I tend not to return to the same Parisian restaurants over and over again; the list of exceptions can be counted on one hand. But my first thought after visiting 11th arrondissement neo-bistro Massale last year was when I’d be back, and sure enough, less than a week later, I was. The flavors were on-point; the ambiance ideal. It quickly skyrocketed to the top of my list of my favorite restaurants in Paris. So when the team from Massale opened a second restaurant – Aglio e Olio – I knew it was only a matter of time before I paid it a visit. And friends, it did not disappoint.
If you’ve spent much time on this blog, you know that I’m not a huge fan of eating Italian food in restaurants. I grew up in an Italian-American family, and if it’s not a) reminiscent of my mom’s cooking or b) mind-blowing, I’m just not into it. Luckily, Aglio e Olio manages, if not the former (given its Roman accent and my Sicilian roots) definitely the latter.
Appetizers are fairly simple: the burrata that has been appearing on virtually every Italian (or even Italian-adjacent) menu in Paris for the past few years is served with some salad greens and a bright sprinkling of bottarga.
Yum.
Roman chef Andrea Maggi (ex-Massale) shines with this artichoke dish (even if he’s a little heavy-handed with the olive oil).
But the plat de résistance is the namesake pasta aglio e olio – made to share and seasoned not only with the requisite garlic and oil but chilli, fried herbs, and crispy garlic chips. It’s heavenly and moreish and served in an extremely generous portion that two of us could not polish off, as hard as we tried.
Much in the same vein as its older brother, Aglio e Olio offers a wonderful natural wine list, and given the Italian proclivity for excellent skin-contact natural wines, it’s truly heavenly – especially when paired with this plant-heavy cuisine. I’ve heard some complain about the high-ceilinged, industrial dining room, calling it cold, but frankly, if I can dine out in Paris without knocking elbows with a stranger, I call it a win.
Next up? A return visit to try the cacio e pepe that has me drooling all over my Instagram and the now-famous tiramisu. Does it rival my mother’s? Or mine? TBD… I can’t wait to let you know.
Aglio e Olio –5 Rue Guillaume Bertrand, 75011