7.8 Roca, 31, rue, Guillaume Tell in the 17th, 01.47.64.86.04, closed weekends (Bus: PC 3) has been open a few weeks and gotten a good bit of good press. It's chef'd by Alexandre Giesbert, ex of the Restaurant Richer and he has a wonderful ability to combine different fresh products in new ways and have them presented by two front-room guys who couldn't be nicer. The front is super-cool, in inside bricks and mortar and there's a table d'hote in a room at the back for 12 available for private parties. The menu doesn't look all that exceptional but what comes out sure is.
My Cantabridgian companion ordered the burrata with an escabeche of acidulated vegetables and sauce of Kalamata olives, sounds banal no? No, exciting, palate pleasing, wake up and small the flowers time. And I ordered a ceviche of black mullet with Chino Brothers type tiny baby cukes with sorrel and a pistachio sauce. Nover heard of such a thing, but i want it again. Then both of us had scallops with a burned endive, zesty flowers of fennel and cedrat. Again, astonishing stuff.
For dessert, I must confess we went from the spectacular to the merely super-excellent. Still enjoying our Pic St-Loup, my friend had the dense rummy Nantaise cake with sauces and I the apple and rhubarb with nuts and reine des pres (meadowsweet - I had to look it up, at my age, that's embarrassing). Wow, double wow and so forth!
The bill, hold your hats, with all a la carte, wine, no bottled water and two coffees - 100E even.
Go? Please don't until Mrs T. returns.
