Bao Express, the Bao Family's restaurant x bakery x hidden bar in Paris

The Bao Family seems unstoppable, and for several years now has been opening restaurants as good as they are beautiful- Petit Bao, Gros Bao and Bleu Bao spring to mind! In this new year, the team of Céline Chung and Billy Pham has just opened a fourth devilishly naughty place in Paris... and this one is far from being just a restaurant!

Covering an area of 500m2 (!), just a stone's throw from the Place de la Bastille, the Bao Family fell in love with a former button factory, disused for over 20 years, and modernized in a vintage and retro 70's style by architects Tala Gharagozlou and Virginie de Graveron. Thus was born Bao Express, a pretty restaurant in the style of a Hong Kong diner with soft mint tones. But there's more to Bao Express than that: you're in for a real treat when it comes to Chinese flavors!

Open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. - perfect times for both early risers and late sleepers- Bao Express makes it a point of honour to satisfy the cravings of sweet and savoury eaters alike! From the street, gourmands and gourmets can discover Bao Bakery, a bakery where they can fill up on pineapple bao, airy bao buns topped with a cracker and available here in sweet (coffee/peanut, pineapple/lime, green tea/black sesame; 7€) and savory flavors (char siu pork stuffing; or à la parisienne with ham and comté cheese; 7€).

There's also plenty of room for the Maison's famous baozi and bao, which have made it such a success over the years, such as charsiu bao, vegetarian charsiu bao or vegetarian baozi with pumpkin and shiitake; as well as cookies (black sesame cookies!), which can be eaten in or taken away, while sipping a typical Hong Kong coffee milk tea, prepared on the premises, or a ginger latte.

Then it's off to the restaurant to discover what chef Grégoire Seguin has in store for us. And as each Bao Family restaurant has its own specialty, here the focus is on fried and steamed dim sum, with a fine selection of Chinese specialties including har gow, chinese spring rolls and siu mai, which can already be found on the menu of the group's other restaurants.

But also exclusive recipes such as ham sui gao (excellent little doughnuts made from glutinous rice dough and stuffed with a tasty mix of chicken, salted radish, shiitake and cebette; our favorite!), wontons filled with shrimp, water chestnuts and Chinese spring onion, and you tiao (ultra-crispy little doughnuts with shrimp).

Before heading off to discover The Underpool bar hidden in the basement, we fall head over heels for Bao Express's signature dessert, the fabulous Hong-Kong French toast, a deep-fried loaf filled with runny salted egg yolk; a little wonder.

After 7pm, it's time to discover what's hidden in the basement of Bao Express, the carefully concealed bar The Underpool, with its inverted pool look - take a look at the undulating ceiling made of mirrors and signed by artist Supakitch, you'll understand what we're talking about! Open until 2 a.m., this raw, minimalist bar unveils a menu of Chinese-influenced cocktails, straight from the mind of bartender Nicolas Lasjuilliarias.

So, go for the Rubis de Chine (campari, calvados infused with coconut oil and red vermouth), the Vert Pandan (vodka infused with granny smith apple, lime, Thai basil), the Jaune Maïs (bourbon buffalo trace, corn, clementine, gentian and yellow lemon), or the Noir Riz (rhum plantation 3 stars, algebra coffee liqueur, homemade black rice orgeat syrup, lemon, sumac, cardamom)?

Whether you're in the mood for Hong Kong-inspired Chinese pastries, baozi to eat at any time of day, traditional hot drinks , dim sum and other authentic specialties served straight from the cart, or a cocktail while enjoying a careful selection of music, you're bound to find everything you crave at Bao Express!

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink in moderation.

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, please drink responsibly.