This Tiny Paris Bistro Blew Us Away (Parcelles)

In this video we review Parcelles bistro in Paris, a small, intimate spot in the Marais that has been on the lists of many people who follow the city’s food scene. We paid for this meal ourselves. If you are looking for a relaxed, mostly French bistro for a date or a special lunch, this is one we are now a little reluctant to share.

What we ate

The menu is short, about three starters, four mains and a few desserts, which is always a good sign to us. Here is what we ordered:

• A chicken terrine with sweet, tangy pickles, surprisingly light. If you are unsure about pâté, start with this one.
• Lamb shoulder, served pink as the chef intends, very tender and brightened with pickled lemon rind.
• Gnocchi, like soft pillows, in a proper portion.
• A crème brûlée with tonka bean, served warm rather than chilled. Colleen called it probably the best crème brûlée she has had in her life.
• A light organic red wine suggested by our server to go with the lamb.

Service and atmosphere

People often worry about snobby waiters in Paris. Here the team was playful with each other and with us from the start, brought more bread when Antoine finished it, and even set out an extra knife when we said we were sharing. We heard a little English, but most diners were French.

Our verdict

Five stars out of five for food, service and value. For one shared starter, two mains, a glass of wine each, a shared dessert and a coffee, we paid about 100 euros when we filmed. Reservations are a must in season; we got a lunch table within 48 hours in August. The menu and prices are the same at lunch and dinner, so dinner is a great option too.

For more places like this, see our 125 best restaurants in Paris guide. Want to eat your way through Paris with a local? Book the Devour food tour. For everything else, our Paris Guide Bundle has seven guides to plan your trip.