Set in a former car garage entirely refurbished since late 2019, the Diggity restaurant has experienced some eventful debuts, suffering from strikes and the health crisis. But for several months, the dark clouds cleared, and this local bistro has resumed its cruising speed. Open for lunch and dinner, from Tuesday to Saturday, Diggity is first and foremost a friends’ business.

Running the place, Hugo Messerschmitt and Gaspard Désveaux who after losing touch with one another after junior school met again at a hotel management school a few years later. Since then, chef Domitille de Cenival – trained at the Ecole Ferrandi – joined them in and is working hard behind the stove to serve seasonal food where produces from small and thoroughly selected producers are used whole; a very good point.

As for the décor, Diggity bets on originality with a heteroclite mix of bargain-hunted pieces shaping up a lovely mess: walls covered in many vintage mirrors, school chairs, colorful carpets, former freight elevator turned into an armchair, a true flea market vibe that gives real charm to the place, creating a laid-back and friendly atmosphere. As for the library, it holds a genuine secret but… we will not tell you more, you will have to go and discover this mysterious room!

But let us go back to the menu. Short, it draws inspiration here and there from family recipes, and even more from the comforting old-fashioned recipes, modernized with original pairings, sophisticated and appealing plating in mismatching plates which have a certain charm of yesteryear.

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To start with, you cannot miss the specialty at Diggity, shouting your names to make you focus on it (spoiler: we noticed it from the moment we arrived): the pot-au-feu fritters. Served by 5 (€12), 10 or 15, they are the ultimate version of this perfect winter dish, the pot-au-feu, which gustatory makers are kept and explode in a small panko-coated fritter; careful, it is highly addictive. To pair them on big tables of friends, at night, Diggity serves a lovely list of signature cocktails, as well as tasty drinks by the glass the house offers to taste one by one before choosing, nice!

Coming up, beetroot carpaccio (€9) topped with nice pieces of smoked eel, pickled mustard seeds, dill and horseradish foam to shake it up; some rack of veal (€20) rubbing shoulders with braised fennel mash and spice-roasted clementine, wholeheartedly spilling its precious juice over the meat; as well as pressed lamb’s shoulder (€20), perfectly candied and paired with roasted sweet potato, pan-fried Brussel sprouts and grilled chickpeas.

You get it, at Diggity, comfort is the watchword, and this is not this slice of chocolate and salted butter caramel tart (€7) which recipe has been stolen from one of the two bosses’ mom who will say otherwise!