Cavalieri, Bruno Verjus' sunny restaurant

Just a few months after winning a second Michelin star for his Table restaurant in the 12th arrondissement, chef Bruno Verjus unveils a new bistronomic project alongside owner Marcel Benhamou: the opening of Cavalieri, in Paris's chic 16th arrondissement.

Behind the stoves, Bruno Verjus has installed a man he trusts, executive chef Cristian Stradaioli and his pastry chef brother Kevin Stradaioli. A family affair, then, with a focus on Mediterranean cuisine with bistronomic accents.

Like a journey around the Mediterranean, Cavalieri 's menu features sun-drenched dishes fromSpain to Italy, via the South of France. But it's in Greece that the Michelin-starred chef draws most of his inspiration, which evolves with the seasons.

We have to admit: the fear of a frontman chef who would simply sign the menu crossed our minds. But we soon forgot and buried the feeling when we tasted the dishes, for Chef Verjus offers us a veritable voyage of colors, with the finest and finest products he has unearthed at the center of the plate, and sublimated by the technique of Chef Cristian Stradaioli.

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Seated at the counter in a warm, luminous setting, a real ray of sunshine, the tasting begins with the discovery of the raw products that are then used in the dishes: Santona anchovies matured in salt for 18 months (12€), Capricho beef cecina (22€), ultra plump Kalamata olives (9€), half-cooked, half-cooked, barely smoked sardines (18€), tarama from the House, beautiful and good in all simplicity. A Cavalieri cocktail (gin, white martini, St-Germain, lime, pineapple juice; 17€) is the perfect accompaniment.

Lunch continues with the finest meats and fish: red tuna ventrèche grilled like a pepper steak (34€), lamb rolled in wild herbs and olives, roasted with patience (36€), guinea fowl roasted with garlic and fresh rosemary (29€), Galician cow rib (58€).... In the end, we opt for the veal tartare, subtly seasoned, and for the delicate, just-grilled fish of the day, accompanied by coconut beans and sunny vegetables, topped with a perfect virgin sauce.

Too bad for us, there's no room left for pastry chef Kevin Stradaioli's creative desserts, some of which, rather experimental, were really tempting. But we'll definitely try this tiramisu with Linosa capers (€18) and this chocolate mousse with sweet chili cream and candied olives (€14) one day!