Le Parisien Dimanche : « HABILE, instinctive cooking »
«When the welcome is warm, when the chef cooks with his hands but also with his heart, when he loves his job and exudes the joy of living, there is a good chance of having a good time. This is what happened to me the other day at HABILE, near the République (Paris 10th), Éric Fontanini's restaurant. A place with two entrances: on the ground floor, there is the kitchen and the dining room; upstairs, the shop of his other half, Camille, who displays the pretty sweaters, aprons and overalls that she designs. The whole thing has a lot of character. Formerly of Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy, ex-chef of the very chic Palais Royal Restaurant, Éric Fontanini knows his scales, but he cooks by instinct. Here, he doesn't overthink things, combines flavors with simplicity, and the customers are delighted. I started with roasted beets with raspberry vinegar and Piedmont hazelnuts, and I couldn't resist grabbing my neighbor's plate of foie gras pâté en croûte, also garnished with hazelnuts (for crunch) and a condiment of fermented apricots and mustard seeds. Amazing. For my main course, I chose the scallops with radishes and mandarins: the salty aroma and the sweetness went together quite well.
Last year, I had already been there, and I had jumped on the pork shoulder lasagna with smoked Bray Tomme (a Normandy specialty). A classic on Éric's menu, which I still remember. It's by the memories they leave you that you recognize good places.When the welcome is warm, when the chef cooks with his hands but also with his heart, when he loves his job and exudes the joy of living, there is a good chance of having a good time. This is what happened to me the other day at HABILE, near the République (Paris 10th), Éric Fontanini's restaurant. A place with two entrances: on the ground floor, there is the kitchen and the dining room; upstairs, the shop of his other half, Camille, who displays the pretty sweaters, aprons and overalls that she designs. The whole thing has a lot of character. Formerly of Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy, ex-chef of the very chic Palais Royal Restaurant, Éric Fontanini knows his scales, but he cooks by instinct. Here, he doesn't overthink things, combines flavors with simplicity, and the customers are delighted. I started with roasted beets with raspberry vinegar and Piedmont hazelnuts, and I couldn't resist grabbing my neighbor's plate of foie gras pâté en croûte, also garnished with hazelnuts (for crunch) and a condiment of fermented apricots and mustard seeds. Amazing. For my main course, I chose the scallops with radishes and mandarins: the salty aroma and the sweetness went together quite well.
Last year, I had already been there, and I had jumped on the pork shoulder lasagna with smoked Bray Tomme (a Normandy specialty). A classic on Éric's menu, which I still remember. It's by the memories they leave you that you recognize good places».
Laurent Guez
Laurent Guez
Last year, I had already been there, and I had jumped on the pork shoulder lasagna with smoked Bray Tomme (a Normandy specialty). A classic on Éric's menu, which I still remember. It's by the memories they leave you that you recognize good places.When the welcome is warm, when the chef cooks with his hands but also with his heart, when he loves his job and exudes the joy of living, there is a good chance of having a good time. This is what happened to me the other day at HABILE, near the République (Paris 10th), Éric Fontanini's restaurant. A place with two entrances: on the ground floor, there is the kitchen and the dining room; upstairs, the shop of his other half, Camille, who displays the pretty sweaters, aprons and overalls that she designs. The whole thing has a lot of character. Formerly of Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy, ex-chef of the very chic Palais Royal Restaurant, Éric Fontanini knows his scales, but he cooks by instinct. Here, he doesn't overthink things, combines flavors with simplicity, and the customers are delighted. I started with roasted beets with raspberry vinegar and Piedmont hazelnuts, and I couldn't resist grabbing my neighbor's plate of foie gras pâté en croûte, also garnished with hazelnuts (for crunch) and a condiment of fermented apricots and mustard seeds. Amazing. For my main course, I chose the scallops with radishes and mandarins: the salty aroma and the sweetness went together quite well.
Last year, I had already been there, and I had jumped on the pork shoulder lasagna with smoked Bray Tomme (a Normandy specialty). A classic on Éric's menu, which I still remember. It's by the memories they leave you that you recognize good places».
Laurent Guez
Laurent Guez