Staying power
Mandoobar, best vegetarian-friendly restaurants, 16th arr listings, Bon Georges, Dampierre, Fruttini, Restaurant Christophe HAY, MORE
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
Rare balance
The Backstory: Chef Kim Kwang-Loc’s intimate Mandoobar offers a thoughtfully crafted lunch inspired by Kwang-Loc’s early experiences in Korea. The space is relatively small, and each table’s limited to one hour at lunchtime, but that turns out to be just enough for an efficient staff to guide you through the concise menu.
The Experience: With its open kitchen and deep wooden counter, the space is perfectly suited for a relaxing lunch, where conversation blends seamlessly with working chefs’ hypnotic preparations and friendly staff attending to tables. While seating at the counter often means sacrificing both knee and plate room, large wooden high chairs let you enjoy the comfort of a table with the theatrics of dining at the counter.
Mandoobar boasts a short, impactful menu. To start, towers of bamboo steaming baskets arrive filled with luscious silky dumplings. The recipes are fairly classic, but I’d go to great lengths for the flawlessly executed kimchi mandu. Mains are limited to a choice of tartares — beef, sea bream, tuna, or mackerel —- all herb-laced, vibrant, and elegant. Two sides are on offer: a seasonal vegetable salad brightened by passion fruit and yuzu, and a beautifully cooked bowl of rice. For dessert, a selection of homemade ice cream scoops made from seasonal fruits, each offering refreshing, unexpected twists on otherwise familiar flavors.
To drink, there’s a selection of Korean wines and fermented teas, with unique pairings to complement each dish. The tea is served in multiple infusions throughout the meal, gradually mellowing to match the flavors of each course.
Why it’s FOUND: Having recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, Mandoobar is the rare gem that continues to offer the perfect trifecta of a lunch: comfort, sophistication, and a quick turnaround. –Candice Chemel
→ Mandoobar (8th arr) • 7 Rue d'Edimbourg • Tue-Sat 12h-15h & 17h30-23h • Book.
PARIS WORK & PLAY LINKS: Inside David Hockney’s blockbuster show at Fondation Louis Vuitton • In the Latin Quarter, a good meal at La Table de Colette • Chatting with Wine Scholar Guild’s director about how to enjoy French wines • Inside a gorgeous hotel particulier that just listed for 15M € near Arc de Triomphe • What to wear in Paris in the spring.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Restaurants, vegetarian-friendly
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of the best in Paris and surrounds. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or email found@foundparis.com.
Tekès (3rd arr), Middle Eastern-inspired vegetarian dishes, vibrant atmosphere, perfect for a birthday party or big gathering on their patio
Faubourg Daimant (10th arr, above), chic vegetarian bistro offering serving ‘cuisine bourgeoise’ w/ locally-sourced ingredients
Le Doyenné (Saint-Vrain), countryside gem just outside Paris, daily changing on-site-farm-to-table menu w/ excellent vegetarian option
Le Daily Syrien Veggie (10th arr), stuffed grape leaves, falafel platters, deeply flavorful and affordable
F.I.E.F. (11th arr), champions local, sustainable produce w/ 4-course vegan menu
Soya (11th arr), long-standing favorite on Paris vegetarian scene, known for hearty fare like lasagna, curries, grain bowls
Datil (11th arr), elevated plant-based restaurant by chef Manon Fleury, vegetarian tasting menu option
Sapid (10th arr), refined vegan and vegetarian dishes by Alain Ducasse
Plan D (10th arr), casual vegetarian sandwich and ice cream spot by same owners as Faubourg Daimant
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Three apartments for sale in the 16th arr:
→ Penthouse with terrace (16th arr) • 1BR/1.1BA, 77 m2 • Ask: 1.995M € • compact, 4-room penthouse near Place Jean Monnet • Annual property taxes: N/A; annual maintenance fees: 4740 € • Agent: Junot Victor Hugo.
→ Garden-level apartment (16th arr) • 3BR/2.3BA, 242 m2 • Ask: 4.15M € • Haussman-style co-op near Ave Victor Hugo with dining area opening onto terrace and garden • Annual property taxes: N/A; annual maintenance fees: 6580-8960 € • Agent: Groupe Saint Ferdinand.
→ Third floor apartment (16th arr, above) • 3BR/2BA, 160 m2 • Ask: 5.25M € • furnished apartment with Eiffel Tower, Trocadero Garden, and Seine views • Annual property taxes: N/A; annual maintenance fees: 9120 € • Agent: Geoffrey Benoit, John Taylor.
WORK • Friday Routine
Nip tuck
ANTONI CALMON • cosmetic doctor • Dr Antoni Calmon Clinics
Neighborhood you live in: 9th arr
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m an Aesthetic Doctor working between Paris and London, and on Thursday mornings, I arrive at my clinic on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, just behind the Grand Palais. Appointments start in 15 minutes. My whole team is buzzing, getting the day’s products ready, making sure nothing’s missing, and that everything’s neatly organized for our first patients’ arrival. The clinic is filled with the scent of figs and coffee, thanks to the steaming coffee machine and freshly switched-on fragrance diffusers.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Every day is different. Until 8pm, I’ll be seeing a variety of patients with unique needs. No two days are alike since I try to tailor treatments to each person while preserving their individuality. This keeps the day dynamic, and far from monotonous. Today’s little surprise is that around noon, the brasserie downstairs, Le Victory, will bring me their dish of the day, which I’ll have to scarf down quickly between patients.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Tonight, I’m having dinner at Bon Georges on rue Saint-Georges right near my place, with my friend Billal Taright, a photographer visiting Paris. They serve only seasonal produce and the best meats, handpicked daily by the owner. I’ll need to pace myself, though, because in a few days, I’m dining at La Monnaie de Paris at Guy Savoy’s place — preparing to savor liters of artichoke soup with those delicious buttery brioches for dipping. This is a little treat I indulge in occasionally, to give both my spirits and my stomach a boost.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I recently visited the Vincennes Zoo for the first time and was captivated by the intelligent and beautiful landscape design by the talented Jacqueline Osty. She created this effect of surprise and sudden shifts in atmosphere within a small space, and it’s brilliantly done.
