Pasta, yes, but fresh homemade pasta, please! And that's just as well, because that's what Sugo is all about, a young fresh pasta restaurant carefully hidden among the many Asian addresses on rue Saint-Augustin, a stone's throw from the famous rue Sainte-Anne.
And if you've never understood why gourmands take pasta to restaurants, after all "you can make it yourself at home, it's not worth the price", then you'll be delighted to learn that in addition to offering homemade pasta, it's affordable and in generous quantities. All good points!
The man behind Sugo is Arthur Dumait, who trained at the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and worked in some of London's and Rome's finest palaces. After a stint at Eataly and Carboni's, he opened his first restaurant in his own name, Sugo, to put to good use the recipes he discovered (and, above all, devoured) while living in Italy.
It's a restaurant without fuss, but not without ideas, that reveals itself under this name evocative of good dishes to be sauced. When it comes to products, it's unthinkable for the owner not to source them from the other side of the Alps, whether it's durum wheat semolina, pecorino, candied tomatoes or almonds. When it comes to mozzarella, however, Arthur sources it from Nanina in Paris!
On the à la carte menu, simplicity is the order of the day with 5 permanent pasta recipes, classics among classics, but made with the utmost authenticity by Victor, Arthur's childhood friend in charge of the kitchens. Cacio e pepe (13€), sugo (10€), pesto (14€), and for those we've tried, delicate pasta with ragù (15€) and pasta amatriciana (13€) with guanciale, pecorino and toasted pepper that packs a spicy kick.
But for pasta alla carbonara aficionados, please note that it does appear once a week on the à la carte menu (on Tuesdays, we'll let you know!), in the restaurant's weekly menu. Big appetites may be tempted by an antipasti like this traditional caponata with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and capers (€10), but the fresh pasta dish is really a meal in itself.
After a small glug of natural wine or Italian lemonade (4€), if you've got a little room left over, opt without blinking for the brand-new hazelnut cake and its just-sweetened Sicilian pistachio cream, a little cloud of comfort. Alternatively, tiramisu is sure to satisfy the sweet tooth.
One thing's for sure: Sugo is already establishing itself as a must-visit spot on the corner of Rue Sainte-Anne in Paris!
Location
Sugo
16 Rue Saint-Augustin
75002 Paris 2
Official website
www.sugoparis.com
