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Septime

Paris

Paris’ pioneering hipster bistro driven by the seasons

On the Pass

Bertrand Grébaut and Valentin Burteaux

What’s the appeal? Septime is a super-cool restaurant on an ultra-cool street run by cool people and frequented by cool customers. The food is dictated by the seasons and served without pretention.

What’s on the menu? One of the biggest charms of this neo-industrial bistro is its fair pricing: $85 for five courses at lunch and $150 for seven courses at dinner. Chef Bertrand Grébaut’s seasonal, modern French food has been luring diners from around the world since the rustic restaurant’s debut more than a decade ago. Expect thoughtful, ingredient-driven plates with global touches, such as raw cuttlefish noodles in a seaweed and cardamom broth served alongside a perfect quail egg, or asparagus with house-made lardo accompanied by a wild garlic and pistachio butter.

Who’s running the show? Graphic designer-turned-chef Bertrand Grébaut, formerly of Alain Passard’s iconic Arpège, helms the kitchen, while his high-school friend and former economist Théo Pourriat runs the dining room and chooses the wines.

Getting in: Due to its limited number of oversubscribed seats, booking a table at Septime isn’t the simplest feat. The restaurant accepts reservations three weeks in advance, online only.

But if you can’t nab a seat this time… Grébaut and Pourriat command a growing number of nearby restaurants: seafood-focused Clamato, natural wine bar Septime La Cave, as well as artisanal, seasonal pastry shop Tapisserie. Further afield, the duo owns a charming countryside hotel two hours’ away from Paris, called D’Une Île.

Fun facts: Hyper-sustainable Septime was also the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2017, and Grébaut and Pourriat recently penned Septime, a book that aims to “tell the everyday story” of their restaurants, including inspiration, recipes and more.

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