La Traversée: the refined neighborhood bistro and its jazz evenings, a stone's throw from Butte Montmartre

Just off the Butte Montmartre, on a lively street, you'll find La Traversée, an elegant neighborhood restaurant serving colorful, well-crafted dishes in a convivial atmosphere, sometimes accompanied by live jazz, for even more pleasure!

Whether you live near rue Ramey, just a stone's throw from the Butte Montmartre, or are looking for a pretty, friendly neighborhood bistro, you've just got to set foot in La Traversée! In this restaurant, which doesn't look like much from the outside and resembles so many others, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the dishes, made with fresh produce, but also by their originality. The length of the restaurant offers different atmospheres, with a more intimate back room with stone walls, a bar where you can find beer brewed nearby, and a piano, perfect for live jazz sessions.

If you like to dine to music, come and try the crossing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8pm, with musicians performing in front of you, a historic tradition kept alive by the new owners, the group Grand Nord. La Traversée offers a home-cooked menu that changes daily according to what's available and what's in season, for lunch and dinner.

In the evening, the spirit is one of aperitif, but also of discovery, and we invite you to try several dishes, the menu recommending two plates per person, depending on your appetite. Portions may seem a little small to the hungriest, but this depends above all on the dishes chosen, the gnocchi having more than satisfied us. All diets are catered for, but at the time of our visit, the restaurant was giving pride of place to fresh fish and seafood.

To begin with, we were treated to this sashimi of sea bream, accompanied by guacamole and strawberries, in a lively mix of colors. Served with refinement, this beautiful plate turned out to be very fresh and lemony, perfectly balanced, allowing every taste to express itself under the palate, between sweet and savory.

After this light surprise, our journalist from the south of France decided to try the octopus on the BBQ, a perfect way to smell the iodized sea air in the heart of the capital. Paired with a very mild fennel purée, the octopus delighted us with its very tender texture and strong braised side, contrasting with the crunchiness of the crumble and celery - divine!

As for our gnocchi dish, it was a symbol of the generous cuisine on offer at La Traversée, flavored with chestnuts, dipped in an abundant and delicious parmesan cream, and sprinkled with the same fruity Italian grated cheese. While the potato and chestnut, with their light hazelnut flavor, go well together, the parmesan brings all the pleasure of the dish, for a textured, velvety whole.

If our stomachs hadn't been full after these dishes, we'd have set our sights on the Morteau sausage croquettes with cancoillotte, which seemed quite comforting. These inventive and colorful"tapassiettes" are mouth-watering, and can be accompanied by a good craft beer, a natural wine or a refreshing lemonade, before finishing with a gourmet dessert of brioche perdue, chocolate ganache or vanilla poached pear!

It's the perfect way to treat yourself to a little culinary pleasure at a good price, with plates starting at 10 euros, in a new-generation Parisian bistro that makes you want to come back again and again!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.