Rue de la Fidélité is joining the resistance! L’Avant-Poste, the shabby-chic countryside stronghold located in the center of Paris (rattan furniture under the verrière, rough whitewashed stone walls, small plump pillows and framed dried flowers and herbs), sees gourmet revolutionaries Florent Piard, Clément Desbans and Marc Chauvin (Les Résistants) offer up locally-sourced country cooking. The farmers who provide the meat and produce are prominently featured on a menu that name drops them respectfully. The day we went for lunch, Chef Gaëtan Coculo’s environmentally-conscious menu for €18.50 included: a sweet velouté of red peppers from Étampes with hazelnuts from Cervione and Corsican honeydew; lovely free-range pork raised right in the Côtes-d’Armor department, served with Beluga lentils, yellow carrots from Le Doubs, and cabbage from Filderkraut; before an incredible cup of apples with miniature financiers and extremely fresh cream from Normandy, for the sweet finale. At night, there’s tapas to share: blond chickpea ragù, free-range veal cromesquis, cucumber and lemon on focaccia… // F.P.
FEELING THIRSTY? The pairing of the day: Les P’tits gars, a fruity 2018 white from Frédéric et François Allary (€5.50 a glass, €12 for 375 ml, €17 for 500 ml) or a Blanc au Litre 2018 from JP Rietsch (€5.50, €12.50, €17).
PRICE: Set lunch menus €16.50-18.50, main €14. At night, à la carte €25-45.
