For someone who lives in the 11th, sandwiched between Bastille and Nation, dining out way over in the 16th arrondissement requires a bit of a trek. That said, Paris isn’t a very big city and some restaurants are worth a journey. Substance is one of those restaurants. Also, those who don’t live here will inevitably find themselves in the area anyway as it neighbors the Palais de Tokyo, the YSL Museum, and Trocadero among a handful of other tourist-friendly hotels and high-end boutiques.
Opened in 2018, this corner restaurant with an early-aughts, modern interior of crushed navy velvet and black marble tabletops shines a light on young chef Matthias Marc who comes from the Jura region. Relatively unknown until 2021, when he appeared (and thrived) on Season 12 of Top Chef France, the not-yet-30-year-old is now big news in the capital.
In the evening, the offer here consists of a tasting menu of 5, 7, or 9-courses. Since I know five really means at least seven (with amuse bouche and other intermezzos) my friend and I went with five, which was smart because one dish was tastier than the next, so by the time No. four came around, we were shifting pants buttons and all, “There’s only dessert left, right…?”