RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Experimental, whose first Parisian locale, Experimental Cocktail Club, helped put the city’s cocktail scene on the map, is ramping up a sleepy stretch of the Haut Marais with its latest chic hotel and the stylish restaurant inside, Temple & Chapon.
The Vibe: Part Mad Men, part Midnight in Paris, Temple & Chapon feels as cinematic as it does fundamentally Parisian. Interior architect Tristan Auer (behind Les Bains and Hôtel de Crillon) is known for elegantly executed extravagance, and this subterranean spot is no different. He’s illuminated the neo-Gothic beauty’s grand arches and draped a soaring, cathedral-like glass ceiling in sumptuous white flowing curtains. Silver candelabras sit atop tables ringed by intimate velvet booths.
The Food: Young French chef Mélanie Serre (formerly of Joël Robuchon in Monaco and Eden Rock St Barths) pays tribute to 1950s New York City chophouses with dishes designed to pair with dirty martinis (although the mostly French wine list is as much a hit as the cocktails). American classics are given a French sprucing up, with plates like oysters Rockefeller (one of the few spots you’ll find them in the city), grilled Breton lobster with chipotle pepper mayonnaise, and beef filet topped with pan-seared foie gras. Don’t debate dessert — the cheesecake is everything one misses about New York.
The Drink: Arrive early for a drink at the Hemingway-esque American Bar, modeled after New York staples like Raines Law Room and Attaboy. Sidle up to a stool, order the Benton’s Old Fashioned, and savor the bacon fat-washed bourbon before descending the grand staircase and entering an entirely different universe downstairs.
The Verdict: Temple & Chapon is a place you’ll want to linger all evening long. –Lane Nieset
→ Temple & Chapon (Haut Marais) • 116 rue du Temple • Tue-Sat 19h-00h, Sun 12h-16h • Book.