Les Petits Bateaux: the exquisite sea-inspired bistro in Paris 9th arrondissement

Iodized goodness is coming to Paris's 9th arrondissement with the opening of a new ultra-gourmet restaurant, Les Petits Bateaux. This new restaurant puts fish, shellfish and other seafood in the spotlight with a short, balanced and tasty menu. So, do you feel like setting sail?

We're taking you on a cruise, to a new place that's well worth a visit. We're heading for Paris's 9th arrondissement. It's here, on the famous Avenue Trudaine, that Les Petits Bateaux has decided to cast off in autumn 2021, to tantalize your taste buds with tasty iodized products, cooked with love. Behind this new gourmet table are Franck and Nathalie Zeitoun. Partners for 20 years, but brothers and sisters for as long as they can remember, the duo is already behind two other Parisian addresses: Les Ptits Gros, a Parisian troquet in the Petits Bateaux district, and La Cantine Diderot, a bouillon in the 12th arrondissement.

This time around, the two friends, with their infectious good humor, have decided to open a place featuring seafood products. And why? Quite simply because they're getting on in years and have decided to pay more attention to what they eat," explains Nathalie - not without a touch of humor. And here, references to the sea are everywhere: from the beautiful hand-crafted mural by Caddous & Alvarez to the jellyfish-shaped hanging lamps, from the splendid back room to the creative sea urchin-shaped light fixture in the toilets, not forgetting, of course, the menu... So don't expect to order a rib of beef or a chicken leg. At Les Petits Bateaux, oysters are served alongside cockles and hake fillets.

Nathalie and Franck have called on chef Julien Camand, who has worked at Le Martinez in Cannes and Le Belvédère in Porto-Vecchio. A former pastry chef from Avignon, Julien makes a point of respecting the product. In fact, the restaurant Les Petits Bateaux relies on sustainable fishing (line fishing, fishing on foot...), and products distributed in short circuits. So, what's on the menu at this bistrot marin? Fish, shellfish, seafood... with proposals to share or to enjoy like a classic menu.

For local residents who've decided to make this their new HQ (and they'd be right), the menu changes every week according to what's available. But the menu always retains the same spirit: a variety of oysters, fried fish, soup, cooked seafood, raw fish (tartare, carpaccio, tataki...), a dish of snacked fish fillet, cheese and two desserts. A simple menu, but ultra gourmet and efficient. To offer customers the very best, Les Petits Bateaux only works with the very best suppliers, such as Terroirs d'Avenir or Ichthus for fish, Trouvailles & Terroirs for vegetables and Ferdinand for cheese.

But let's get down to business and start the tasting with one of our favorites: a delicious, melting carpaccio of whiting ikejime. This fish-slaughtering technique comes to us from Japan and consists in neutralizing the nervous system of the living animal, thus reducing the fish's stress and pain. To enhance the carpaccio, the chef added just a drizzle of olive oil, lemon and a few hazelnuts. A pure delight, just like the incredible watercress velouté with dried bonito, which we also warmly recommend.

We also really enjoyed the cockles sautéed with marinara; more classic, but just as tasty.

We continue our dive into the sea with another favorite: sole meunière, cooked to perfection and presented in an original, rock'n'roll way, just like the chef. The fish is accompanied by a silky, melting sweet potato purée with coconut milk. Our taste buds crave more!

Opposite, a tender monkfish medallion, with polenta fries and a red wine emulsion. Once again, the taste buds are in for a treat.

As Julien Camand is a former pastry chef, we couldn't pass up the two desserts on the menu that evening. And we won't keep you in suspense: once again, it was an explosion in the mouth with, on the one hand, a gourmet chocolate mousse soufflée and, on the other, a tangy lemon meringue tart. Two excellent desserts to round off this fabulous gourmet moment.

And to accompany these delicious, perfectly-dressed plates, Les Petits Bateaux suggests natural and organic wines that are a perfect match for the dishes cooked.

With this new Parisian restaurant, Nathalie and Franck have succeeded in offering a place quite different from their first two addresses, where you'll feel right at home, and where you'll want to come back again and again to taste chef Julien Camand's new recipes.