Le Servan
A Paris restaurant that hasn't lost its luster.
Le Servan opened in 2014. It got a lot of press when it opened as it came on to the scene when Paris dining was bouncing back from some less-than-stellar press.* Younger chefs stepped up to the plate, opening smaller restaurants in outer arrondissements, and began changing the narrative, successfully rebooting France’s reputation.
I ate there a few times. The first time I went, the food was exciting, a mix of French cooking techniques and ingredients, seasoned with spices and flavors that reflected cheffe Tatiana Levha’s multicultural heritage. I took some pictures, but when I asked the cheffe if I could take one of her for a write-up, she demurely declined I wrote about another meal I had there, here — along with a picture of Romain after he’d accompanied me to a government meeting that hadn’t gone well.
I hadn’t been back to Le Servan for a long time, even though it’s a short walk from where we live. Since it opened, so many other good restaurants have opened in Paris, and it’s easy to forget ones that no longer get a lot of press. But when a friend who used to live in Paris suggested that we go, I said, “Why not?” We had a great meal, which was so good, I couldn’t wait to go back with Romain. (This time, under better circumstances.)
I started with an excellent sparkling Divona cider from Johanna Cécillon. (Shown at the top of the post.) The neighboring table had ordered the Sardines served on toasted Ten Belles brioche. I wanted it too. The near-perfect square came to the table with the bread still warm, topped with a thin layer of gently spiced red pepper butter, with filets of raw, fresh sardines on top. I wanted another order. But we had blood sausage wontons coming, so I didn’t.
Happily, Parisians are acclimating to spicier foods and authentic flavors on menus, and chefs are incorporating more ingredients that were formerly verboten. But there’s still a reluctance to dive into anything that will pique too much. Cheffe Levha was born in the Philippines (she’s also opened a restaurant called Double Dragon whose food leans much more into her Filipino roots), and while the spicy items are marked on the menu at Le Servan, the condiments that provide the spiciness are generally separated from the main dish on the plate, so one can decide whether to eat them or not. I ate them.
The spicy condiments are robustly flavored, without overdoing it. And they were all very tasty. The chili chutney served with the pretty (but poorly photographed by me, due to the fading light, and I cut off the chutney in the bottom right corner🤷🏻♂️) winter squash tartlet with Mimolette cheese cream and marigold petals, was complimented well by it.
Romain loves wild mushrooms so had the girolles with potatoes and savagnin (Jura wine) cream, topped with shaved truffles.
For the main, I ordered the large ravioli which was filled with wild mushrooms, sauced with butter, and topped with crumbled toasted nuts along with dabs of mascarpone. The filling changes daily and is often vegetable-based. This one also had a runny yolk inside, which makes it an outstanding main course in the winter—a little carbs, a little fat, earthy mushrooms, and crisp nuts, because some are now saying we could dial up the protein in our diets.
We’re mostly white wine drinkers these days, and almost every dinner party table in Paris seems to be set with bottles of heavy, tannic wines from Bordeaux, which I find overwhelms food (and can cause headaches) and prefer lighter red wines, when we go with reds, which provide a better balance between food and wine...at least to me.
Wines from Beaujolais (south Burgundy) fit that bill and the AmalGamay, a blend of Gamay and Aligoté grapes, was recommended by the sommelier that evening, and she was spot on.
Wine prices have risen in Paris at other mid-priced restaurants around town, but Le Servan has plenty of wines in the €32-€55/bottle category, and glasses remain reasonably priced at €6 to €9 per.
Desserts are often an afterthought in smaller restaurants because of the expense of having a pastry chef. (Harrumpf!) The tarte Tatin (above) was truly one of the best I’ve had. It tasted freshly baked, still warm from the oven. Some purists say it shouldn’t be served with anything, but who can complain about a little dollop of crème cru (raw milk crème fraîche) on the side? Pas moi…
The other dessert was equally sensational (maybe they should open a bakery next?)— a citrus tart in a crisp, buttery shell, which also tasted as if it had been baked to order and cooled just enough to be filled with a tangy lemon/lime filling, topped with fresh citrus suprêmes and pistachios. It was the perfect finish to the meal, and I’ve decided to become a regular again.
Le Servan
32 rue Saint-Maur (11th)
Tél: 01 55 28 51 82
*Food writer Alec Lobrano eloquently wrote about this in 2014 in his write-up of the restaurant.
Again thank you! I find myself scrolling down the pictures, hesitate and then say out loud, "Oh my," "Oh my," "Oh my," "Oh my," and finish with your killin me. Love being a little part of your life.
It was a big mistake to read this mouth-watering review while eating my lunch—a peanut butter sandwich on less-than-fresh bread. I almost booked a flight to Paris just to go to Le Servan. Gorgeous photographs! Thanks.