Olivier Camus has long been regarded as one of the first to champion natural wines in Paris.
When he co-founded Le Baratin some twenty years ago, it quickly became the Parisian late-night version of the NYC Blue Ribbon Bakery, where food industry folk made the journey up to Belleville after work to eat, drink and take the pulse of the food scene.
Nowadays, Olivier is behind the stove at his Le Chapeau Melon (“the bowler hat”) just a stone’s throw from Baratin – where he continues to draw loyal regulars for his refined home cooking and natural wines in an unassuming setting – a bottle shop.
Le Chapeau Melon started out a while ago as just a wine store; additionally becoming a popular table d’hôte with Olivier preparing four-course set dinner menus Wednesday – Saturday, and a la carte on Sunday.
Since the available (and good) restaurant choices slim down quite a bit on Sunday nights, I’ve been going to Le Chapeau a lot because I can count on consistently good meals and wines at affordable prices. When Olivier recently invited me to come back on a week night and eat in the kitchen for the set menu, he tempted, “Of course Sundays are great, but during the week it is a special place here.”
Indeed it is, on any night, because it doesn’t feel at all like a restaurant… more like dropping by your best friend’s house because you know they always have something great on the stove and they are happy to share it with you.
Without a hint of ego – Olivier is a gracious host, simply contented to welcome guests to his place with nice music, share his favorite wines and thoughtfully prepare dinner after careful consideration given to what he will serve.
Sitting just off the busy Belleville road, Le Chapeau Melon beckons from the sidelines with a warm glow and atmosphere that is palpable on the otherwise quiet little street. Passerby’s who don’t know about the place, stop to look in the windows with longing eyes at contented locals sending a happy chorus of clinking glasses out into the night air each time the door swings open.
Last Thursday evening, I walked through the busy dining room past casually-dressed locals and jovial out-of-town winemakers to the back “buvette” (kitchen bar) where Olivier and co. were starting service.
The place certainly isn’t fancy and immediately puts one at ease. It is more home kitchen than decorator showroom, where you get a glimpse of the owner’s personality and how they live in their cooking space. Dangling light fixtures covered with red and white-checkered handkerchiefs soften the light, an open pantry showcases his favorite spices and oils, and gleaming stock pots, sauté pans, and dishes are neatly stacked to the ceiling. Personal touches include framed photographs of cherished friends hanging where he can see them best from the stove, and a vast collection of the world’s best cookbook authors within reach.
With names such as Robuchon, Ducasse, Nobu and Roellinger on the bindings – his inspiration is to use only fresh beautiful ingredients with a modern twist.
Olivier makes everything from scratch as it is ordered – calmly and efficiently; along with his team made up of one eager prep cook and a dishwasher. The only noises are searing, stirring, rinsing and the old-time radio playing everything from jazz, Bach, Latin salsa and even Neil Young.
Just as the adorable server Jerome welcomed me with a glass of crisp white wine, I jumped because Olivier had opened the fridge next to me and a tail attached to a huge just-delivered St. Jean de Luz mackerel plopped out. He laughed, “Wendy, you should see the other one too!” Talk about fresh.
Out front, Jerome continued to greet guests with white wine while traveling around the animated room to verbally walk everyone through the chalkboard menu.
Everything on offer was terrific:
Leek soup with walnut oil and a side garnish of truffle cream
Ginger relish oysters, mackerel served raw with Japanese tosazu and black sesame seeds (I sent this dish back to the chef spotless, pleading for the recipe – merci Olivier!), Burrata and peaches, grilled pistachio sausage and the foie gras…a total Harry Met Sally.
seared foie gras on daikon in a deeply sexy broth
Olivier is a hands on kind of guy while he cooks – tasting everything at least five times (maybe more) before it comes out of a jar-bottle-fridge, before and after it has been dispensed and mixed, before and after it has heated and before it is served.
As a self-taught cook, he is also a natural teacher, encouraging the guys to taste and think through each step of each recipe.
While I was eating, I was riveted watching him stand over a sauté pan on the stove. He was focused on nothing else except making sure a single lobe of foie gras was being perfectly cooked – unphased by the steady stream of wine friends piling into the tiny kitchen to share camaraderie and a glass.
Every so often, he’d step into the doorway for a closer look around the dining room to see everyone enjoying themselves and smile.
Jerome told me that my favorite bottle of Eric Pfifferling was depleted (a side effect of a small producer, once it is gone, it is g-o-n-e), so he suggested Eric’s neighbor Alain Allier, now one of my favorites at 13€, until it is gone too.
Since there isn’t a printed wine list, feel free to walk around the dining room to look over the spectacular natural wine selection in the floor-to-ceiling shelves and ask away if you have any questions.
Even this glorious deep-dish apple dessert was made from scratch, right in front of me – and the butter, fruit, crust and cream result? Sinful.
I’m enchanted with this casual little spot – it is a special local place I can count on for great food and wine, complete with super nice staff, and a chef-owner who sincerely hopes that what they are doing will please diners enough to come back again soon.
The proof is in the pudding honey, I make a future reservation every time I leave.
What to Expect: Informal, thoughtful cooking, value, consistency, the smallest bathroom in Paris.
What Not to Expect: Central location, pretension, haute cuisine.
Address and Nearest Metro: 92, rue Rébeval, 20th, M° Pyrenees or Belleville.
Telephone : 01.42.02.68.60.
Hours and Prices: Open Wed–Sat dinner only, 31.50€ menus, Cheese 6€, Dessert 6.50€ and reasonably priced wines sold at cost with a corkage fee of 8.50. Sunday dinner service is a la carte, starters average 10€, entrees average 20€. Wines can be purchased to take away during the afternoon and throughout dinner.
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Do you need reservations for here? How far inadvance would you book? Do they have a website?
Hello Marta, No website but you should book as soon as you can – they are popular! If you give them a ring, the staff speaks passable English*) Oliver the Chef-owner is fluent.