Belle Maison, the seafood bistro terrace Paris 9th arrondissement

Do you love seafood and shellfish? Then you're going to love Belle Maison, this restaurant nestled on rue Navarin in Paris's 9th arrondissement. A discreet house set between two Parisian buildings, blue walls to give you a seaside feel and a lovely yellow terrace that smells of summer, this restaurant has what it takes to win us over, all the more so as it charges quite reasonable prices when you consider the price of fish these days.

This iodized bistro, well known to gourmets, is part of the Pantruchoise team behind Pantruche, Caillebotte, Café Mirette and Coucou café. He is renowned for his seafood menu. With its €23 lunchtime special and dish of the day, it's a healthy, gourmet canteen for an affordable bistronomic experience. In the kitchen, Franck Baranger offers creative and daring bistro dishes.

Here, forget about classic dishes that lack flavor and magic. At Belle Maison, we're all about freshness, beautifully cooked dishes and generous portions, all with a touch of originality. The warm, spontaneous welcome and meticulous decor give this restaurant a soft, friendly atmosphere.

So, you're wondering what's on the plate? As you'd expect, when you're dealing with market-fresh produce, the menu changes frequently. Which means you never get bored and keep coming back for more. On our visit, here's the menu we were able to discover.

As the sun was out and we were in the mood to chill, we started the meal with fish rillettes and homemade cod tarama. Even the hors d'oeuvres, which usually look simple, are well presented. The rillettes are accompanied by seaweed and onion pickles, while the tarama comes with mustard seeds and focaccia. A soft focaccia, a very fine tarama and rillettes that are full of pep, we spend a good shared moment.

Then it's on to the starters, and we've set our sights on the excellent crab cannelloni with celery and cider sauce, and the marinated and snacked cuttlefish breasts, accompanied by peppers, kimchi paste and chimichurri. You've been warned: it's original and makes a change. The celery is crisp and fine, the cuttlefish soft, and it's really good.

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For the main courses, we opt for cod in hazelnut butter on a bed of crésson, accompanied by peas with lemon confit, fresh goat's cheese condiment and pine nuts. My partner in crime chooses the dish of the day, a line hake with mussels and broccoli. Beautiful sauces and condiments, fresh and crunchy peas and good cooking are the order of the day.

We end the meal fresh and light with two seasonal desserts: poached rhubarb with vanilla blancmange, pistachio praline and menthol ice cream, and white chocolate ganache with hazelnut cookie, marmalade, coconut crumble and delicious grapefruit sorbet. It's light, edible on its own and remorseless.

In short, if you're looking for an affordable fish restaurant that's as good as it is creative, make a note of Belle Maison in the 9th arrondissement. The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday from 12:30 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 21:30, and is closed on Sundays.