It was in 2012 that Delphine Zampetti converted a former horse butchery into a sandwich shop known for top-notch baguettes stuffed with everything from raw milk cheese to Prince de Paris ham. I fell hard for the original, but it had been a while since I’d returned – so long, in fact, that her former second in command, Tiphaine Moindrot, has taken the reins. So I decided to stop in and see if it was still worthy of the hype.
The menu of options here is dominated by the sandwiches. You can build your own, with filling options including Prince of Paris ham, chorizo, Saint-Nectaire, or Fourme d’Ambert; choose one ingredient for 5.70 or two ingredients for 6.30. This is a pretty big steal, especially considering the top quality of the ham and butter here. For the best classic sandwich parisien, there’s really nowhere better.
On this visit, I sampled one of the cuisinés, which are a bit more involved and thus a bit more expensive. Smoky Morteau sausage might be paired with gribiche and pickled cabbage (8.10), while Prince of Paris ham could come with the house-made tortilla and guindillas (8.10). The eggplant with olive tapenade, feta, and lettuce (8.60) was very tasty, with perfectly cooked aubergine and a generous amount of tapenade.
I couldn’t resist a slab of the tortilla too (5.60). Perfectly set on the outside and still runny within, it was pretty close to perfect. While I found it a touch underseasoned, I can see how it would have paired perfectly with ham.
There are also loads of salads on offer on any given day, sold by weight. I gave in and ordered the tomato-nectarine (36/kilo) despite neither being in the height of its season yet and was nevertheless rewarded with a bright, zingy salad subtly flavored with verbena.
The last of the season’s peas went perfectly with a jumble of multicolored carrots and just enough feta cheese seasoned with marjoram (40/kilo).
The haul cost 25 euros, which I’d have no problem paying at all to eat on-site – and there are indeed a few stools along the counter if you’d rather perch and eat. For a picnic, however, the prices prove a bit tough to swallow, especially given the prevalence of good – and even some great – sandwiches at your corner boulangerie. That said, the quality of the ingredients and abundance of choice still makes this spot a commendable choice in my book.
Chez Aline – 85. rue de la Roquette, 75011