Though the Marais is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Paris, it has always been curiously disappointing for restaurants, which is why the Le Gaigne is such a hit. Chef Mickael Gaignon’s tiny 20-seater, with orchid-pink walls and a miniature zinc bar, is snug enough that his wife, Aurélie, has to play ballerina as she serves, but his contemporary cooking is so good that no one minds the dining-car intimacy. Gaignon was most recently chef at Pierre Gagnaire’s excellent Gaya, a stylish fish house on the Rue du Bac, and also did a stint a Gagnaire’s eponymous Paris restaurant. The master’s touch is evident in the extraordinary technical know-how of Gaignon’s cooking, but his signature is a passion for the finest produce, most of which is organic—a sublime starter of cold artichoke soup, garnished with wafer-thin slices of artichoke and tiny coques (mollusks), sautéed baby zucchini and cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and freshly marinated sardines.
Although fish is a specialty, Gaignon also does a beautiful filet of lamb, from the Pyrenees, that is stuffed with herbs under the skin, cooked to perfection, and garnished with piquillo peppers and a timbale of wheat berries with Corinth raisins. Lieu (yellow pollack) en papillote is a show stopper, too. (Gaignon himself delivered this dish to the table one night, snipping open the parchment pillow to reveal a square Pyrex dish with a snowy mound of fish surrounded by Jerusalem artichokes, orange peppers, baby leeks, and new potatoes.)
The short wine list could use some work, but the Anjou pétillant (sparkling white from the Anjou) is a great aperitif, and there are other pleasant wines by the glass.
Prices are very reasonable, and the two-course ($24) prix-fixe lunch is a downright bargain.
Le Gaigne 12 rue Pecquay, 4th (33-01-44-59-8672)
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