Machizo, poetic and refined cuisine by chef Masatsugu Takahashi

Tucked away on a side street a stone's throw from the Bataclan, Machizo is the discreet address of chef Masatsugu Takahashiaka Taka 'Machizo', a childhood nickname coined by his sister, who gives his name to this first Parisian table - in fact, his second establishment after Tako, a Japanese street food micro-restaurant launched with his partner Kornélia, who now runs the dining room side of Machizo.

Trained in French cuisine in Japan, the chef at Machizo achieves the feat of combining Japanese delicacy and French technicality indishes that are as pure as they are poetic. An author's cuisine in a very sober setting, with twenty or so covers - including a handful at the counter, facing the open kitchen where you can watch the chef's prowess.

There's no showboating here. Machizo is an ode to (false) simplicity, where every ingredient is respected and worked in its entirety. A quest for authenticity, in tune with the seasons and chef Masatsugu Takahashi's desires, and ultra-legible, crystal-clear plates.

A real quest, too, to capture and render the delicacy and sweetness that are typically Japanese, through plates that are ultimately very light on seasonings, the preponderance of sweet and savory sorbets, and textures that are often airy, even vaporous, with a foam and espuma in almost every dish.

For lunch, expect to pay €35; for dinner, you'll pay €68 for a 4-course menu (1 starter, 2 courses, 1 dessert), €75 for a 5-course menu (2 starters, 2 courses, 1 dessert) and €85 for a 7-course menu (3 starters, 2 courses, 2 desserts), with the option offood and wine pairings.

A still confidential address that certainly deserves more light. The rest, in pictures!

• To be read
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• Affordable bistronomic restaurants in Paris with a €30 lunch menu (starter/main course/dessert)
• Bistronomic restaurants in Paris, our best addresses

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Madeleine with chorizo
Parmesan cookie, wasabi butter, radish
Avocado vinaigrette, smoked herring, puffed black rice

Tomato and watermelon gazpacho, basil sorbet

Smoked salmon, burrata cream, granny smith apple
Verbena-infused vegetable soup, verbena foam

Hake fillet, quinoa risotto, wild asparagus, black olives
Spicy Japanese medlar condiment, green asparagus foam

Free-range chicken supreme, poultry and curry kefta, red plum condiment
Lemongrass-infused gravy, ginger foam

Brillat-Savarin mousse, lime jelly, croutons
Black pepper, oxalis

Tarragon ice cream, rhubarb coulis
Chocolate mousse, cocoa tuile

Lychee jelly, caramelized almond slivers
Grapefruit mousse

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