Between Paris and Italy, at the moment, it’s total food love. More trattorias, pizzerias, Big Mamma… Despite this transalpine tidal wave, Damigiana stands out from the crowd. Explanation.
A highly instagrammable decor
Having taken over the Fish Club, this new restaurant in the Halles designed on two levels by Damien Brambilla sets forth a glam’ and solar style: duck blue seats, saffron banquettes, a scale-shaped mosaic frieze for wink to the Mediterranean Sea, without forgetting the “dame-jeanne”, the famous glass demi-John containers covered in wicker and used since the Antiquity to transport and preserve wine and oil—hence the name of the place.
Italy, a far cry from clichés
Here, neither spaghetti bolognese, nor pasta carbonara. For this address, Laura Corinto and her brother Bastien (already at the origin of Meriggio on the Grands Boulevards) are wagering on traditional yet less obvious recipes.
Examples? Flan with cèpes mushrooms and cheese (€7), baked prunes carefully wrapped in a thin pancetta (€5), exquisite mafalde with braised boar (pasta with undulated edges), (€19), tortelloni stuffed with beet and pecorino (€19 ). The fresh pasta is made in-house with durum wheat semolina. Yummy, the tiramisu is to die for (€8).
Our revelation? The Milanese chop, 300 g of delicately breaded top notch meat (€25 ).
Great wines by the glass
The well-stocked cellar counts about fifty references, stemming from small producers at the four corners of the Boot. An occasion for happy discoveries (€6-12 per glass).
Open from Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner.
Also check out the Schiap and Chez Minna, the Corsican restaurant.
