aixcentric

….promising traditional Marseille cuisine and southern sunshine for his new venture in the capital.

He has taken the reins at the renovated Brasserie Lutetia, a 1910 art nouveau-stroke-art deco restaurant, finished with dark wood, marble and bronze.

Gérard Passédat is the chef of the 3* Marseille institution Le Petit Nice, as well as Albertine in the docks area and Le Mole at MuCEM.  But he says that in this left-bank quartier of Paris, home to so many painters, poets and free-thinkers, he feels like ‘un poisson dans l’eau’.  An interesting simile as fish are such a key part of his menus, both in the south and in the new venture.  He will also, he says, be drawing on traditional family recipes such as aioli and boulettes de poisson that Lucie his grandmother used to make, and southern favourites like panisses and Camargue rice.

It’s a sign of the times that vegans are catered for – avocado from Jaffa with Menton-lemon sauce and a generous ‘salade Albertine’ named after his maman.

The brasserie is part of the Hotel Lutetia which currently has an opening offer averaging about 1,000€ a night – well you never know.   But lunch comes in at a reasonable 42€ for 3 courses while a bouillabaisse des Auffes for dinner will set you back 95€.

Brasserie Lutetia is at 45 bd Raspail, Paris 6e. https://www.hotellutetia.com/brasserie