Can Alegria: Mediterranean cuisine comes to Pigalle

If you like Mediterranean and exotic-inspired dishes, then discover Can Alegria as soon as possible. An excellent restaurant in the heart of the Pigalle district, this warm, gourmet venue is the brainchild of Marc-Antoine Colonna and Matthieu Lecomte.

For several years now, the Pigalle district has been undergoing a major transformation, with a steady stream of new cocktail bars and gourmet addresses.

One of the latest is Can Alegria. Behind this name, with its lilting accent, are two friends. On the one hand, there's Marc-Antoine Colonna. Originally from Corsica, he studied at the Ferrandi school and has a wealth of experience, notably with chef Nicolas Leclercq, Alain Ducasse and La Oliva in Ibiza. On the other, we have Matthieu Lecomte. After a career in the web, he entered the restaurant business with the acquisition of his first restaurant, Le Petit Village, located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.

Today, the two friends have thus become partners with the opening of Can Alegria, in spring 2018.

Featuring a beautiful, luminous decor signed by architect and decorator Elodie Ricord, the restaurant reveals warm, bluish colors and harmoniously combines bamboo and wicker mingled with velvet and brass.

On the menu, which changes on average every two weeks, Can Alegria pays tribute to Mediterranean and exotic cuisine, with dishes inspired by Spain, Lebanon, Israel and Latin America.

Starters include roasted cauliflower with spices, Mozzarella di Buffala with beet purée, Provoleta and trout ceviche with coconut milk.

For our part, we let ourselves be tempted by the two succulent veloutés available on the menu that evening: a velouté of mushrooms and semi-cooked foie gras, on the one hand, and a velouté of butternut, feta and chestnuts, on the other. Both creamy and spicy, this butternut velouté is a real favorite!

Mushroom and semi-cooked foie gras velouté

Butternut, feta and chestnut velouté

Let's move on to the main courses , with no fewer than seven proposals. The Chef's specialty? Low-temperature cooking with, for example, an incredible and memorable grilled octopus, cooked for 4 hours. Alongside this ultra-tender octopus, the Chef has cooked a savory sweet potato purée sublimated by herbs and plants - coriander and rosemary - making this dish even more marvelous.

Grilled octopus, sweet potato purée, coriander, rosemary

Another of the restaurant's star dishes? Lamb mouse, cooked for 7 hours with apricots and vegetables. Here again, our taste buds are won over by the incredible cooking, the succulent mustard, and the blend of flavors.

7h lamb mouse with apricots and vegetables

Other dishes include grilled sea bass fillet with ratatouille and sauce vierge, or morel chicken with risotto.

And to finish on a sweet note, rest assured that the restaurant also offers a number of desserts. Not suggested on the à la carte menu, they change daily according to the Chef's whims, and honor classic French desserts. On this particular evening, we opt for the divine and generous baba au rhum, followed by the creamy chocolate mousse.

Baba au rhum

To accompany these dishes, the restaurant offers some fifty different wines. Can Alegria has also come up with a number of creative cocktails, including the refreshing N°3 cocktail with gin, cucumber, St Germain liqueur, lemon juice and apple juice, and the fruitier N°1 cocktail with vodka, red fruit purée, lemon juice, vanilla liqueur and sugar.

In short, this is yet another Pigalle address that's a must-try, not only for its tasty, travel-inviting cuisine, but also for its warm, friendly atmosphere. The best part? The magnificent private dining room, nestled in the restaurant's basement, right next to the kitchens.

So, are you ready to discover the mouth-watering cuisine of Can Alegria?

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

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.