Best Paris Restaurants: Le Richer
Wed 13 Aug 2014
Mushrooms and cream with leaves, polenta chips and foam
At Le Richer, there are no reservations or designated hours. This Rue du Faubourg-Poissonière establishment is open from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m, seven days a week. Believe it or not, and there’s no need to read twice, you have read correctly: a Parisian restaurant that is open non-stop, that alone makes us want to add it to the best Paris restaurants list!
The chef at Le Richer takes the liberty in
recreating bistro classics without the extra fuss. They haven’t forgotten the âme canaille (soul) of the quartier. Things start off strong with a rather smooth crème de champignons (creamy mushrooms). The texture is creamy and the woody aroma is delightful. The chips de polenta (polenta chips) add an extra depth to the dish.
The Italian classic Vitello Tonnato (veal with tuna sauce) done with a French touch.
I also take the liberty of ordering a second appetizer – how couldn’t I? I could not resist the Vitello Tonnato accompagnied by a chou romanesco (Roman cabbage) and artichauts (artichokes). The perfectly tender veal had us feeling as if we were on the coast of Italy with its pink center and crunchy vegetables. To create an interesting meat and seafood dynamic that doesn’t weigh down the dish, the thôn (tuna) is whipped into a mousse. Throw in some capres (capers) and the whole ensemble is very well packaged and presented. The result is beautifully harmonious and terribly fresh which was what I was looking for.
The dessert was composed of banane carmélisé (caramelized banana), crème de châtaigne (chestnut cream) and sorbet coco citron vert (coconut lime sorbet). The ensemble was just as delicious in my mouth as it was read off the menu. If each element was eaten separately, it would be blissful – thick caramel, rich roasted chestnuts, perfectly tart sorbet – as for all of them at once, I am a bit more critical. Either way, I finished everything until the very last bite all while avoiding mixing the three.
Despite this small critique, we recommend that you visit Le Richer, first for its tasty and creative food and secondly, for its cool ambiance. All in all, Le Richer is so much more than a boring bistro. The chef proposes a very modern menu, without getting stuck in a depressing minimalism like some of his bobo cousins.
In a nutshell: Creative bistro classics on offer all hours of the night and day.
If you like Le Richer then you’ll like: Their sister restaurant L’Office on the same block.
2 rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement
Open everyday 8am – 1am.
Alice Ngo is the founder of the food blog Le Grumeau. This review was translated from French.