La Cantine Farmers recently opened in place of La Cevicheria, at number 12 rue Martel. And if the name, with its sweet notes of hay, and the uncluttered decor, all beige and vegetal, lead you to believe that this is a restaurant where you can only eat dishes made from seeds, think again: this new address from The Social Club group and the Farmers family, which already has a coffee shop and an ice cream parlour in Paris, is much more naughty and gourmet than it seems.
Better still, this protean place is open every day from breakfast to afternoon tea, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a way of satisfying both sweet and savoury cravings, and serving as a refuge for telecommuters looking for a quiet place to work in peace and quiet, while still being able to indulge in a pastry, cookie, hot drink or freshly squeezed fruit juice.
So it's possible to get the day off to a good start with tempting pastries, led by cookies, but also with the complete dishes offered every day from the moment you wake up - scrambled eggs with herbs, toast, bacon or bottarga; pancakes topped with apple compote and maple syrup.
Or to be motivated enough by Sunday brunch to get out of bed without grumbling too much, with a formula that combines the great classics of the genre with small bistro dishes: brioche perdue with turmeric, perfect egg, creamed mushrooms, watercress pesto; artichoke cream, coffee crumble, mussels marinière; roasted leeks, ginger mayo, pomelos, almonds and preserved lemons; rice pudding, salted butter caramel and meringue slivers; and, of course, cakes and viennoiseries... Enough to whet the appetite!
At lunchtime, the menu is refined, revealing just 3 starters, 3 main courses and 3 desserts that change daily, with always at least one offering for vegetarians. Behind the stove, chef Thibault Eurin takes great pleasure in working with plants and simple, sometimes forgotten products, such as root vegetables.
Having worked in the kitchens of Parisian restaurants with a reputation for being devilishly meaty(Bien Elevé, Bien Ficelé), after having cut his teeth in Michelin-starred restaurants, the chef nevertheless attaches just as much importance to the flavour of his meaty dishes as he does to veggie dishes, as evidenced by these roasted carrots with honey and allspice, mimolette, black radish and nutmeg yoghurt ; or roasted celery with tandoori, celery-hazelnut condiment, oat flakes and butternut mousseline.
Proof, once again, that Parisian bistronomy is evolving more than ever, the Cantine Farmers is one of those new bistronomic addresses that refuse to be overpriced, offering its carefully prepared dishes generously served in lunch menus ranging from €21 for a starter-main course or main course-dessert to €26 for a starter-main course-dessert. You can't get much more affordable than that - this is Paris after all.
The result is one of the best dishes we've tasted this year, a veal tartare (+2€ on the menu), the ultimate melting pot, accompanied by crumbled fete, hazelnuts, broccoli tabbouleh and a stunning violet mustard; followed by half a duck breast (+3€ on the menu), served rosé as it should be, with a sweet potato purée so fine it melts, vegetable chips and a full-bodied jus.
For dessert, chef Thibault Eurin gets in on the act, with a modernized coffee éclair that's a real winner. We leave with the feeling that we've eaten good food for a more than reasonable price. An address to keep in mind if you're ever in the Strasbourg Saint-Denis area.
Location
La Cantine Farmers
12 Rue Martel
75010 Paris 10
Official website
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