Le Pure Café

14 rue Jean-Macé, 11e Cuisines: French

About

The decor around this horseshoe-shaped zinc bar is dated, but the dishes are modern and often served in innovative combinations. These grimy yellowed bistro walls are the real thing, not the faux impression so often created by designers today. Local drunks along with fashionable families crowd in here to sample such specialties as lamb shank with artichoke tartare or perhaps grilled squid flavored with sesame seeds and served with a rhubarb compote. For tradition's sake, a tatin of goat cheese and tomatoes is offered. The tuna roll with pesto and avocado ice cream comes as a total surprise -- and it's a delight.

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