Da Franco

Had a very nice meal here. The pastas are clearly homemade. I had the pasta amatriciana and a glass of house red wine. Both were excellent. A perfect meal if you are trying to get some sleep to recover from jet lag. I don’t think anyone spoke English but they did speak Spanish.

After days of French food for both lunch and dinner, we opted for a change of pace on our last night in Paris. We went for Italian.
So we went to this restaurant which was highly recommended to us by a trusted Unilocal friend in Paris whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in person.
It must be a well-​loved local gem. Despite the fact that this restaurant was hidden in an obscure and narrow side street away from the vibrant section of Porte Maillot, people didn’t seem to have any trouble finding it. The place was completely full on a weekday evening and we managed to score the last available table inside.
The place was packed with almost all locals and French was the only language that we could hear. Our server also spoke French to us, so I conversed with him with my mediocre and often broken French and we got along just fine.
Spaghetti Puttanesca: Perfectly al dente spaghetti was tossed in a rich and tangy sauce made with fresh tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, among other goodies. It’s the perfect made-​from-​scratch sauce without a hint of canned stuff or tomato paste. An absolutely delicious and refreshing dish.
Scaloppine Alla Marsala: Thinly sliced veal cutlets were drowned in a sea of marsala wine sauce which was reduced nicely to give it a stimulating flavor and a rich aroma. The meat was so tender and the sauce was so yummy.
Pair that with a glass of good Chianti and you’ll think that Paris is a city in Italy.
The best has yet to come — the traditional Tiramisu, served in a bowl, was so smooth, so yummy, so heavenly. It was without a doubt the best Tiramisu that I’ve ever had.
Maybe Paris is indeed a city in Italy…

Après une pinte chez James Joyce, je cherche rapidement un resto pas trop loin, et tombe devant cet italien dont la carte est plutôt ordinaire. Je regarde les prix, les pâtes sont en moyenne à 15 €. Je vérifie la réputation sur internet, que des bonnes notes. Mon pote est ok, c’est parti.
Une fois à l’intérieur un serveur aussi gentil que commercial nous accueille. Mais d’abord on remarque une jolie Vespa exposée en face de l’entrée. Je né sais pas si elle avait quelque chose de spécial… pour né pas passer pour une touriste je n’ai pas osé l’examiner !
Du coup avec cette Vespa le décor vacille entre classique et kitsch.
Le serveur nous propose deux plats du jour: l’un est raviolis aux truffes, l’autre est spaghetti au thon. On est ok et prend ces deux plats du jour avec un carpaccio en entrée.
Le produit était frais et les plats étaient bons, mais pas transcendant. Il y avait des vrais morceaux de thon mais mes spaghettis n’était pas al dente, c’était un peu décevant.
Au final l’addition est plutôt salée: 15 € pour carpaccio, 22 € et 25 € pour les deux plats du jour (!), et une demi Leffe à… 7 € (!!).
Il n’est pas mauvais, mais à ce prix il y a mieux.

First– Thank you Unilocal!The reviews convinced us to give it a try! Unassuming little restaurant that exudes life and speaks with their food! Sat down and immediately noticed Lambrusco on the menu, «yes please!» it did not disappoint! After ordering, our very attentive waiter brought out some of the best bread I’ve ever had! The entrees took a bit longer than expected to come out– our waiter apologized– which has me thinking they messed something up. You can read this as a mistake, but to me it is a win if a kitchen won’t send out mistakes and cares about quality. The Franco Risotto was amazing– the smells, the flavors, awesome (I need to steal the recipe). The Lasagne was good as well; nothing to write home about, but very yummy. Overall this place is hidden gem and we will definitely return!

Wonderful food in a quirky atmosphere

Endroit sympathique !
J’apprécie cette endroit car resto italien car l’endroit est agréable, les serveurs charmants et surtout car les plats de pâtes sont excellents ! En couple ou en amis, cet endroit ravi toujours. Les prix paraissent un peu élevé mais après l’assiette on né regrette pas ! Les pâtes aux cèpes ou à la truffe sont vraiment les meilleures. Né pas hésiter à rentrer ! Avec mon mari c’est notre cantine.

Je recommande
Superbe petit resto italien, ambiance feutrée très classe, nourriture excellente avec un service en tout point remarquable… Je recommande vivement très bonne adresse.

This little tucked away Italian restaurant has been one of my hidden gems in Paris for years. There are probably only 12 tables in the entire place and it is virtually impossible to describe the décor which roams from over-​stuffed velvet to kitsch to Italian garage sale chic. As I said, impossible to describe… lol
What is easier to capture is the food which is always outstanding and in a city where you might need to take out a loan just to eat breakfast, its a pretty nice value (not cheap but you don’t leave feeling as though you way over-​spent).
The menu is authentic, the pasta is all home-​made and the wine selection is practical and delicious. I started coming here during the French Open a few years ago because it was close to one of the headquarters hotels where I was staying. I noticed immediately that all the Italian tennis players were going there. I figured I couldn’t have a better recommendation than that.
So if you ever find yourself in Paris and you’re looking for a nice meal in a romantic little spot, this is the place.

Très sympathique!
Le restaurant vient tout juste d’être rénové et les peintures sont à peine sèches mais l’accueil est charmant et les tarifs honnêtes …pour Paris! Antipasti offert; La cuisine est bien servie, simple mais de qualité, italienne typique. Bref, un bon moment.

Un restaurant italien de base
Un petit restaurant avec une petite terrasse en été qui est plutôt agréable quand la rue est calme. Les plats typiquement italiens (pour la plupart) sont de bonne qualité et plutôt bons, en particulier les plats de pâtes fraiches. Par contre, j’ai été un peu déçu par les desserts, qui sont réellement basiques. Le service est très agréable et le quartier justifie peut-​être des prix élevés pour un plat de pâtes pas très généreux…