Any weekend getaways?
This weekend, I’m heading to the countryside in Champagne, to Dampierre. It’ll be a chance to reconnect with my dad and old friends, go over endless renovation plans, and dream up millions of little new projects. Sunday will also be an occasion to have lunch at L’Assiette de la Vallée de l’Aube, where Agnès, the owner, serves up the best products from her garden with military precision.
What was your last great vacation?
My last getaway was a refreshing little escape in August to Kent and Derbyshire, exploring the stunning and unrivaled English countryside — Cliveden House’s magnificent park, the fabulous flower gardens of Gravetye Manor, Knepp’s restored natural beauty, and the breathtaking Art Deco architecture of Eltham Palace.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A set of 18th-century Sèvres porcelain figurines, depicting ancient deities, to add a touch of elegance to the dinner tables at my countryside place.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Aside from the manicure-pedicure salon on rue Victor Massé near my place, where for €40, you get a full hands-feet treatment plus a reflexology massage, I’d also recommend the Galerie Chenel on the Seine’s banks — a mini-Louvre for sale, where you can wander among antique marble works. Or perhaps Olivier d’Ythurbide at the Saint-Ouen flea market — the best for 18th-century objects!
CULTURE & LEISURE • Like to Party
Paris FC v SC Bastia • Stade Charlety (13th arr) • Fri @ 18h • basse, 50 € per
Burna Boy • Stade de France (Saint-Denis) • Fri @ 20h • cat1, 129 € per
Nick Waterhouse • Theatre Zingaro (Aubervilliers) • Sat @19h • cat1, 39 € per
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop
Sweet treats
The Skinny: Opened in January, the second location of Fruttini brings its creative trompe l’oeil sorbets to the Right Bank, just a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées.
The Vibe: A jewel box of a space welcomes guests to comfortably linger on soft dark green and white banquettes lining green marble tables. It’s an upscale shop with prices to match the chic space.
The Food: Visually stunning, these elevated “fruit givrés,” (sorbet-filled fruits) are meant to evoke the owners’ childhood treats of the 1980s. The magic is in choosing the best fruit available, harvesting their pulp and blending it only with mineral water and organic sugar, re-creating the original shape of the fruit, and filling them with mind-blowing sorbet. Irresistible.
Lemons and limes, clementines and kumquats, lychee and passion fruit, apples and pears, plus mango, pineapple, big cacao pods, and small dates are staples. Seasonal fruits like nectarines and plums and apricots make appearances, too, at the height of their ripeness.
The Verdict: A little larger than its other location (and with a bathroom), the Right Bank Fruittini delivers unique, high-quality frozen sweet treats for all seasons. –Andra Zeppelin
→ Fruttini (16th Arr) • 3 Avenue Victor Hugo 75016 • Walk-ins only, delivery possible.
GETAWAYS • Loire Valley
Chateaux living
Restaurant Christopher Hay sits on the second floor of the Hôtel Fleur de Loire, a Relais & Chateau property, originally built in the 17th century. Hay, who owns the entire complex, aspires to take his dining guests on a seated journey through the terroir of the Loire Valley.
Seasonal vegetables from celery root to salad greens and sweet potatoes are grown on the property, and the menu’s wagyu beef is raised by his team. Other local products ranging from fish to a variety of cheeses grace the menu. Highlights include black truffle with pressed kale, pain de siegle, and sauce ivoire (a variation of the sauce supreme) and an updated, daring lièvre à la royale (braised whole hare). The dishes are elaborate without being exhaustive, the general approach less gilded than one of eco-responsibility, sustainability, and localism (hard to find local wines like Les Jardins de Babylone from local legend Didier Dagueneau make for fabulously unique pairings).
The best seat in the house is the chef’s counter, with the special menu offered there (from 180-260 € per plus pairing). Should you wish to spend the night, the hotel in which the restaurant operates offers 44 modernly appointed rooms, suites, and villas, along with an expansive Sisley spa. Room rates start at 180 €/night. –Andra Zeppelin
→ Restaurant Christophe HAY (Loire Valley) • 26 Quai Villebois Mareuil • Thu-Mon 12h30-13h30, 15h30-21h30 • Book.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Capturing the first flight in Air France’s new La Premiere on video • SAS bringing back European Business Class on short-haul flights • Mandarin Oriental assumes management of Left Bank’s Hôtel Lutetia • Lifestyle group Miiro opens its first London hotel in Templeton Garden • The Orient Express’s first hotel debuts in Rome • In Prague, anticipated new Brutalist hotel Fairmont Golden Prague begins welcoming guests.
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