Playtime

Playtime, the name of a new-wave bistrot, seems at odds with its location in a faded neighborhood between the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est, but when chef Jean-Michel Rassinoux is really cooking, he’s both excellent and very original. In fact—perhaps channeling the boldly innovative style of brilliant chef William Ledeuil of Ze Kitchen Galerie and KGB— Rassinoux often borrows ingredients, seasonings and cooking methods from worlds away. His dining room, run by his Swedish partner Viveka Sandklef, has a Copenhagen-meets-LA-in-the-1960s groove, and the crowd offers an intriguing snapshot of the eclectic clientele for adventurous cooking in Paris today, from dating couples and socialites to retirees, family groups and tourists. They’re attracted by dishes like a “milkshake” of soy beans and green tea, fillet of John Dory on a bed of orzo flavored with kaffir lime leaves, or a roasted fig in curry sabayon with walnut-cognac ice cream.

5 rue des Petits Hôtels, Paris 10th, 01.44.79.03.98. Lunch menus €17, €21; dinner menus €25, €28. Prices are per person, without wine

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Alexander Lobrano’s book Hungry for Paris is published by Random House. Find Hungry for Paris and more in the France Today Bookstore.

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