When Bertrand Grébaut opened, along with school friend and economist Théo Pourriat, on one of the most off-Broadway streets in Paris at the time, Septime, no one probably imagined the stellar run the restaurant would make over the years. It certainly had all the background, direction and quality standards from the outset to be madly loved - which it was - but from the success story within the walls of Paris to the fame it gained as far away as Papua New Guinea, there is a considerable distance that few restaurants around the world have `travelled`.
Having heard from friends who live in Paris and have their tips that it takes infinite patience to book a table at Septime, I had inwardly written off the possibility of making it. But a friend did, and finally got a five-table lunch, which in the process became a - brokered - three-table lunch, and we were finally seated at one of the front tables in the main hall shortly after 12:30. The warmth that this bistro exudes is truly beyond description. It`s so sweet, unpretentious, elegant, incredibly charming, andrelaxed to the point of not going there but also very Parisian that in less than fifteen minutes, it`s as if an internal switch clicks inside you. Something tells you you`ll have a good time here; eat and drink well. Indeed, it is. The service supports this condition, of course. By Parisian standards, it`s too relaxed and unpretentious and knows what it`s leaving on the table. I preferred it a click even warmer and perhaps less hurried. Their effectiveness, however, leaves no room for harsher judgement. They`re fine and perfectly suited to the script.
At Septime they serve a five-course lunch menu at €85 and a seven-course dinner menu at €135 in the evening, with wine pairings respectively at €65 and €75. For the global hype that has been created around the restaurant, the impact it has had on the evolution of bistronomy in Paris, the standard of the cuisine, and also concerning how steep dining out is in the City of Light, you wouldn`t call it expensive at all - but not at all. The value for money that Septime offers is unbeatable. But I also have good things to say about the food. The ingredients they use come almost entirely from France and have a flair that shines; the ideas in the dishes are exciting, technically sound, delicious and with a creative spontaneity that defines the ultimate in bistronomy. Without referring to photos and notes, the one dish I remember as memorable was a fantastic pigeon with an explosive aroma of harissa and XO vegetable sauce and perhaps the beautiful egg with bouillabaisse gel, fennel and egg tarragon. Bertrand Grébaut is no accidental cook either, but when it came to dessert, I was expecting more than just a lovely and luscious ice cream made of peanuts, caramel and grated chocolate.
Septime is a restaurant that reinvigorated the culinary scene in Paris at a stifling time when it sought more democratized outlets, establishing a new, particularly personal style in dining and thus influencing hundreds of chefs worldwide with truth and momentum all its own. It`s a restaurant to be enjoyed to your heart`s content, tailored to sugar-passing, without much thought as to whether what you`re eating is complex or whether what you`re drinking has a long aftertaste and complex structure. And to answer the question: No, it does not live up to the high expectations that have been created - not created - around its name. But it is still important.
Rating: 8/10
Info: 80, Rue de Charonne, Paris 11, https://www.septime-charonne.fr/