L’Escient
Two chefs: a father and daughter team
Traditional bistro cuisine with a touch of Asian influences.
Open since August 18 2011, this pretty restaurant with a violet-grey façade is part of the neobistro trend. Thus far overlooked by critics, l’Escient might well be the gem of last summer.
The restaurant is located in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, on rue Poncelet where the daily street market and its cheerful, haranguing vendors are the vibrant heart of the neighbourhood.
L’Escient is a family affair: mother is at front of house while father, Pierre Méchin, and daughter, are at work in the kitchen. Father provides the technical basis of the menu, whilst his Ducasse-trained daughter reinterprets classical dishes with distinct flair.
One can choose from daily specials on the blackboard or from the menu that proposes 5 or 6 starters, the same for mains and desserts. For starters, the Japanese radish Daikon is served with king prawns and an emulsion of lime-tinged taramasalata. It’s a fresh and original starter that awakens the taste buds. There is also mushroom caviar with foie gras shavings, nestled at the bottom of a deep plate. We discovered the secret of the surprisingly firm, almost wooden, foie gras: grate when cold.
The mains did not disappoint us: organic suckling pig tenderloin with a honey-soy glaze, accompanied by minty, coriander-perfumed vegetable nems and crunchy Paimpol white beans.
For dessert, a Paris-Brest revisited in the form of three pretty little choux puffs and a chocolate cuboid resting under caramelized puffed rice. The chef almost apologized for not having yet fully developed the dessert menu – we can’t wait to go back and try the final version!
In sum, a luxury bistro with excellent value for money, whose discreet design includes an elegant display of good wines.
Terroirs de Chefs
Vanessa Besnard
L’Escient
28 rue Poncelet- Paris 75017
Métro Ternes
Open every day except Sunday lunch and Monday evening.
Fixed menus for 25 €, 35 € and 45 €