Tuna Albacore pastilla with coriander

New Year is arriving fast and it is the season to celebrate in a lavish way… Divellec, which was made famous twenty years ago when the first picture of François Mitterrand having lunch with his (illegitimate) daughter Mazarine was published in Paris Match, has reopened three months ago with a young chef and a doubled space. It is extremely pretty in a relaxed way, the food is delicious but served in mini portions for fashion models. And the menus range from 49 € to 190 for lunch with à la carte top prices. But you might still want to try it for its trendiness and the high quality of the food…

Mathieu Pacaud, a young chef and a new father

A dear friend who knows the chef Mathieu Pacaud well, invited me to  lunch in the luminous blue and beige decor. Everything is precious from the water glasses made of deep blue china to the Italian looking stone floors.The plates and the decor are charming and umpretentious with a sea theme. The waiters are cute and charming and the menu mostly of fish, is mouth watering.

Mathieu, the son of Bernard Pacaud whose fabulous l’Ambroisie restaurant hosted an Obama-Hollande dinner last year,  was just back from visiting his wife at the maternity. Their daughter Solveig was born at the beginning of the month.

Calque de bar, a large carpaccio of sea bass to share

From his Corsican mother he has retained the mineral water Orezza, and some seasonings. Mostly his cuisine is very light, inventive, with oysters, sea shells, lobsters and all sorts of fish being treated like stars. But nothing is intimidating in the atmosphere of the restaurant.

The gigot de lotte was delicious but really too small

I had a pastilla of tuna which was out of this world but too small for my great appetite, and gigot de lotte with ricotta raviolis. My friend had the spectacular sea bass carpacccio (called calque de bar) and recommended the lobster raviolis.

Dessert was surprisingly light and lovely, with tangerine sherbet, whipped cream and a marron glacé base. I resisted the chocolate soufflé but will order it next time.

There are small rooms for discrete conversations and a bar for eating alone

The public is mostly made of politicians (the very attractive Gérard Longuet was sitting next to us) or journalists at lunch and counts more stars at night : Isabelle Adjani (who has a new film out) was there and so was Natalia Vodianova and her beau Antoine Arnault who live very nearby.

The bar is very pretty and practical when alone

This is a place for a very special occasion and its great quality is the cosiness of the ambiance. Try to go before it gets its first Michelin star! (around 150€, 18 rue Fabert, (0)1 45 51 91 96)