This new address of the 11the This Parisian district has been a hotbed of activity during the capital's summer evenings. While the good weather has clearly deserted Paris, Acumen met with the masterminds behind this bar-restaurant, a veritable love letter to French bars and betting shops.
Bertrand Chauveau, co-founder and head chef of Le Cornichon, recalls: "We absolutely did not want to come across as just another pair of young upstarts creating yet another concept.". » Today, the former student of the Ferrandi hotel school says he is quite satisfied: "The gamble has been quite successful because three-quarters of the people who come into our bar think it has always existed. » And for good reason, this new Parisian restaurant, which has the look of a neighborhood bar that's still going strong, is a newborn, only a few months old.
Flashback. As the Covid pandemic ended, two childhood friends, Bertrand Chauveau and Paul Henri, decided it was time to put their "childhood dream" into action. “I had been working in gastronomy from the beginning, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. We wanted something that suited us more. And we’ve always been passionate about bars and pubs.” » In their search for their dream location (where they really wanted to sell tobacco, but they settled for a French lottery corner), the two partners were somewhat disappointed when they found themselves in the 11th arrondissement.e district an old bar-restaurant which has nothing to do with the idealized images of the INA.
Laure Gravier and Soizic Fougeront from the interior design agency Claves remember: « The boys were quite bewildered, because the place had no charm whatsoever. The floor was parquet, the walls and ceiling were painted a rather mediocre blue, and the bar was covered in some kind of modern ceramic tiles; in short, nothing worked, and there was nothing worth keeping. They were afraid, because they were anxious to give the place some character.. » The two interior designers, who had previously worked for Pierre Yovanovitch, therefore had everything to redo: “What we didn’t want was a place too tied to a particular era. What we like about bars and tobacconists like Janette or L’Étincelle is that they’ve been cobbled together from the 1930s to the present day, and you find lots of codes there, from many different periods. This mix gives rise to a truly recognizable style.” »
In terms of furniture, the two interior designers also had one requirement: “We wanted this bar to look old, without looking like a flea market. We searched a lot, but it was impossible to find a set of 96 chairs in imitation leather and chrome, which is why we designed custom chairs, as well as the tables and benches. » Another striking feature of the place is the red and white frieze that encircles the building: « It features a motif of swirling smoke that dances throughout the room. It is important because it grounds the space. » A touch of elegance that echoes the lacquered ceiling and the neon curve. A mosaic adorns the floor, while a bar, inspired by "all those Parisian bars in Formica," is decorated with travertine-effect laminate, wood, or lacquer. « We designed the space in a very structured way, with true architectural rigor. We counterbalance this with curves found in the backrests of the benches or even on the ceiling, with the neon lighting. A subtle interplay of contrasts to "give the eye an impression of accuracy".
But let's get back to the table. The menu is structured around two options. First, the weekly specials: "The dish of the day changes every day, but will be the same every week." », explains Bertrand. So, every Friday during the summer, Le Cornichon delighted us with its breaded fish and white cabbage salad, and an orange blossom financier for dessert. « It's a very affordable offer with a menu at 22 euros. I really appreciate having descriptions that are ultra down-to-earth, really like in the canteen, with "stuffed tomatoes pilaf rice" and that's it. » Without false modesty, he who worked at Jean-François Piège's Grand Restaurant and then at David Toutain's, before heading the kitchens of Garance in the 7th arrondissemente district, a straightforward announcement: "We're not reinventing the stuffed tomato, but we're doing it extremely well." He explains, a smile in his voice: "The aim of the game, the credo of the establishment, is to do the simplest things well, which are often the most complicated things. With my executive chef, Hélène Rinck, who was with me at Ferrandi, we have the same background, and we love to make these classic dishes perfectly. »
Finally, regarding the menu, the chef presents it as a playful take on traditional, bourgeois cuisine, through dishes like pistou soup or tournedos Rossini. These summer menus give way to a comforting cabbage and smoked sausage stew, a vermicelli soup, or a raclette platter for the evening, followed by a delightfully nostalgic banana split ice cream.
Le Cornichon, 2 rue des Goncourt, Paris 11e
