Frenchie Folie

I could hardly believe my luck when I got to eat at Frenchie. Since the “frenchie” chef, Gregory Marchand, unpacked his pots and pans on Rue du Nil, at the heart of the Sentier neighbourhood – after being at the helm of Jamie Oliver’s much-hyped London restaurant Fifteen and New York’s Gramercy Tavern – the word got around quickly.

This little restaurant (24 very neighbourly tables) is a choice destination among food lovers. The creatively refined cuisine is orchestrated by this young and passionate chef, who puts together flavours inspired by his adventures in every corner of the world: smoked fish, squash flowers and gazpacho, pigeon, beets, red cabbage and hibiscus, Brillat-Savarin cheesecake… everything is delectable. Though the chef can often be found in front of the stove, he sometimes takes a little break to check on the front of the house, adding to the friendliness of a united and always smiling service team (somewhat rare in Paris). Wine connoisseurs will appreciate the sommeliers’ excellent work as they discover great producers. In spite of Frenchie’s sudden success, no one here is letting the praise go to their head. Everything in this restaurant breathes congeniality.

However, you’ll need a lot of patience and perseverance, as the reservation requests do not let up. Frenchie is fully booked up to two months in advance!

Restaurant Frenchie
5-6, rue du Nil, 2nd Arr. metro Sentier, Paris
+33 1 40 39 96 19
Open Monday to Friday, with seatings at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.