L’Office, the latest neo-bistro to surface in the 9th arrondissement, is welcome news for diners looking to find great value in perfectly cooked products in an interesting part of town. The French owner Charles Compagnon and New York City Chefs Kevin O’Donnell and Michael Lombardi have already hosted notable food press and other Paris chefs – and they’ve only been open five weeks.
How did France and NYC come to L’Office? Christophe was working at the James Beard House in NYC when he met Kevin and Michael who were working at Maria Batali’s Del Posto – and now the team is making their mark together on the rue Richer, just steps away from other local favorites Vivant and Autour d’un Verre.
Since a dear friend of mine works in the area it was the perfect meeting point to plan our future trip to Italy over lunch.
Making my way through a packed house at 1:30 was reassuring, and the décor welcomed with its zinc bar, chocolate brown wood floors and table tops, filament bulbs hanging from red wire, antique mirrors, Western-style cow skulls and horns, stacks of French literature books, celery green walls and framed black and white ink drawings.
I especially loved the oversized thick cloth napkins, Laguiole horn silverware and baskets piled high with thick slices of dark country bread – all sure signs of good and generous things to come.
Ricotta gnocchi with olives
Although the menu descriptions are brief (handwritten on permanent chalkboard paint around the bistro) we shared plates long on flavor: dreamy ricotta gnocchi peppered with olives and herbs, crisp and tender pork belly, tomato gelee and sunny side up egg (a perfect flavor combination much like a BLT with an egg) and juicy chicken with super crispy skin – paired with tangy beets and earthy girolle mushrooms.
With some wine left in our glasses (One of my favorite Burgundy producers Bruno Clair) the Fourme d’Ambert and Beaufort cheese platter won over the chocolate-banana cake or apple tart with vanilla ice cream.
The bill was painless at 24 euros a person, and playfully delivered tucked away behind the front cover of a book – 
a nice touch since Charles has an author in the family.
It is a perfectly delightful little spot with super nice guys at the helm – just hitting their stride while clearly pleasing the locals and yours truly.
If you like L’Office, you’ll also enjoy Vivant and Au Passage.
L’Office
Cuisine: Modern, French, Italian
Ambiance: Convivial, good vibes, lively
What to Expect: Casual, market-driven, natural & organic wines, open on Monday
What Not to Expect: Pretension, fussy
Address and Metro: 3, rue Richer, 9th, Metros: Cadet, Bonne Nouvelle
Télephone: 01 47 70 67 31
Hours and Prices: Closed Sunday, open for lunch Mon-Fri, open for dinner Mon-Sat, 19-35 euros.
View Where to Eat and Drink Now in a larger map
Congrats Kevin! I am so proud of you!
Congratulations Chef Michael!