Café Max, generous French cuisine in this Resistance stronghold

This fall, chef Frédéric Vardon, who also heads the 39V airbus in the Golden Triangle, takes over from Valdo Riva and, in fact, the helm at Café Max, a small 28-seat estaminet with a last-century feel, red banquettes and zinc counter.

The history of Café Max goes back to the last century, during which it was a Mecca for the Resistance. This famous Parisian bistro, then known as Café Hélice, was run by Eugène Germain, a member of the French Resistance and former pilot who survived the First World War, who organized dances there that were particularly popular with the Germans.

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Every Thursday, the owner and his fellow resistance fighters would spy on the enemy using a transmitter hidden in the orchestra's accordion, passing on the information they gleaned to General de Gaulle in London! Renamed Café Max in honor of a member of the small group of spies who fought alongside Jean Moulin, the bistro went on to become a Parisian institution now frequented by businessmen from the Invalides and Ecole Militaire districts.

Here, the cuisine is both playful and generous, with the great French classics that have proven their worth over the centuries, prepared in the kitchen by chef Régis Letourneur. On the menu, you'll find mimosa eggs, crispy pig's ears (22€), razor clams sautéed in butter (16€), peasant terrine (13€), as well as a host of raw products, including charcuterie, to share with your guests.

The apple herring in oil (18€), prepared with the utmost care, is a hit; the white tuna ventrèche (58€), recommended for 2 to 3 guests - and it's easy to see why when you see the plate arrive, as it's so generous - is served on slices of freshly toasted bread.

To continue in the great French tradition, some will opt for the veal kidneys à la Normande (34€) or the Salers beef tartar cut, of course, with a knife (27€). For our part, we let ourselves be enticed by the timbale of macaroni au gratin with old Comté cheese (28€), underlined by a powerful chanterelle sauce, as the season obliges; and by the butcher's piece of the day, a Simmental entrecôte, sautéed potatoes and Béarnaise sauce (45€), of great tenderness, which could easily have satisfied two appetites.

There's no doubt that chef Frédéric Vardon was right to take over this Parisian institution. The regulars are not mistaken: they always turn up for lunch.