Everybody loves Septime, the small restaurant in the 11th, which is just about the hardest reservation in Paris. I couldn't get in, so I was thrilled to find that their little "fisherie" next door doesn't take reservations. We got to Clamato at noon on Sunday, eager to be first in line. (We weren't.)
It's a terrific little place, very simple, with a delicious version of Clamato (basically a Bloody Mary with clam juice), homemade Tabasco sauce, and the best looking waiters you've ever seen. Loved everything we ate, but this flat bread at the top, slightly sweet, topped with fresh white cheese and trout roe was my favorite.
We had oysters, of course:
and a wonderful ceviche:
and this irresistible merlan, impeccably fried and extremely meaty, with it's backbone removed:
and lovely scallops:
Lovely vegetables too, including this eggplant, in dashi, with little frisks of dried bonito waving from the top, like underwater sea anemones.
The room is cheerfully casual, the soundtrack terrific, and the clientele makes you feel like you've wandered into the most happening place in Paris. Children wander in and out, babies coo, and everyone looks happy. But the food itself has an admirable precision; everything feels beautifully sourced and extremely well thought out.
The menu changes daily, so there's no excuse not to come again.