Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos, Paris

My first impression of the restaurant Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos‎ was mixed. One the one hand, the place oozed with cool, its basketweave interior an absolutely stunning marvel of modern precision interlaced with hand-craftsmanship. On the other hand, there was a dog at the table next to us. Granted, it was a small dog, quiet and adorable, a companion to the old madam whose two younger female dining partners looked like they could be the second and third branches of the family tree. Parisian ladies who lunch? The Chanel jackets told as much. My imagination ran wild: in my mind, the two younger women were trying to save their inheritance because somehow, the old lady got involved with a much younger lothario, an opportunistic gigolo who was about to get half of her millions or billions of euros in assets. But les femmes did it all with such warmth and conviviality, all smiles and bonheur. It was even putting the dog to sleep. Welcome to Paris.

Les Tablettes is a former Joël Robuchon restaurant in the 16th arrondissement of the City of Lights. Whether you're a lady or a mere gastronome passing through, the restaurant should be a definite stop to get a feel for how certain Parisians live and dine. It was a very elegant crowd and the atmosphere was quiet though busy. And the food was good, too.

Les Tablettes's incredible basketweave interior, which goes from floor to ceiling, is in itself a reason to go to the restaurant.

A beautiful amuse of soup to start. Our sommelier, a polite Italian who lives in France, offered a 2009 Francois Villard Syrah, below, an unappellated Rhone wine which was an excellent overall accompanier to the dishes, a bit like a pair of chic shoes which go well with everything.

On the left, foie gras de canard confit, pain d'épices, gelée orange badiane (confit of duck foie gras, spice-bread and star anise orange gelée). Wow, all those spices next to the fattened liver was an inspired composition. On the right, sea bass carpaccio whose thinness and translucence, together with the colorful vegetable discs floating atop, gave me an impression of the sea itself.

Left: ravioli de joue de boeuf, feuilles de roquette, parmesan, sauge (beef cheek ravioli, arugula, parmesan cheese and sage). Excellent: savory, creamy, salty, with extremely tender beef cheek rillettes stuffed inside the pasta. Right: navarin d'agneau de Lozère, légumes d'hiver (stew of Lozère lamb with winter vegetables). Cold-day food, something I imagine would give comfort to those used to living through winters, but delicious enough for someone from the tropics like me.

Left: Noix de Saint-Jacques à la plancha, riz arroz bomba, jambon ibérique, sucs de persil (scallops grilled a la plancha, arroz bomba risotto, jamon Iberico and parsley). Right: lieu noir étuvé au thym citron, moules au curry, feuiles de tétragone (saithe or coalfish steamed with lemon-thyme, curried mussels and New Zealand spinach). All impeccable, faultless preparations.

Below: forêt noire (an architecurally prepared black forest cake).

Left: Poire et brioche caramelisees, sorbet citron-vanille (caramelized pear and brioche with vanilla-lemon sorbet). Right: perles du Japon, vanille, zestes de citron vert, sorbet ananas (Japanese tapioca, vanilla, lime zest, pineapple sorbet). When our waiter told us that he was serving us "Japanese pearls," we had to do a double-take: just tapioca pearls.

Left: some goat cheeses. On the right, some mignardises, including profiteroles.

A lunch special would set you back 58€, more dough than the newest restaurants such as Septime or Akrame charge, but still a good buy because it's four courses and includes wine and coffee. If you're a wine drinker, you'll end up spending at least that much at the other places after you add in your beverages. Unlike the lady of Paris I just made up in my mind, I didn't feel I was taken advantage of; quite the opposite, I felt a sort of giving spirit, a benevolence in this modern restaurant with its delicious, non-gimmicky food. Or maybe that was just the surprise extra glass of Rhone I received. No matter.

Across the street from the restaurant, my friends and I stumbled upon this quaint cheese store that carried some of the most enticing-looking fromages. We were so full by that point that it was impossible to think of more food, but be sure to visit it if you're in the area. Don't they look marvelous?

Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos‎
16 Avenue Bugeaud
75116 Paris, France
01 56 28 16 16


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