We dined at Chez Michel for lunch today; our second visit to chef Thierry Breton’s restaurant in the 10^th. No trip to Paris will ever be complete without a meal here. It’s that good.

Every meal starts off with periwinkles and mayonnaise and the housemade bread with salted Breton butter of the deepest yellow. I’ve been dreaming about this bread for 18 months and I can’t tell you how relieved I was that it actually tasted better than I remember. It may be the crust . . . thick, crisp, chewy, and bitter with a slight oven char. And I love bitter. Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t suck on charcoal bitter. It’s the bitterness that’s so sadly lacking in the majority of meals I eat out. We taste bitter for a reason; and it’s not just to warn us off dangerous foods. Combined with the sweetness of the butter, it’s an unbeatable combination.

Beaten down by five days of sweltering, sticky heat, I opted to start with the cold marinated mackerel with cilantro, pickled onions, and carrots. Fresh and light without the slightest oiliness, the mackerel briefly made me forget about the sauna awaiting the end of lunch. Simplicity is never simplistic; it takes years of experience to achieve, finding a harmonious balance when using so few ingredients.

Breton’s practised touch of simplicity was also in evidence on my main plate of veal kidneys with beetroot. A jus of beetroot, slightly perfumed by the perfectly pink kidneys, held al dente chunks of beetroot atop which sat the offal. Delicate’s not a word usually associated with kidneys; they tend to be drowned in strong sauces to offset the “funk”—which I happen to enjoy. Leave my funk alone. Breton added a touch of acid to brighten the jus’ earthiness and that actually lightened the kidney’s flavour without losing the funk.

I ended with the best Paris-Brest I’ve tasted. I will always order Paris-Brest for dessert here. And I will always go to Chez Michel when I visit Paris.

I must add a final note to echo yesterday’s praising post: the service was fantastic. Friendly and helpful and never condescending. Yet another reason to make the trip into the 10^th.