Van life
Vivant 2, best new wave coffee, 17th arr listings, Soif, Paulownia, Garsac Diffusion, Muse, MORE
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
Bon vivant
The Backstory: Bonsoir! Bienvenue! Merci! Au revoir! The whole staff at Vivant 2 cheerfully chants as you step in or out, just like chefs in an izakaya. It's part of the Japanese omotenashi spirit — hospitality rooted in enthusiasm, respect, and attentiveness — and sets the tone for what’s to come, inviting you to leave the outside world behind and fully enter theirs. You could easily spend your whole evening here — or start (or end) your night next door at Déviant for a drink or two. Better yet, return and eat your way down the street: the group behind the restaurant, Savoir Vivre, has built its own little écurie on Rue des Petites Écuries. There’s Il Camino for Italian generosity, Le Collier de la Reine for a modern brasserie with a hint of pub energy, and La Cave for private gatherings. It’s a group that knows how to live.
The Experience: French culinary elegance with a bold, offbeat turn. The à la carte menu delivers a seasonal, genre-bending journey across land and sea, with a strong nod to offal, fermentation, and texture. It's less a dinner, more an intimate encounter, best experienced solo or as a duo. Dim candlelight, marble counters, and chefs in crisp white aprons move with the precision of a well-rehearsed quartet. The place feels equally sacred and underground, like eating in a candlelit chapel with a playlist shuffling from Britney to Mylène Farmer to Pino D’Angio. But at heart, it’s a chef’s bar: all counter seating save for one tiny table for two tucked into an alcove. Conversation flows easily with the chefs and the somms, but the low lights and loud music create that bubble of intimacy for you and your date.
Chef Léo Dauvergne embraces complexity and expects diners to trust him with bold, polarizing ingredients. There’s a worldly, borderline-academic curiosity in combining components like Indian palak, Calabrian anchovy, and veal brain. But for all of its creative ambition, the cooking is rooted in technique, focused.
We begin with Breton oysters topped with a Roussillon rancio emulsion. It’s creamy, nutty, oxidative, and vibrant, like warming up by a fire after a cold beach swim. White asparagus with confit shiitakes and cashew condiment is more like a hug in a field — snap-fresh, seasoned with shiso. Offal fans will rejoice (even skeptics, too) in the wild textures, clean flavors, and playful intent of pressed pork snout with mussel emulsion and a crispy broth chip. Or in the perfectly cooked veal sweetbreads with agretti and peanut jus. Dessert closes on a subtle, fragrant note: halva ice cream with pistachio praline and pomelo. Dauvergne’s cooking isn’t for the timid. He confronts you with intense ingredient symbiosis, then hugs you with warmth and care. It’s controlled mischief with reverence for tradition.
Vivant is wine-geek heaven, a playground for the adventurous drinker. Sommelier Pierre Berthier awakened our palate with a Champagne — Les Tremblaies 2013, by Clément Perceval — accompanying our oysters for a very chic start. Pairings ranged from a Sylvaner, Siggi 2017 by Jean-Marc Dreyer, to a Maury Hors d’âge by La Petite Baigneuse from Roussillon. The pork snout is paired with a heady and complex Maruja, a 100% Palomino Fino solera from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, while the fish is perfectly anchored by Dernier Round, a Cabernet Franc by Clos des Folies. Pairings push boundaries, rarely obvious, sometimes curious, often brilliant.
Why It’s FOUND: A chef’s table for the bold. Vivant isn’t trying to please everyone, it’s crafting a specific, soulful experience with flair, funk, and finesse. Go for the food, stay for the music, and trust the kitchen. But bring someone you really want to talk to — or no one at all. This one’s for the seekers. It is very much alive. –Candice Chemel
→ Vivant 2 (10th arr) • 43 Rue des Petites Écuries • Mon-Fri 19h-00h • Book.
PARIS WORK & PLAY LINKS: Speaking in Paris, NVIDIA CEO drops blueprint for European AI boom • On non-French cuisines in Paris • Sneaker drops go digital.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Coffee, new wave
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of the best in Paris and surrounds. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or email found@foundparis.com.
