar stocked with English, Scottish, Irish and French references, as well as classic cocktails (14€) or more contemporary ones (14.5€), detox juices (8.5€) and mocktails (9€).
A quick glance reveals, as advertised, the presence of local French products (fish, meat, dairy products) used in recipes that pay homage to English cuisine. Let's face it, the menu is mouth-watering, with pies, fish & chips (€24.50) and Cumberland sausage puff pastry (€13.50)...
From the simple dishes typical of pubs to the unmissable pies, which he is currently preparing in 4 recipes that follow the seasons and his desires, Calum Franklin signs a diabolically comforting menu . Our heart goes out to Eric Ospital's crunchy scotch egg (€10.50) made with Basque black pudding, and the pig's head croquettes (€14.50), for a good start.
Then there's the pie dauphinoise topped with potatoes and mature cheddar (19.50€), delicious although we'd have appreciated even more melting cheddar (we're gourmands), and the salmon fishcake (23.50€), a large salmon and potato croquette covered with leek beurre blanc - to nitpick, we'd have preferred the sauce served on the side, so as not to soak the breadcrumbs.
But the sticky toffee pudding (11€), an absolutely addictive, typically British pecan dessert with whisky caramel sauce, makes us forget all about it. Long live English cuisine!
Location
Public House
21 Rue Daunou
75002 Paris 2
Official website
www.publichouseparis.fr
