Born of a family affair, Tentazioni is the brainchild of two Sicilian brothers, Daniele and Francesco. Wishing to bring their native flavours and traditions back to their adopted city, Paris, the two brothers created Tentazioni in 2010, a small restaurant where they shared planks and antipasti, with some to take away.
The success of this first restaurant led to the opening of a second, then a third... and in a few months' time, a fourth! We went to try out the restaurant on rue Lepic, a concentrate of Italy, from the decor to the plate!
Sicily being the country of choice, there's a lot of fish on the menu (tuna, octopus, sardines, swordfish, etc.). So let yourself be tempted by a carpaccio of fresh octopus (15.8€) and "Sarde a beccaficu", delicious roasted sardines accompanied by sweet oranges (12.5€). Then, on Francesco's good advice, we continue with linguine with Brittany clams and Sicilian tomatoes (16.8€) and veal involtini stuffed with Caciocavallo (an Italian cheese) and ham (18.5€). Finally, we try Francesco's own homemade ice cream (8.9€ a cup): a real treat!
Beyond the fact that it's a great place to eat, we love the fact that Tentazioni is a departure from the typical Parisian Italian restaurant serving little more than pizza and pesto pasta. Here, there's not a four-cheese pizza in sight, and above all, the recipes are authentic and different from what we're used to. The menu also changes with the seasons, and every week you'll find a starter, main course and dessert of the day.
Our only criticism is that the service is rather long, so don't bother if you're in a hurry! But after all, perhaps it's also an invitation to take your time...
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
Location
Tentazioni
86 Rue Lepic
75018 Paris 18
Official website
www.facebook.com
More information
Other addresses: 26 Rue Tholozé (18th) and 35 rue Veron (18th). Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to midnight.
