Maria Belza, Basque cuisine on the Canal Saint-Martin

On the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin, not far from theHôpital Saint-Louis, the Maria Belza restaurant is an invitation to summer relaxation. Created by Benoît Mollet and Franck Guigault and named in homage to Biarritz's Rocher de la Vierge, Maria Belza is the new restaurant in Paris that celebrates the Basque region.

To immerse gourmets in a seaside atmosphere, the two friends called on decorator Daphné Desjeux, who trained at the Ecole Boulle. The restaurant's walls are tinged with light blue, dark blue and antique frames, while the shelves are adorned with vintage mirrors, rosaries and a statue of the Virgin Mary, whose soothing gaze overlooks the audience.

In the kitchen, then on the large tables, sharing and conviviality take center stage with tapas to be shared between guests. On the menu, the best products from the South-West:Ossau Iraty (€12.50) and Iberian ham (€12) are slipped into naughty, crunchy croquetas that we'd happily eat by the dozen, Caesar salad (€11) is transformed into a South-West style with smoked duck breast, and generously garnished pan con tomate (€7) parade across the table, accompanied by pimientos del Padron (€8).

Maria Belza is the ideal place for a good feast with friends, to discover the best that the Basque Country has to offer. Want more? Here you'll find plates of cochonailles and Basque cheeses (13€), semi-cooked foie gras (14€), the star of the menu, octopus a la plancha and its sauce vierge (13€), perfectly snacked and caramelized on the outside while still melting on the inside, or burrata and piquillos (13€) in which to happily dip.

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The restaurant also offers more imposing dishes to continue the Basque theme, with duck confit and eggplant parmesan (21€), pork chops with chorizo cream and Espelette pepper (24€), fish from the fish market and roasted vegetables (55€), as well as less Basque-influenced dishes, which are no less charming, but which take us away from our journey through the Basque region on foot and with our taste buds.

For dessert, some will fall for the Basque cake from the Pariès house (8€), of course, while others will be happy to help themselves to a glass of natural, biodynamic wine. A little piece of the South-West in Paris!

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