Inavoué restaurant: the hidden gem in Paris 1st arrondissement

Set in the impasse Gombourst, the Inavoué restaurant is not the first one we see when we walk by the Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, and it’s such a shame. Because if the place is very quiet – because of the few passersby – it deserves to be known. Indeed, it’s an outwitting table.

At night, in this setting, the atmosphere is very lounge-like, muted, softened with candles and a bargain-hunted décor, around marble tables and velvet bench chairs that make it look like a home décor store.

The restaurant also doubles up as a cocktail bar with excellent signature cocktails starting from €12. The entirely transparent Secret Rhum (rum, elderberry, vanilla, lemonade) is light, fresh and thirst-slaking and most of all, it’s not too strong. With the Porn Star Martini (vodka, ketel one, vanilla, passion), that has nothing to do with a Martini but is simply poured in a Martini glass, we could feel we’re travelling across islands so much that the maracuja taste is present. This one is not too strong either. But don’t drink it to excess.

To go along this aperitif and wait for the rest of the meal, Inavoué offers roasted chickpeas, a light and crispy snack but most of all, a beautiful discovery as well as a quality olive oil with baguette to dip.

As a starter, we go for some fish, a marinated tuna tataki with sesame (€12), served with dill and parsley. This semi-cooked tuna is not too dry, with a very tasty marinade. A light starter to kick off a meal under the best auspices.

After the fish starter, let’s continue with meat for the main course. The lamb massaman (€22), the chef’s specialty, is slightly but perfectly spicy with a super tender meat. As for the marinated beef filet Crying Tiger’s style (€28), once again the meat is very tender with an excellent marinade that doesn’t make us cry. We are all as satisfied by the green beans and the homemade mashed potatoes we picked out as sides.

Many thinks made us drool on the Inavoué menu, especially for the desserts (between €7 and €9), but we had to choose.
The cooking of the chocolate lava cake and its white heart is perfectly master. As for the caramelized brioche (with salted butter), it’s a classic that always pays off.

As more and more restaurants, Inavoué offers microfiltered water served in a lovely jug with the restaurant’s colors for €3 per 25.36 fl. oz.

Inavoué offers also a selection of finger foods, big salads as well as a €19-euro set menu for lunch.

And we must tell you our secret: we absolutely lo-ved Inavoué, a true secret garden in the heart of Paris because of its very tasty homemade cuisine as well as for its cocktails.
What are you waiting for? Go and discover this address!