Paris has changed quite a bit in the eleven years I’ve lived here.
Some of the changes are things that I notice nearly every day, like how much easier it is to find vegetarian food or decent coffee or movies that are subtitled rather than dubbed. Others are not, like subtle changes in neighborhoods I nearly never visit.
In my first Paris life, I only ever went to Belleville for one thing: pho. My roommate and I would make the trek across the city – often when we found a cold coming on – and enjoy 7 euro bowls of steaming, savory broth and noodles. But with the exception of tours in Père Lachaise Cemetery, I don’t find myself in this neighborhood all too often these days.
So when I headed up on a recent weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to find how many fantastic foodie spots had opened here, including Mensae, perhaps the ideal iteration of the neo-bistro.
Neo-bistros make me happy for a number of reasons, first and foremost of which is that portions tend to be much more manageable than at classic bistros, meaning I can try more things. And in most neo-bistros, the quality is leaps and bounds ahead of that in your run-of-the-mill corner bistro, which makes the trying-of-more-things all the more sweet.
Case in point: at Mensae, I opted to order two appetizers in place of an entrée: a diminutive gazpacho and a super-fresh springtime salad with goat cheese.
The former arrived, first, as a bowl of cherry tomatoes, fresh veggies, and herbs…
… over which was poured the exquisitely seasoned gazpacho.
Yum.
The salad, meanwhile, was colorful and fresh, with rounds of multicolored carrots and radishes arranged over a delicious mound of fresh goat cheese.
My dining companion opted instead for tender Iberian pork with chanterelle mushrooms and black garlic. Divine!
And seeing as our dishes were the perfect size, we both went for dessert. (Unheard of in Emily-land, but yes, it happened.)
My eye was caught by the deconstructed strawberry pavlova, just sweet enough to highlight the natural flavor of the seasonal strawberries.
She, meanwhile, went for a rich, unctuous chocolate cream that even this chocolate-skeptical diner had to admit was pretty darn tasty.
The wine list features an interesting blend of bottles and glasses from small producers; we both grabbed a glass of a stellar viognier.
And I’m sure I’ll be back soon to see what the ever-changing seasonal menu features next.
Mensae -Â 23 rue Melingue – 75019