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Where to Eat Good Italian in Paris | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Alimenti. (Reuters/KCNA)


Daroco

It comes as little surprise that Daroco, the new design-forward Italian eatery in what was once Jean-Paul Gaultier’s first store, attracted a star-studded crowd in its opening week.

With much of the space’s original footprint left untouched (the same hulking door, exposed brick and stone, and expansive windows), it was transformed into a chic trattoria with mirrored ceilings, sleek velour banquettes and an open kitchen. From the mezzanine, diners can watch the servers in their Breton stripes (some in tops designed by Le Slip Français, some in Saint James, both a nod to Monsieur Gaultier) maneuver the dining room below, carrying well-dressed plates of antipasti and pizza.

And past the tables at the back, at the end of a dark corridor, craft cocktails designed by the French mixologist Nico de Soto, co-owner of New York City’s Mace bar, are available at the 45-seat corner bar.

Passerini

The Roman chef Giovanni Passerini cultivated a following at the helm of the beloved gastronomic restaurant Rino in the 12th Arrondissement. Since it closed in March 2014, his fans have anxiously awaited his next move until earlier this year, when he opened a fresh pasta boutique.

And in May, he debuted a namesake restaurant next door, eschewing the ubiquitous fixed menu format in favor of casual à la-carte plates made with humble Italian staples. Dishes include white asparagus with sage and parmesan; fava bean ravioli with fresh peas and pecorino; and fish served whole for sharing.

Faggio

Fueled by his own childhood love for the pizza trucks so common in his native Southern France, Fabien Lombardi transitioned from mixologist to pizzeria owner last fall.

His restaurant Faggio — located only 10 minutes from L’Entrée des Artistes, one of South Pigalle’s leading cocktail and small plates bars that Lombardi previously co-owned — features fresh antipasti and 10 kinds of wood-oven pizza.

In a space that checks many Brooklyn design boxes, from Edison bulbs and white tiling to exposed brick, guests linger over pies from classic Margherita to the more exotic Salmoriglio (a white pizza with persillade and stracciatella), and glasses of natural wines.

Tondo

Less than a year after closing the doors to Roseval, a modest neo-bistro in the 20th Arrondissement and chef Simone Tondo’s first restaurant, the 28-year-old Sardinian chef has made a spirited return to the food scene with an elegant space (formerly La Gazetta, where he worked under the tutelage of chef Petter Nilsson) and a product-driven menu.

The 60-euro prix fixe dinner offers five to six courses, with dishes that pay homage to his favorite terroirs in France and Italy, like pigeon with zucchini and cherries and tuna Tonnato, with a heartwarming fresh pasta plate tucked in between.

Lumen

From fine dining to pastry, Japanese chefs have been commanding attention in the Paris food scene for years. But Akira Sugiura, head chef at the Lumen hotel, is arguably the first to do so for his riffs on Italian cuisine. His experience cooking in kitchens from Tokyo and Sydney to Genoa and Paris, where he was previously second in command at Youlin Ly’s one-Michelin star restaurant Sola, comes to light in his Italian fusion cuisine: At Lumen, which is also overseen by Youlin Ly, he dresses up Italian bases with Japanese condiments.

The New York Times Service