Liquide, Paris | Chef Matthias Marc’s Great New Bistro in Les Halles, B+

 

 

It wasn’t until I went to Liquide, chef Matthias Marc’s new “modern tavern” cum bistro in Les Halles in Paris the other day for lunch that I realized just how much I had been missing restaurants since they shut down in France last October. What I’d been craving was that whole spectrum of gastronomic talent, wit and creativity which will likely forever elude me even during my best moments as a cook. In other words, my palate was just desperate for dishes beyond my ken in the kitchen, and so I arrived at Marc’s latest table with very high expectations.

His 16th Arrondissement bistro Substance established him as one of the best young chefs in Paris when it opened in May 2019, and on every visit to this table, I’ve found myself more admiring of Marc’s wiry and very original talent in the kitchen. Among other things, Marc is one of the most talented of the growing band of new neo-regionalist chefs in Paris, since he proudly references the produce and recipes of his native Jura in eastern France in a way that is at once respectfully affectionate and then intriguingly iconoclastic. And in the culinary idiom of contemporary French bistro cooking, which can sometimes seem strained in a search for off-beat creativity, Marc’s dishes always have an unfailing logic that’s nonchalantly confirmed by their point-blank deliciousness.

A perfect example were the oysters Bruno and I shared over a glass of Jura Chardonnay. They were garnished with fava bean water, cherries, verveine oil and verveine leaves, or a register of perfumes and flavors which rendered their oceanic brininess a perfect course at an urban sidewalk summer picnic.

Also consider the starter I had here on a hot day on their terrace in the rue de l’Arbre Sec. Trout tartare dressed with raspberries and freshly shaved horseradish had been tossed with a coulis of beetroot to create a luscious and brilliantly refreshing summer dish that delivered the distant countryside of the Jura to a table in the heart of Paris. It was a simple but brilliant preparation that was stunningly original and deeply pleasurable.

Bruno’a flamed mackerel with pickles, grilled aubergine and dill was a brilliant little dish, too. Peering inside, a lot of the decor of Racines 2, a previous restaurant on these premises, had survived, including elements signed by Philippe Starck. The overall effect of this decor came off as dated and trying too hard, as though some how or another Starck’s aesthetic isn’t aging well, so we were glad to be outside.

In a marked difference from Racines 2, the young service team here was notably friendly, efficient and attentive, too, which considerably added to the pleasure of our meal. Dining from the very good-value 29 Euros lunch menu, a really great bet in the heart of Paris a few footsteps from both the new Pinault Collection and the Louvre, both of us ordered the roasted Landes chicken with croutons, turnips, and a lively condiment sauce made from the turnip greens, tarragon and ginger.

Our dessert was spectacular, too. Cool feathery light rice pudding was garnished with fresh cherries, cherry sorbet and pleasantly pungent and piquant oxalis. Summery and satisfying at the same time, it showed off the skills of a kitchen that is already impressively well-drilled for having opened so recently. Marc put his colleague Jarvis Scott in charge here, and the two draw up the menus together.

So at last there’s light in Paris again, and Liquide is a great place to celebrate the tremulous renewal of the life of this great and supremely gastronomic city.

Otherwise, I’m very pleased to say that my new book MY PLACE AT THE TABLE: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris, which was published on June 1, continues to be very well received. The New Yorker food writer Bill Buford describes it as “A flat-out wonderful read, filled with secrets and stories” and the Wall Street Journal just gave it a rave review, too. I think it’s a perfect summertime read and also a really nice house gift if you’re visiting friends (although I’d also insist that it’s a perfect autumn, winter and spring read as well). You can purchase my book via any of the BUY button on this website.

Liquide, 39 rue de l’Arbre Sec, 1st Arrondissement, Paris, Tel. (33) 01 42 36 50 05. Metro: Louvre-Rivoli. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Average a la carte 40 Euros. Lunch menu 29 Euros.