L'Agrume

If you're willing to trek east between the 13th and 5th arrondissement, you might as well try L'Agrume. Headed by Franck Marchesi-Grandi who worked at the Plaza Athénée in Paris and Le Bernardin in New York, I expected this place to be a treat. 

This small neo-bistro, with a capacity of 20 customers has had rave reviews, and with good reason. The decor is simple, modern with a lot of glass artwork. To find an under-40 euros prix fixe menu is not a hard find, but to have an impressive meal along with it, now there's a challenge. 

Alone in a small open kitchen, Marchesi-Grandi can't be bothered with elaborate plating and I believe he sends food that looks like what he'd made at home for his close friends. You can sit at the 'kitchen bar' just like in L'Atelier where you can see the Chef at work. No time for public meltdowns here. The restaurant has 2 seatings: 19.30 and 21.30. We opted for the second seating as we were still full from lunch. The service was attentive and unintrusive: one woman who acted as hostess and waitress and another waiter helping to serve the plates. 
I thought I would be ordering a la carte, but the 5-course tasting menu for 37 euros seemed like a good bargain for me so away we went.

Entrées: Thon Rouge et Pamplemousse, Radis et Mousse d' Avocat

Raw tuna with seaweed vinaigrette, radish and avocado mousse

Pommes Charlottes, Céléri et Crème de Truffe

Poisson: Filet de Sole, Emincée de Poireaux et Citron Confit 

Filet of sole, quenelle of leek and lemon zest

Viande: Joue de Boeuf Braisée, purée de carottes et pignons

Braised beef cheeks with carrot puree and pine nuts

I thought the plats were less alluring than entrées - I found the sole to be a bit bland and the cheek of beef to have been oversalted but both were perfectly cooked and had nice combinations. 

Dessert: Panna Cotta Vanille et Boule de Chocolat en neige

Silky vanilla panna cotta with a raspberry coulis and a chocolate mousse “boule” 

classic milk chocolate ganache rolled in cocoa powder and floated in mint broth with a basic vanilla panna cotta with raspberry coulis 

You can get fancier meals in Paris, but for a bargain price of 37 euros, this place tries to pull out all the stops to impress you.

L'Agrume
15 Rue des Fossés Saint-Marcel, 75005
Tel: 01 43 31 86 48
Metro: Saint-Marcel (Ligne 5)