P'tit bon: the friendly and delicious modern French bistro in Paris's 9th arrondissement

Nestled not far from the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est railway stations, there's a restaurant that's well worth a visit. The name? P'tit bon. Camille and Maxence are behind this modern bistro with its sophisticated offerings. Both have worked at Le Mojo, in the 17th arrondissement. While Maxence titillated customers' taste buds in the kitchen as second-in-command, Camille was in charge of service in the dining room. After a great experience in the house, Camille and Maxence finally decided to embark on a new adventure together: the opening of their first address in Paris. In September 2024, they opened P'tit bon in the 9th arrondissement, in place of L'Elan. A lively district that Camille knows well.

And while some entrepreneurs have no choice but to embark on interminable renovations, the very friendly duo reclaim an impeccable premises. Camille and Maxence add their own little touch of decoration to the thirty-seat room, with a few bottles of wine above the open kitchen and behind the bar, dried flowers on each wooden table, not forgetting these canvases featuring the famous"Gros Bonhommes" by Guillaume Ledoux, painter and singer with the group Blankass.

A friendly atmosphere that augurs well for the tasting experience. And that's exactly what you get when you discover P'tit bon's tempting menu. Here, everything is homemade, with seasonal produce, and as far as possible from local suppliers.

The menu is short, too. Which is just what we like. If you'd rather have a long list to choose from, then skip it. At P'tit bon, the opposite is true. The duo offers a choice of three starters, 5 main courses - including one fish and one vegetarian - and three desserts, including an assortment of cheeses.

That evening, during our visit, we opted for THE house specialty: the famous pâté en croûte, made with love and talent by Maxence. Made with a stuffing of poultry (70%) and pork (30%), dried apricots, cauliflower pickles and fresh herbs, it's easy to see why this appetizer is a permanent fixture on the menu. A real treat for lovers of classic French cuisine!

Opposite, a starter that also deserves praise: the soft-boiled egg, delicately placed on melting green cabbage, accompanied by generous pieces of haddock, bread croutons and a succulent smoked cream, made from haddock trimmings to avoid food waste.

The tasting continues with a generous and delicious vegetarian plate, featuring pan-fried market vegetables, cooked spelt and sage chips. Here again, the taste experience is a pleasure, with perfectly cooked winter vegetables, sometimes melting, sometimes crunchy. A special mention for the beautiful presentation.

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On the other, we fall for the Charolais beef sirloin steak, weighing around 200g. A subtle touch for this dish, and for the other two meats on the menu (duck and Normandy prime rib). You can choose your own accompaniment and sauce. For our part, we opt for the pan-fried seasonal vegetables and the memorable homemade gravy, which sublimates the flank steak to perfection.

To accompany these dishes, P'tit bon boasts an attractive wine list, featuring vintages from Bordeaux, Burgundy and Languedoc-Roussillon. For those with a taste for clever beverages, the house also makes a number of signature cocktails, such as the " Chartreuse Mule ".

How could we end this tasting without sampling P'tit bon 's desserts and the famous chou craquelin? Placed side by side, right in front of Maxence in the kitchen, they've been winking at us since the start of the meal. We're not going to lie to you. This is one of the best chou we've tasted. The choux pastry is delicious and the cracker is to die for. Inside, we love the creamy Madagascar vanilla crème montée. To top it all off, Camille delicately pours a succulent pecan praline and a few caramelized pecans right before our eyes. This dessert is such a hit with customers that the duo decided to keep it on the menu, making it their signature sweet, with seasonal variations.

But if you'd prefer to end on a lighter, sweeter note, P'tit bon will also tempt your taste buds, with a fruity Pavlova for example, made with a crisp meringue and a mango/passion brunoise, and a passion fruit gel.

With its simple, yet perfectly executed French cuisine, its modern, generous and incredibly gourmet plates, P'tit bon achieves a faultless performance, from starters to desserts. A guarantee of quality, the restaurant already boasts a number of regulars, particularly at lunchtime, when customers can enjoy the " menu du moment " (a unique menu on the slate), which changes twice a week.

With such assets and a warm, friendly welcome, there's no doubt that P'tit bon will quickly become one of the finest French restaurants in the 9th arrondissement!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.