Les Petits Bateaux: the excellent marine bistro in the 9th district of Paris
Good iodized products are coming to the 9th arrondissement of Paris thanks to the opening of a new ultra-gourmet restaurant, called Les Petits Bateaux. This new restaurant puts fish, shellfish and other seafood products in the spotlight through a short, balanced and tasty menu. So, want to take off?
We take you on a cruise, aboard a new place that is worth the detour. To do this, head to the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It is here, in the famous avenue Trudaine, that The Little Boats have decided to cast off in the fall of 2021, just to tickle your taste buds with tasty iodized products, cook with love. Behind this new gourmet table, we find her Franck and Nathalie Zeitoun. Partners for 20 years, but brothers and sisters forever, the duo is already at the origin of two other addresses in Paris: Les Ptits Grosa Parisian bar close to the Petits Bateaux, and Canteen Diderota broth located in the 12th.
This time, the two good-humored friends have decided to open a place honoring seafood products. Why? Quite simply because they smoke from age and have decided to watch what they eat, we explain – not without a touch of humor – Nathalie. And here, references to the sea are everywhere: from the beautiful mural to go by hand by Caddous & Alvarez suspensions in the shape of jellyfish, passing through the splendid back room or even the creative lamp in the shape of a sea urchin in the toilets, without forgetting of course the menu… So don’t expect to order a rib of beef or a leg of chicken. At the restaurant The Little Boatsoysters rub shoulders with cockles or hake fillet.
To cook these good iodized products, Nathalie and Franck called on the chef Julien Camand, including Le Martinez in Cannes, and Le Belvédère in Porto-Vecchio. Former pastry chef from Avignon, Julien found it a point of honor to respect the product. Besides, the restaurant The Little Boats put on a reasoned fishing (line fishing, shellfishing, etc.), and products distributed in short circuits. So what do we find at the menu of this marine bistro ? Fish, shellfish, crustaceans, seafood… with suggestions to share or enjoy like a classic menu.
For residents of the neighborhood who decide to make it their new HQ (and they would be right), know that the menu change every week depending on arrivals. But the menu still retains the same spirit: a variety of oysters, fried fish, soup, cooked seafood, raw fish (tartare, carpaccio, tataki…), a dish of snacked fish fillet, a cheese and two desserts. A simple card, but ultra greedy and effective. To offer customers the ultimate, The Little Boats only works with good 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 favourites: a delicious and melt-in-the-mouth ikejime whiting carpaccio. This technique of slaughtering fish comes to us from Japan and consists of neutralizing the nervous system of the live animal, having the effect of reducing the stress and pain of the fish. To sublimate the carpaccio, the chef only adds 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 greatly appreciated the shells sautéed in the marinière ; more classic, but just as tasty.
We continue this dive in the sea with another favourite: the sole meuniere, cooked to perfection and presented in an original and rock’n’roll way, just like the chef. The fish is accompanied by a melting and silky mashed sweet potato, with coconut milk. Our taste buds in demand!
Opposite, place for a tender monkfish medallion, with polenta fries, and a red wine emulsion. Here again, the gustatory pleasure is there.
Because Julien Camand is a former pastry chef, we could not miss the two desserts offered that evening on the menu. And we’re not going to make the suspense last; it was again an explosion in the mouth with on one side a greedy puffed chocolate mousse and on the other, a lemon meringue pie well acidic. Two excellent desserts that complete this fabulous gourmet moment.
And to accompany these delicious plates with the perfect presentation, The Little Boats advocate natural and organic wines in perfect harmony with cooked dishes.
With this new Parisian table, Natalie and Franck succeed in offering a place that is very different from their first two addresses, where you feel at home and where you have the furious desire to come back to taste the chef’s new recipes Julien Camand.
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This test was carried out as part of a professional invitation. If your experience is different from ours, please let us know in the comments.