Fat Belly, the crispy Asian rotisserie that's got the Marais drooling

In the 3rd arrondissement, Fat Belly has been drawing crowds since it opened. In the heart of the Marais, this cafe-restaurant-rotisserie stretches along behind a fully glass storefront, like an American diner. But inside, the décor leans design-forward, with mirrors lining the walls, a bustling long counter, marble tables and banquettes facing each other for a touch more privacy. With lunchtime vogue in full swing, you’d better book a table!

Behind this nouvelle table lie Norman Kolton, founder of the brand Street Bangkok, and Sandra Tcheng. Together, they envision a table that looks outward toward Southeast Asia, with a very clear (and salutary) obsession for the homemade.

And when Fat Belly touts its home-made approach, it backs it up across its entire menu—from bread and brioche to noodles, sauces, and broths. Everything is made in-house. The house even notes that some of its meats require up to four days of preparation before they can join the rotisserie.

A patient touch that gives Fat Belly's meats all their spectacular character. Slowly grilled over the flame to achieve an ultra-crispy skin or crust, they stay warm and incredibly juicy inside.

The Cantonese-style lacquered duck (and not Peking duck) obviously takes a central place, alongside the gai yang chicken, the glazed pork ribs with a miso-honey-spice glaze, and above all the crispy pork belly, marinated in sesame and spices then slow-cooked in a salt crust. This is our big favorite of the lunch, with its golden, crackling crust—almost caramelized—and its tender, generous meat.

The standout for meat lovers is certainly the mix of two or three meats (600g, €40), a sampler that lets you try all these fine game meats and is meant to be shared among several diners. And rightly so—the portions are generous, designed to sit right in the middle of the table.

Drawing inspiration from Asian-style sharing meals, Fat Belly serves dishes to the table as they’re ready, each one at its own pace. It’s perfect for nibbling, sharing, waiting for the next plate… and starting all over again! To accompany the rotisserie, the homemade thin noodles (9€) and the stir-fried cabbage in the wok (8.50€) are worth trying, along with the mocktails (7€) and the iced teas (6€).

To our great disappointment, we had no more room for the house-made shrimp wontons with chili oil (€11) and the shrimp-filled toast soaked in a broth (€15), despite being sold on their many merits. Still, we couldn’t resist one final bit of sweetness.

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So it will be the fried brioche (8€), generously stuffed with a pandan pastry cream, that instantly makes you want to order a second. And with its fixation on everything homemade, and its generous and communal roasted kitchen, Fat Belly’s entire menu leaves you itching to come back and taste more!

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