Partisan (3rd arr), minimalist, large, centrally located, featuring Italian and new wave (lighter roast) coffee w/ cookies, cakes, and pastries
COMETS · Café & disques (11th arr), records, espresso-based drinks, and homemade baked goods tucked away on rue Léon Frot
KB Coffee Roasters (9th arr), fresh beans, large outdoor terrace on charming corner in South Pigalle; pioneers of Paris’s new wave coffee scene
Magic Carpet Café (12th arr), coffee, sandwiches, baked goods located short stroll from Gare de Lyon
Le Peloton (4th arr), vibrant space known for flat whites, sweet treats, cycling community crowd
Hexagone Café (14th arr), stylish Left Bank-based torréfacteur w/ minimalist design, co-founded by award-winning roaster Stéphane Cataldi
Maison Fleuret (6th arr), stunning literary coffee shop w/ sweet and savory snacks housed in former Saint-Germain bookstore
Café Tranquille (10th arr), coffee and light bites (plant-based milks/vegan options included) stone’s throw away from Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est
Trombone (20th arr, above), specialty coffee, sandwiches, and homemade cookies not far from Père Lachaise cemetery, opened 2024
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Three properties currently on offer in the 17th arr:
→ Courcelles/Wagram (metro Courcelles/Wagram) • 4BR/1.1BA, 180 m2 • Ask: 2.89M € • 5th floor of Hausmann-style building built 1900, with original fireplace, parquet floors, and moldings, plus full-length balcony • Annual maintenance/condo fees: 565 € • Agent: Laetitia Dubois-Rouvier, Barnes.
→ Plaine Monceau (metro Wagram, above) • 4BR/3BA, 256 m2 • Ask: 2.95M € • stylish 1st floor apartment with modern kitchen and herringbone floors • Annual property taxes: 4757 €; annual maintenance/condo fees: 8525 € • Agent: Johannes Letu, Sotheby’s.
→ Pereire (metro Porte de Champerret) • 6BR/5BA, 410 m2 • Ask: $4.65M € • private mansion dating to 1882 with terrace, gardens, and sauna • Agent: Sébastien Gallo, Daniel Feau.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Celebrate
Kool & The Gang • La Seine Musicale (Île Seguin) • Sun @ 19h • CAT2, 99 € per
Morrissey • Zenith Paris (Parc de la Villette) • Sun @ 19h30 • CAT Gold, 100 € per
Olivia Dean • L’Olympia (9th arr) • Mon @ 19h • orchestra, 263 € per
WORK • Friday Routine
Fruits of labor
CÉLINE MAGUET • co-founder & cookbook author • Soif
Neighborhood you work & live in: Belleville
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I don’t really have a traditional workplace or office, as every week is different. I could be at a winemaker’s place tasting their wines, working from home on a column or text, or in a coffee shop for a meeting. I love working in the morning — I write and work better, then. I usually wake up early, so by the time it’s 10h, I’ve already accomplished a fair amount of work. Wednesdays are especially productive; by then, the rush of the week starts to kick in, and everything begins to fall into place. I typically schedule meetings in the afternoon, leaving time in the morning for writing.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Right now, my main focus is my cookbook. It will be my second cookbook and is about cooking with fruits, specifically in their sweet versions. I’ve been working on it for a year now. I've done four photo shoots, following the seasons, and now, I need to send it to my editor and actually write everything down. I maintain my journalistic approach for the texts, aiming to make the recipes approachable. I don’t take a chef's approach; instead, I explain certain techniques and how to substitute ingredients.
I think what made my first book, La bonne cuisine des légumes, a success was the way it conveyed information. Each fruit in the new book has an introductory page explaining its history, how it has evolved, and why we use it. It’s a lot of research and takes time, but I try to maintain the editorial style of the first book while adding even more useful information. I think many people feel alienated by cookbooks because they don’t have the right ingredients or utensils, so I want this book to be a real tool for them on how to understand what makes the core of a recipe, and how to play around with it.
Aside from the book, we are also working on the project of opening a wine bar with Soif, but finding a location takes time.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I was loving Pénates in Rennes before it closed, because the owners bought a farm where they want to expand and grow their own vegetables. I highly recommend keeping an eye on what the chef does next.
