Colvert, chef Arnaud Baptiste's devilishly sexy bistro

In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the bistrot Colvert serves up some devilishly scoundrel bistronomy. Not surprising, with chef Arnaud Baptiste behind the stoves.

After Le Christine and Les Fous de l'Ile, Emilie and Boris Bazan opened Le Colvert in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés at the end of 2018. This young couple, trained at hotel management school, continued their career, which Boris began in Italy and Emilie in London.

United in work as in life, the Becs Parisiens first set about saving the family restaurant, Le Christine, which they eventually bought in 2004. This was followed four years later by the purchase of Les Fous de l'Ile, a bistronomic institution on the Île Saint Louis, and then of the restaurant next door to Le Christine, Le Colvert.

After months of refurbishment, the Colvert has given way to a Colvert plucked of its definite article, unveiling a new face, a tempting menu and a new chef, Arnaud Baptiste, cut out to take it definitively towards the upper echelons of bistronomy. Not surprising from a chef with such a distinctive look and personality, who has worked at Le Meurice, Le Carré des Feuillants and L'Allénothèque, and was revealed to the general public in the 2021 edition of Top Chef.

A change of era for Arnaud Baptiste, who leaves Les Mérovingiens, Jacky Ribault 's restaurant in Noisy-le-Grand, for Colvert, his"bistrorant" as he likes to call it, neither really a bistro, nor totally a restaurant, but rather a bit of both.

There's no need to beat about the bush: Arnaud Baptiste's Colvert ranks right up there with the restaurants we tested this year.

Canaille yet refined, generous and never dull, this affriolent, even downright naughty bistronomy can be discovered at lunch - à la carte, starter/main course or main course/dessert menu (€30) and starter/main course/dessert menu (€36) - and at dinner, small plate version as is now customary.

Vapid pea tartlet, mousseline of said peas, wild garlic, dulce seaweed and almond-garlic emulsion (17€) of great delicacy; marinated organic egg, smooth parmesan cream, cecina and fried onions (16€) less simplistic than it sounds; raw veal condiment, shiso leaves, smoked trout roe and pickled mustard seeds (18€}, this lunch starts off under the best auspices.

The rest is all the better, with this whole carrot burnt with cumin, sweetened with almond milk, prunes, coriander and wild garlic (23€) - vegetarians won't yawn with boredom; this cod confit, zucchini, granola and wormwood gel (30€) ; veal walnut, ziti, rye milk, thyme juice and large button mushrooms (32€); or guinea fowl from the Gâtinais region cooked twice, chard and fava beans, green beans, anchovies, black garlic and sliced juice (31€). We're sailing in the spirit ofArnaud Baptiste, and that's just what we need.

The sides are not overlooked, and even benefit from their own crockery, ensuring a double service for each dish and a well-deserved spotlight given their dressing, which is as meticulous as their content. Of course, we're happy to toast the occasion with our own wines, sourced from producers and friends of the couple - why deprive ourselves?

The festivities end as they began, with a dessert featuring strawberries, served cooked and raw, orgeat yogurt, caramelized almonds, maras des bois sorbet (14€), a clafoutis served warm with Céret cherries, marmalade, orange blossom and shiso ice cream (15€), and the dessert of the day, based on apple, elderberry, rhubarb, frozen yoghurt and meringue powder.