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Osteria Goto (11th arr)

RESTAURANTS • First Word

The Skinny: Fashion and food have always been simpatico. Perhaps that’s why Osteria Goto, a Venetian restaurant from an Italian husband-and-wife team who work in fashion (but grew up around food), works so well.

First-time restaurateur Francesco La Porta got the idea to open a place in Paris during les vacances, after assisting his sister at her seasonal restaurant in Venice. “We were missing this part of life,” La Porta says.

The Vibe: A former florist shop that’s been given a glow-up courtesy of vintage wooden furniture, lamps draped in lace napkins, and colorful bathroom tiles. The atmosphere is super playful, with little stones imprinted with dried flowers left on each setting, and a vintage bathroom mirror surrounded by colorful tiles that’s ripe for selfie-taking.

The Food: When our group of six took over half the sidewalk out front on a July evening this summer, we obsessed over the quirky, succinct menu featuring an illustration of a clown carrying an overflowing wine bottle. As pronounced as the flavors are, they’re also clever, with the likes of squid arancini wrapped in seaweed, onigiri-style, and sardines served like satay. Much of the menu reflects the season, so expect watermelon with heirloom tomatoes and burrata in July and grilled asparagus topping crostini in April. And when the server suggests ordering at least one polpette for two people, listen.

The Drink: The unofficial rule of restaurant-ing in the 11th is that each spot must be natural wine-forward, and this restaurant obliges. There’s a large selection of Italian wines, such as a rustic red from Piedmont and a citrusy skin-contact orange from Veneto, but spritzes and negronis are there for apéro-on-the-terrace desires, too.

The Verdict: Acutely authentic. Order the entire menu, plus a bottle or two. –Sara Lieberman

→ Osteria Goto (11th arr) • 151 Boulevard Voltaire • Mon-Sat 18h30-00h, Wed-Sat 12h30-14h30 • Book.