Substance — Restaurant in Paris

A flavorful Parisian journey ✨🇫🇷

😌 Ambience: A Michelin-starred modern bistro in the 16th district with a view into the open kitchen - and a vibe that’s pure contemporary Paris. The music is spot-on, the energy stylish yet relaxed, and we were lucky to be seated right in front of the kitchen window, which added a touch of magic.

🥗 Food: If I had to describe it in one word: freshness. Every bite was a surprise - delicate, bright, creative. Unexpected pairings of textures, sauces, and scents. I don’t eat pork, and two dishes were custom-made for me - both exceptional. The whole experience was a wow 🤩 I’d absolutely recommend this place if you want to feel the new Parisian food wave! One more thing I truly liked: the choice. You can pick from several menus - a vegetarian one (5 courses), the “Vibration” menu with 7 courses (I went for this one), or the full experience (9 courses). And here’s the rarest gem: they even offer a lunch menu! Such a great opportunity to try it out.

And one last thing I’d love to highlight - the dessert was outstanding. Once again: fresh, not too sweet, crispy, and so delicate! A real treasure. In my experience (and personal taste), desserts are usually the trickiest part everywhere - and this one nailed it 👏

🥂 Drinks: An outstanding wine list focused mostly on unusual, natural French wines - elegant, playful, a bit rebellious. The non-alcoholic options are more limited; the juices were nice, though not house-made. That’s the only thing I’d love to see leveled up a bit. But come on, it’s Paris - who even needs n/a drinks? 😁

🌟 Recognition: One Michelin star. Chef Matthias Marc (you might know him from Top Chef France) delivers bold, seasonal cuisine with inspiration from his native Jura region. Substance also holds a 15/20 rating by Gault&Millau (classified as a “remarkable restaurant”) and is Ecotable certified - meaning they work with local products that have a low environmental impact.

💰 Prices: Parisian, yes)), but reasonable for the quality. Medium tasting menu (7 courses): €158. Lunch menu (3...

Was treated to a meal with my wife at Substance. I came with very high expectations seeing that it is a 1 Michelin Star establishment.

Overall, it did not disappoint. The treat was of the ‘Vibration Menu’; a 7 course Menu (see attached photo). There were 4 dishes, that I thought was a standout from the 7.

The squid with Kiwi sorbet was just so unexpected. The texture of the squid was almost konjac like and the sorbet gave it such a refreshing taste, accompanied by chilli pepper that gave it just enough of spiciness.

Potato Gnocchi with Morteau sausage with a combination of 4 sauces. The serving of this dish was interesting - the sauces were poured in sequences from the chicken reduction to the chive oil. What elevated the dish was the Yellow Wine and Sausage reduction. Gnocchi was well seasoned and perfectly cooked.

Pigeon with Asparagus, wild garlic and a charcutiere sauce (I think it was a reduction of the pigeon carcass) which was very flavorful. But the jewel of this dish is the main ingredient - the Pigeon. It was perfectly cooked, super tender and juicy; totally good on its own. The Julienne of gherkins gave a nice balance to the richness of the game and reduction.

Fresh herbs with yoghurt and Granny apple. I think this dessert was a much better balance than the 1st dessert of Rice Pudding,Lemon and Genmaicha glacier. There was a vanilla -like ice cream which was a pleasant surprise.

What I did not really understand is the strong acidity and punch used in the dessert, the pulp of the lemon itself. In my opinion, it can be overpowering.

Lastly, the service. It was, excellent! A shoutout to Naomi who served us for the most part of our dinner. She was attentive and fast, given that she was also attending to at least 2 other tables of 4 and 2 respectively.

If you have a special occasion and happen to be in Paris, do...

Overall, I would assess this meal as good but slightly overhyped for the price point. The staff was definitely a 5/5; they were incredibly attentive, kind, and professional, and the wait staff didn’t miss a beat. I chose the immersion menu with the wine pairing. As a pescatarian, they replaced the meat dishes for me, which I appreciated.

Some of the dishes knocked it out of the park. The standouts were: the Amuse-bouche, the juniper-infused butter, the cancoillotte cheese/potato/trout roe (truly outstanding with rich and decadent flavor), the oyster/pea pairing (tasted like the ocean in the best way), and the linden honey/lemon/bee pollen dessert (a delicious work of art).

However, some dishes were too salty. Specifically, I found the pollack fish to be over-salted, making it hard to taste the fish itself, and the chanterelles in the monkfish dish were also overly salty, to the point that it felt like my palate was getting blown out. I also did not enjoy the fried tomatoes in the lobster dish and felt the broth in the lobster ravioli lacked complexity and flavor.

The wine pairings were good but could have been more interesting. The first pairing, a Spanish Orange Wine from BRCA with the potato dish, completely overpowered the food instead of complementing it. The rest of the pairings were fine, but I was hoping for one or two more reds in the mix—almost all the wines were oranges. This might have been due to my pescatarian diet, but in my experience with wine pairings, there is usually more variety.

I have had the privilege of dining at many Michelin Star restaurants around the world and acknowledge that I am a tough critic. For the reasons listed, at this price point, I couldn’t give it a 5/5. However, I would still recommend this dining experience to anyone who doesn’t mind food that’s a bit on the...