Pantobaguette, an aesthete's haven combining Basque and Korean flavors in the 18th arrondissement

After Animal Kitchen at Point Ephémère and the guinguette EP7, independent label Animal Records returned in 2021 with a new project combining food and music: Pantobaguette, in the 18th arrondissement. Over the past four years, chefAntonin Girard 's restaurant, a graduate of the Ecole Ferrandi, has been a favorite in the neighborhood, quickly establishing itself as the place to eat, drink and listen to good music on the turntable.

This summer, Pantobaguette is undergoing a change with the arrival of a new chef, Rodolphe Graffin. With 33 years under his belt, a meeting with Antonin that led to the revelation of his love for cooking, and a host of projects later (Le Point Éphémère, EP7, Ventrus), he is now at the helm of Pantobaguette's kitchens.

Here, he unveils a cuisine inspired by his trip to Asia, which took him from Seoul (at the Vinvin gourmet restaurant) to Nagano via Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok, where he organized a series of pop-ups under the aegis of Pantobaguette. While founder Antonin Girard is never far away, Rodolphe Graffin now has carte blanche in the kitchen.

With its decor halfway between Tokyo's izakaya and Madrid's tapas bar, the establishment is open to the world. Naturally, this sweet Franco-Asian marriage is reflected on the menu, with inspirations drawn from Rodolphe Graffin's travels, memories, encounters and Sarthe roots.

With impeccable sourcing, Pantobaguette has won 3 Ecotable awards, from French producers, notably in Brittany, Camargue and Burgundy, and from Asian producers for exotic products.

Open Monday to Sunday from 7.30pm to midnight for dinner, Pantobaguette is also open from 12.30pm to 3pm on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There are already a number of must-tries to be tried with your eyes closed, on the chef's good advice: a generous slice of pâté en croûte with octopus & Iberian chorizo and its powerful land-sea jus (15€); and stunning pappardelle prepared with binchotan and gochujang sauce (16€).

And let's not forget the divinely regressive taiyaki with cecina (13€), the infinitely delicate shiso ravioli with smoked ricotta (the shiso leaves serve as containers!; 16€) and the millecrêpes Suzette with clementine jelly and triple sec (10€). A marriage without false note, generous in taste, with real attention paid to condiments and sauces.

The same is true of the drinks, and in particular the cocktails to be sipped on the terrace. We're happy to offer you a glass of natural wine, or a clever French-Asian concoction such as Milk Punck Rhumpompom (Sapio organic rum, ratafia, cider, apple, yellow lemon, yuzu, ginger, cardamom; €14).

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At lunchtime, the menu is shorter than at dinnertime, with low-price formulas (€20 starter/main course or main course/dessert, €23 starter/main course/dessert) that feature evening suggestions alongside dishes intended for lunchtime only, in particular a variation on taloa, a corn-based taco from the Basque region.

An address that lives up to its (very) good reputation!

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

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.