I got this recommendation from a Parisian food blog when looking for some modern French food. As much as I do like traditional cooking, a modern twist putting creativity to the test is interesting at times.

I called to make a reservation a few days prior to my visit and thankfully the staff could understand simple English. Do not expect to be this lucky every time when it’s Paris you’re talking about.

The menu is only available in French but the staff tried their best to translate. You can choose from 2 course, 3 course or 3 course with cheese. I wasn’t feeling hungry so 2 courses it was. €22 was quite a fair price in my opinion.

Salade d’endive avec gravlex de Saumon, pommes de terres écrasées, ricotta, vinaigre de cidre

It is a fun way to learn French through dining – Salade = salad, gravles de Saumon = Salmon Gravlax, pommes = potato, ricotta = ricotta, vinaigre de cidre = cider vinegar.

So basically this is salmon gravlax with ricotta mashed potato and salad.

Calamar comme une carbonara, citron confit

This was my choice for the first course. The squid was cut into strip form replaced pasta in the carbonara dish. I liked how the sauce itself wasn’t overloaded with dairy and the combination worked. This is a good carb free alternative to regular carbonara.

Raviole de crevette et champignons, asperges vertes, emulsion a la coriandre

Ravioli with shrimp and mushroom, asparagus and coriander/ cilantro/ parsley emulsion. This one was easy to translate.

Cabillaud, gnocchi epinard-citron, asperges sauvage, puree de navet long

Cod, spinach lemon gnocchi, wild asparagus and mashed turnip

Everyone picked the same main. Somehow the main seemed more traditional than the appetizers. The portion was huge and I personally couldn’t finish it. In fact, I cleared all the vegetables but left half the cod behind. The vegetables stood out more than the cod in my opinion. It was rare to find such a big portion of vegetables in a restaurant and I like how it made my meal healthier and less sinful.

It was a pity that I couldn’t stomach any dessert.

Overall it was not a bad choice for lunch and is a good alternative if you are unable to secure reservations in other popular restaurants, or if you’re looking for somewhere to dine in on Monday. It’s an unofficially known thing that almost everywhere is closed on Mondays in Paris!

L’Office
3 rue Richer, 75009, Paris, France.