What was wonderful about Rennes is how easily accessible great produce is, whether from the sea or local farms. One farm I really like is La Ferme de Quincé, an alternative associative farm that also hosts parties and concerts. They often host two djs I love, Celele and Blanca Brucsi.
Another restaurant I’ve recently discovered, and where I’m eager to return to Paulownia in the 20th arr. The space is fantastic, with a large picture window letting in plenty of sunlight. I visited with some winemakers and my associates, and the wine list is excellent, superbly curated by the owner. The decor isn’t typically Parisian; it’s very personal, and lived-in, reflecting the owners' style, and is elegant in a warm, inviting way. The service is equally warm and attentive.
In the kitchen, they excel at working with jus in a way you rarely see. You can tell they have experience in top-tier gastronomic kitchens. Every dish is thoughtfully executed. I had a pigeon with a little croque monsieur made from the offal on the side. I am really sensitive to a plate making sense and using produce in its entirety. The lunch menu is reasonably priced at around €27, offering dishes that could easily belong on an evening menu.
How about a little leisure or culture?
In Ivry, near Paris, there’s Garsac Diffusion, which takes place once a month. It’s run by two guys who’ve been collecting "voices of theatre" created by Altec in the US, the predecessors of home cinema. They have four of these speakers and set them up in a quadraphonic system. The sound is incredibly well-regulated, and the quality is insane — you can easily have a conversation with your friends while dancing. I was there last month with a group of 15 friends, from 15h-22h, and the atmosphere just kept building. A DJ from Montreal, Nap (Daniel Rincón), played, and the vibe kept rising and getting caliente. Suddenly, people started doing the conga dance. It wasn’t your typical snaking, but it was beautiful. I love it when a party is disconnected from the usual nighttime expectations and simply becomes a place to free yourself and dance.
Any weekend getaways?
For the beach, head to Soulac-sur-Mer. From Paris it’s a quick train to Bordeaux, just a couple of hours, then a small train down the coast for the perfect beach weekend. Make sure to visit Montreuil-sur-Mer for great bread/wine/vibes.
A great weekend destination is Brussels; there’s a real douceur de vivre to the place, shaped entirely by the people and the town’s unique spirit. Another longer trip I have planned is to Sicily. I’ll be traveling by train from Paris to Nice, then to Ventimiglia, Genoa, Rome, and Naples, before taking a ferry from there. It’s a way of changing the focus of the journey, moving from simply going from point A to point B, and instead living the trip while leaving a more conscious, thoughtful footprint.
What was your last great vacation?
The last trip I took was to Ireland last year with my van. I think I enjoy traveling to countries where food isn’t the main focus; it changes the way you experience the journey. When food isn't the central event, the trip isn’t dictated by it. We had a portable pizza oven, but since it rained a lot, we ended up having much of our food cold. It also raises questions about how we feed ourselves, and it offers a different perspective compared to places like France, Spain, or Italy, where food is such an integral part of daily life, and a proper art de vivre.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
For sure, my van. I had never traveled this way before — so light and free — and you can really experience the landscape like never before. It also raises questions about our consumption. For example, in France, you can always find drinking water in cemeteries, but in Ireland, it rains so much that cemeteries don’t need to have a water point. It makes you reflect on nature and its accessibility.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Maison Néroli. It’s a shop in the 11th that specializes in essential oils and hydrosols. Their selection is incredibly specific and precise, offering so many options, even within the same plant and its varieties, that they can really tailor their products to address the specific needs or conditions you're looking to treat. I think it makes a great gift, a little box of different oils to care for someone's needs. What's also great is that you can cook with their hydrosols, offering another way to flow with the changing seasons.
Photo credit: Quentin Tourbez
GETAWAYS LINKS: Springtime in Champagne • Eating our way through Lyon • Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc adds second bookable private villa • The London luxury hotel explosion • Sneak peeking Destino Five Ibiza following winter renovation • New 1 Hotel Copenhagen sets August opening • Trending: Coolcationing.
ASK FOUND
A subscriber answered our PROMPT, What’s your favorite Paris flower shop (or flower delivery service), by sending this photograph of Muse (18th arr):
And two more PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
Who’s your go-to tailor?
What’s your Restaurant of the Summer?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@foundparis.com.