On the way from Washington DC, via Frankfurt, to Bordeaux, for the Bordeaux Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours, we spent one night (Sunday) in Paris. Sunday dinner is always difficult in France. At the recommendation of Dirk Eisel, we went to Clamato, the fish-based sister restaurant of Restaurant Septime. 

 

Clamato and Septime are next door to each other in the cool and hip Oberkampf district near Bastille, Rive Droite.

 

Clamato does not take reservations. Open Sunday evening. We arrived at 6pm and got 2 seats at the bar at 7pm. 

 

See also:

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

 

 

 

Conveniently, there are a couple of wine bars in the quarter where you can wait while having your apperitive. One of them is Septime La Cave, the third project of Bertrand Grébaut in the quarter and just around the corner. 

 

We took the apperitive at the L'Incognito wine bar on the other side of the street, which focuses on natural wines (in the French sense, i.e. with low sulfur).

 

Pictures: L'Incognito and Septime La Cave

 

 

Yes, one of the best restaurants in Paris is named after a tomato-clam juice mix that is sold at WalMart. Which makes sense, as it’s probably America’s greatest export. Owned and operated by the very same people behind Septime, Clamato is another must-have restaurant experience. The menu is almost entirely made up of food from the sea, and every dish is a perfect example of simplicity and creativity coming together to make an impression you won’t forget. It’s a great spot for dinner, but we also like it for lunch on a day in which you have few other plans. Get a bottle of something sparkling (and natural of course) and start with a dozen oysters and whatever else looks fresh.

 

 

Michelin-starred chef Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat's no-reservations seafood house is so new, the folks rushing past it to Septime, their hyped sister restaurant next door, have no idea it even exists—yet. The decor at Clamato is understated yet warm—wood-planked ceiling, brick bar with high stools, reclaimed-wood tables—while the sharing-plates menu, which changes daily, is modern and refined. Arrive early—sevenish—to get a seat, and order a rosemary gin and tonic or a glass of Cornelissen rosé to accompany your Maldon oysters, followed by smoked eel and lentils, or scallops dressed up with endive and orange. DON'T MISS: The octopus carpaccio with grapefruit pulp and anchovy.  

 

Pictures: Dinner at Clamato

The Septime’s little sister is becoming something of a bistronomic hit, thanks to its fashionable interior and concise menu focused on seafood and vegetables. Each ingredient is selected carefully and meals are served in a genuinely friendly atmosphere. No bookings are taken – it's first come, first served!

Bertrand Grébaut/ Septime/ The best Chef Awards

Born in Paris, Bertrand Grébaut is a chef who combines his two great passions: graphic design and cooking.

“I did not grow up in this environment, but I come from a family where the culture of goodness and taste existed. My mother cooked a different dinner every evening, part of my family is a winegrower in Bordeaux. I turned to graphic design after passing my baccalaureate in the continuity of graffiti”

Following his first experiences at Bernard Pineau in 2004, then at the table of Joël Robuchon in 2005, Bertrand Grébaut found himself under the leadership of Alain Passard in the kitchens of “L’Arpège”, before joining the restaurant “L ’Agapé’ in 2006, a restaurant that quickly received a Michelin star.

“My cuisine has evolved over the years, but I would say that it is above all sustainable, very plant-based, both contemporary and very imbued with French traditions.”

Barely after having passed the quarter of a century, Bertrand Grébaut chose to take a new direction in his life as a cook andd it was to Asia that the Parisian of origin took off on a culinary journey. Determined to open his own restaurant, Bertrand Grébaut returned to France in 2010 and finally opened “Septime” in 2011 in the heart of the capital.

“We must stop the parallel between cooking and art!”

With a name inspired by the film “Le Grand Restaurant” with Louis de Funès, “Septime” is a restaurant where haute cuisine is democratized at affordable prices. There are also, inevitably, some graphic touches for the pleasure of the eyes. 

As Head Chef of bijou bistro Septime, Chef Bertrand Grébaut has brought modern French cuisine to the 11 Arrondissement of Paris.

“We try to make a cuisine of our time, vegetable and, despite everything, steeped in tradition. “

Pictures: Dinner at Clamato

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