If I were ever to open a bistro in Paris, it would look a lot like Parcelles: settled on a picturesque little street near the Centre Georges Pompidou in the 3rd arrondissement, with an ambiance that warms your heart as you enter; white curtains on the windows that look onto the street; a giant copper bar; Art Deco tables; white linens; cozy banquettes; and patchwork tiled floors the same as we had in our first apartment in Paris.
This 1936 bistro is part of a selection of contemporary Paris restaurants run by young and adventurous chefs and owners, mostly dedicated to local seasonal ingredients, wisely chosen wines, and no attitude other than that to please each diner. Restaurateur-owner Sarah Michielsen signed to purchase the former Taxi Jaune bistro just 15 days before confinement in 2020. Still, along with chef Julien Chevallier and sommelier Bastien Fidelin, they managed to create something quite special.
Like many modern Paris bistros the cuisine is a comfortable blend of classic and modern French, with a select menu where all sorts of diners manage to find what they want. A quartet of super-fresh scallops arrive set on their shells, seared in a full-flavored garlic and parsley blend, garnished with a nice hit of guanciale, the Italian dried and smoked pork from the jowl and cheeks.
A serving of cabbage stuffed with ground pork from the Cochon de Clavisy in Burgundy, as well as foie gras, took me back to my early days as a child in Milwaukee, where stuffed cabbage was on the menu frequently, and one of my mother’s finely executed specials. (But, no, we did not have foie gras!). At Parcelles, the portion was excellent and the seasoning just right. I loved the monkfish in a broth made with barbe de St Jacques (the ribbon of fat that surrounds the scallop), paired with a welcome selection of carrots, cabbage, and turnips, all of which had good intense flavors of their own. In the dessert world, the classic tarte au chocolate topped with a great crunch of caramelized pecans, hit with a great deal of pleasure.
I was less enthralled by the rather timid daurade (sea bream) carpaccio, served with cubes of radish and seasoned with a sauce tosazu (a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, sweet cooking wine and dried bonito sauce) that did little to perk things up. Likewise, the potato tart stuffed with Swiss chard, mushrooms, was a disappointment, with a crust that was just too thick to manage and an interior that lacked seasoning and character.
But the wine list! As soon as I spied Hubert Lamy’s white St. Aubin 1er Cru Derrière chez Edouard on the list I waved to the excellent and outgoing sommelier and ordered a bottle. This longtime favorite Burgundy – aromatic, rich, and full of character – comes from a family that has worked the vineyards since 1640. Here, priced at 108€ a bottle for the 2014 vintage, this is a bargain. With an exceptional and well-priced wine list, the restaurant is aptly named: A parcelle is a small plot of land with distinctive geographical and geological characteristics that impact the quality and character of the grapes cultivated on it.
Parcelles | 13 rue Chapon. Paris 3 | Métro: Rambuteau or Arts et Métiers | Tél: +33 1 43 37 91 64 | Open lunch and dinner Monday - Friday, lunch only Saturday, closed Saturday dinner and all day Sunday | Reservations essential.