La Datcha is dead, welcome Chez Clo! In place of what had long been the Ukrainian-flavored table of chef Maksym Zorin (who left to pursue new adventures at Bonhomme), a new restaurant has just unveiled its strongest cards: affordable bistronomic cuisine, expansive spaces, and a laid-back, friendly lunch atmosphere that turns more and more electric at dinner.
Behind this name, a tribute to his mother Claudie, hides the restaurateur Jordan Corrette. And to honor the heritage of this woman \"solaire, rieuse et généreuse\", the man behind it notes that the venue rests on an almost exclusively feminine team.
Starting with the head chef, chef, Justine Audoin, trained at Ferrandi, whose French-leaning cuisine highlights the season’s best seasonal produce carefully sourced from a network of committed producers, and the plant-based element that undeniably has its say in every plate — there’s always a vegetarian dish on the lunch menu.
Another powerhouse here is musician and DJ Marine Neuilly, who oversees the artistic direction of Chez Clo. Because while the ground floor is all about tasting, upstairs, after dark and with the candles lit, the vibe changes completely. Vinyl DJ sets, small shared plates, and cocktails to toast into the wee hours—the evenings are shaping up to be wild.
Perhaps a touch less than the scenes staged here at the dawn of the last century, since, according to the staff, the venue once housed a brothel before turning into a café in the 1970s — as witness a Art Deco mirror with a tarnished surface. People who remember those years are still fixtures here, eager to drop by for a coffee and reminisce about the good old days.
The lunch is less showy than dinner, revealed through affordable formulas for every budget: €22 for the starter/main or main/dessert menu, €25 for the full menu, to pick from two starters, two mains and two desserts that change each week. Prices far more affordable than the Datcha of its time, but the cooking is also simpler, less fussy.
On our visit, we kicked off with courgettes and bottarga and falafels, smoked yogurt and green harissa as starters; vegetarian lasagnes - artichoke, peas, ricotta, mint - and a ramson-garlic aioli with generous chunks of black cod and clams for the main courses; and for dessert, a panna cotta with white asparagus and strawberries, plus an affogato with melilot ice cream and streusel fragments to finish on a light note.
A deceptively simple cuisine, or perhaps simply delicious!
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
Clo’s Place
62 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud
75011 Paris 11
Official website
cloparis.com
