Farewell duck fillet accompanied by polenta, the flagship dish of the former owner of the place. Le Colvert, in Paris in the 6th arrondissement, has been renamed Colvert since its reopening at the end of April with, behind the stoves, the former Top Chef candidate Arnaud Baptiste, whom we recently met on the jury for the Coupe de France du burger.
A modernized address, with the old zinc counter transformed into a clever table d’hôtes, as you can see behind the chef in the photo. “I am inspired by what I eat, uninhibited dishes that do not lack character; a kitchen that looks like me”, immediately announces Arnaud Baptiste who was recruited by the Becs Parisiens after two years spent behind the stoves of the Mérovingiens by Jacky Ribault in Noisy-le-Grand (93), the city that saw him to grow. “I’m a real suburban guy,” he claims. Even though my family comes from the Southwest. And even those who formed it, Guy Martin (Le Grand Véfour) and Yannick Alléno (Le Meurice at the time), couldn’t be more Parisian.
Matured egg and guinea fowl in two cookings
The evening of our visit, we were able to enjoy the chef’s egg, matured in soy sauce, surrounded by green asparagus cooked in carbonara, cecina (a Spanish charcuterie), a powerful parmesan cream and fried onions for crunch. An elegant and graphic delicacy as the ex-Top Chefs know how to do so well.
Another delight: the Gâtinais guinea fowl cooked twice, the supreme roast on one side, the confit leg on the other, accompanied by broccoli, these fine little broccoli. Alex’s cheeses from Maison Cow also have an effect. And the cooked and raw strawberries slide on their own for dessert…
Priority to the seasons
“It’s a seasonal cuisine, emphasizes the chef. There is no duck, despite the name Colvert. But I don’t forbid myself: we will have game this fall, and certainly wild duck at that time…”
In the meantime, the chef gives some news on his Instagram account and offers a recipe that is not (yet) on the menu: marinated eggs in sabayon to accompany a piperade with small crispy onions, a seasonal treat, therefore.
In the dining room, we like the “relaxed, like at home” atmosphere where laughter bursts out, where the tables are not too close together, where we feel good. “I wanted to make Colvert a ‘bistro’, says Arnaud Baptiste. Half bistro, half restaurant.
The chef often finds himself in the middle of the guests. At lunch, the full menu is displayed at 35 euros, 29 euros the formula. In the evening, count 50 to 60 euros à la carte, without drinks. A reasonable cost for a desire to come back.