Nana Bistro Thaï, the Franco-Thai restaurant at MK2 Quai de Loire

A small Thai bistro with a large covered and heated terrace facing the Bassin de la Villette, Nana is the brand-new restaurant at the MK2 Quai de Loire, offering French-Thai influenced cuisine from 9am to 12:30pm, 7 days a week.

Nathalie and Yin, who already ran Koko, a small Japanese bistro a stone's throw away from the MK2's former burger restaurant, chose to open this charming spot. With its exotic decor by Janreji Studio, Nana transports us thousands of kilometers from Paris into an exotic atmosphere, with rattan hanging baskets, vegetation that would make Parisians with green thumbs swoon, and vases in the shape of animal busts that caught our eye.

Before or after a movie at the MK2 Quai de Loire, or across the street at its sister venue, the MK2 Quai de Seine, Nana delights palates with simple yet masterful Thai cuisine that warms the body and the taste buds in this wintry season.

For even more conviviality, Nana has an attractive tapas menu to share with guests on the large table d'hôtes: a generous bowl ofedamame in a classic version (4€) or a spicy version (4.5€), chicken, vegetable or shrimp nems , light and crispy to perfection (6€), papaya salad (10€), Thai sausage with lemongrass (7€) or sea bream ceviche (11€), an appetizer filled with freshness and a thousand flavors, topped with mango, lots of coriander, lime, chili and spring onion.

To accompany all this, a dozen cocktails, made by the 3rd world cocktail champion Nido, can be found on the Nana menu, and they hold their own, like the Nana cocktail (Gin, apricot, lemon juice, coriander, lemongrass, roasted sesame oil; 12€) or the Tha Pae Market cocktail (Bourbon, spiced red wine, chai, lemon, egg white; 10€), available all day long alongside other beverages such as Maison Nana beer!

We continue with a dish from the semainier, which, as its name suggests, changes every week, and with an à la carte dish: on the one hand, a very generous Nana burger (16€) with flavors from elsewhere, with ground beef with Thai spices, pickles, matured cheddar, grilled bacon, coriander, red curry mayo and served with satay fries; on the other hand, a delicious chicken with green curry sauce, coconut milk, basil and lemongrass (14€) accompanied by stir-fried vegetables and rice, a dish that heats up the taste buds!

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On the chef's good advice - and despite our already full belly - we fall for one of the Thai-style desserts on the menu. Instead of the tempting hibiscus panna cotta (7€) and matcha French toast (10€), we prefer the delicate rice pudding with pandan and coconut (7€), ideal for a sweet finish!

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.