Santa Carne, the place to be for lovers of Argentine-style grilled meat at Bastille

For 17 years, Santa Carne has been delighting the whole of Paris - and, visibly, the whole of Buenos Aires who came to Paris - with its meats, not grilled like an ordinary barbecue, but roasted over Argentine charcoal, the quebrajo-blanco. "The meat is roasted instead of grilled, and cooked without flames," explains Fred Pons, one of the two founders and chef of Santa Carne. "In Argentina, it's impossible to cook meat with flames. A Franco-Argentinian by birth, he teamed up with Lorena Rojo, also from Argentina, to create an address that reminds Latinos of the country's traditional cuisine "while adding a French touch", say the two partners.

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The restaurant's specialty? Meat, without hesitation, fromArgentine farms where the cows are fed exclusively on grass and the meat remains ultra-fresh: in fact, it's vacuum-packed and sent to the restaurant, unfrozen, in less than a week. The menu includes Mocillas (black pudding), Mollejas, a recipe for grilled veal rice just like in Buenos Aires, andhomemade empanadas (savoury turnovers) stuffed with spinach, cheese and chicken, as well as homemade ceviche...

As well as fine cuts of meat for the main course: lomo (beef fillet), rib-eye steak, rib eye, lamb, chicken, skewered Patagonian prawns, all accompanied by grilled vegetables, homemade sweet potato purée or grenailles with pesto (again, homemade) and a trio of sauces (Roquefort, chipotle or chimichurri). On the menu, you'll find some very nice portions (and I'm weighing my words carefully), with pieces of meat weighing up to 600 grams for one person. Expect to pay between €25 and €78 for a dish, including side dishes and sauces.

Blending Argentine, French, Mexican and even Italian influences, Santa Carne's cuisine is entirely homemade. On the drinks side, the cocktail menu focuses on traditional strong spirits, including Mezcal (a smoky-flavored spirit produced in the bosom of a cactus), rums from South America, chili peppers, tropical fruits... The same goes for the wine list, which features top-flight Chilean and Argentinian wines selected by Lorena.

Here, the entire team speaks Spanish, and in the end, this was the wish of the two founders, who recruited a team made up of 100% Latinos, to really immerse customers in the friendly atmosphere of this corner of the world. What's more, the welcome here lives up to the reputation of the Argentinians: very family-oriented, you really feel at home.

If you've got any room left, we suggest you try - or, at least, share - one of the desserts on the menu, which, like the rest of the menu, are homemade (except for the ice creams): the Don Pedro, a blend of vanilla ice cream, whisky and dulce de leche just like you'd get in Argentina, the Black Orgasm (an empanada with chocolate cream cooked to perfection) or the homemade ice creams with mate, dulce de leche or corrosol!

All in a cosy, intimate atmosphere, perfect for a romantic date with candles, flowers... And a real eye for detail. "Meat is always about the guys", explains Lorena, who took full charge of the interior design (even creating some of the pieces herself!), "I wanted a more feminine concept, to offer a restaurant that makes everyone want to come and eat there". For a special occasion, a romantic meal and, above all, if you're a lover of (very) good produce, we can't recommend this wonderful address in the 11th arrond issement!