Vendémiaire, a chic French brasserie a stone's throw from Les Invalides

A typically French restaurant in a chic part of the capital: that's the challenge facing Vendémiaire, the French brasserie that opened its hushed doors a stone's throw from Les Invalides, under the impetus of Vendémiaire Nadd-Mitterrand. This former lawyer, now restaurateur, chose to set up his first restaurant in Chez les Anges, the former restaurant of Jacques Lacipière.

Vendémiaire Nadd-Mitterrand, with little knowledge of the business, enlisted the help of the Black Balloon Agency and his partner Laëtitia Benedetti to renovate and decorate this elegant brasserie in a retro yet contemporary style, and a chef with a proven track record in the past, Santiago Guerrero.

Having worked at the Pré Catelan and the Prince de Galles, this Swiss-Colombian chef got his first chef's job at Biondi, the excellent Argentinean restaurant a stone's throw from the Cirque d'Hiver, before helping to open theMaison Mère hotel and then joining the Terrass' Hotel kitchen. For Vendémiaire, he has teamed up with pastry chef Asia Goncalves, who joins from Lenôtre.

From breakfast to late dinner, Vendémiaire celebrates French gastronomy with a typical brasserie menu that celebrates French terroir. Emphasis is placed on sourcing seasonal produce from carefully selected producers, and on catering to all diets.

Contrary to what you'd expect from this kind of address in this kind of neighborhood, Vendémiaire relies on a short menu of four starters, four main courses, four desserts and two sharing pieces, synonymous with quality. To kick off this new adventure, the menu features salmon gravlax with lemon cream; beef tartare with fried capers; pan-fried mushrooms with peas and redcurrants; and heirloom tomatoes with strawberries and black olive powder.

The menu continues with trout fillet with trout roe beurre blanc; pork loin with honey-mustard sauce; beef flank steak with chimichurri sauce; charcoal-roasted French prime rib (approx. 1kg); herb-crusted grilled rack of lamb; or roasted cauliflower. For dessert, the meal ends with chocolate mousse topped with cocoa crumble and raspberries; red fruit pavlova; or vanilla crème brûlée.

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Good, French food to please Parisian palates and those visiting the capital. And the same tricolore tradition is evident in the glasses, with a selection of French and even Parisian beers, French spirits in the cocktails, and wines selected by master cellarman Thierry Guemas, with the option of pairing food and good wine, and even more original, food and beer. And there's plenty of room for toasting in the 12-person private lounge or on the 60-seat terrace.

During the day, Vendémiaire also offers a counter service menu with eggs mayo, oysters, terrines, farmhouse cheeses and burgers.