6.9 La Faille, 49 (not 54 as some reviews state) rue Montmartre in the 2nd (Bus #85), 01.40.26.75.51, closed Sundays, has been open since the end of October and for some reason I never got around to it - silly me - until today. My date finked out, but I soldiered on and was glad I did.
From the outside it's unremarkable but inside it's dazzling:
Ceiling plants upside down like at MassMoca
Tables and bar of raw wood
Tables with zinc containers for water and wine bottles
Napkins hanging over the edge
Hooks on metal table legs for purses and briefcases (take that Alain Ducasse)
A semi-opaque glass piece between the salle and kitchen
I was seated at a table for 4 (all tables inside are 4-6, outside 2) and looked around, "ohh boy, I'm the only one over 30 in the place, Yikes, what does this mean about the food?) But the menu and carte were encouraging, interesting, indeed captivating, super-indeed "what do I do?"
The dishes I got were, in my mind, not at all stereotypic of a young adult/hipster/Bobo clientele around me but were creative, intelligent and adult:
A tataki of salmon with Chinese cabbage dressed with a satay vinaigrette - delicious
Scallops with venere rice and a lemon beurre blanc sauce - terrific
A mascarpone mousse (which my waitguy said was a mousseline not a mousse as the chalkboard said - OK) with diced mango on top and speculos crumbles underneath - wonderful
My bill, with 50 cl of Cahors, no bottled water, a dB level of 84.5, fine bread and good "Italian coffee", was 60 E (with a digestif of Poire "offered" by my wait/bar-guy [they're big into cocktails at night] who was super-nice and dressed like Mark Zuckerberg when he's at work).
Go? It took me 3 months but I hit the jack-pot - of course, go.
