I try not to be too hyperbolic about restaurants, especially when I’ve just walked out the door, but within moments of sitting down at Didon, I ate some of the most delicious mouthfuls I’ve tried so far this year.
(If I wanted to downplay how great I think Didon is, I’m not off to a great start.)
So let me lean in: I must implore you: Stop what you’re doing and book a table here. You won’t regret it.
Didon is a bistronomic restaurant down the quiet rue du Dragon in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and given its namesake – Dido – it seems only apt that the kitchen be run by two women, Sarah Edouard and Mélissa Altenberg, in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Michel Portos.
The menu has something for everyone, including a vegan and a vegetarian option for every course (a rarity in Paris), but it’s nevertheless driven by coal-grilled meat-and-fish-focused specialties, most of which are designed to share. That said, unlike many other similar places I’ve visited of late, like Ardent or Terre, here, there are quite a few options you can also order in a single portion, which to my mind, is a major plus.
On the day of our visit, the menu featured an (unshareable) behemoth of a 40-day-aged Tomahawk steak with grilled enoki mushrooms and pepper sauce (157) as well as a duck magret with apricot, zucchini, marjoram, cashews, and port sauce (39 for one, 76 for two). I was nearly tempted by the latter and probably would have ordered it if not for the options on the prix fixe, which proved too tempting (and, frankly, too reasonable) to pass up. The lunchtime weekday menu includes one appetizer, one dessert, and a choice of two mains – one fish, one meat – for 28 euros for two courses or 35 for three. And for this quality – and generosity –, that’s a steal of epic proportions.
No matter what you order, you start with a small amuse bouche, which on our visit was a crispy corn galette topped with a miso-watermelon gel. It was served fresh and warm, and the combination of the sweet, toasty notes of the corn, the bright watermelon, and just a kiss of umami from the miso was spectacular.
The appetizer of the day was a reimagined Bloody Mary, which began with a base of char-grilled pineapple tomato – my favorite heirloom variety. The base was topped with cornichons, celery, and a Bloody Mary granita and was, quite simply, the best appetizer I’d eaten all year. The marriage of smoke and sweetness was pitch-perfect, and I quite liked the fact that the granita was white in color, which made its richness in flavor all the more surprising. The dish was both light and full-flavored, making it the ideal way to open the meal and our appetites.
I’m not surprised by its popularity: In fact, the cheffe let us know that it may soon join other à la carte appetizer offerings like shrimp tacos with tomato, aguachile, and cucumber (24) or a (vegan) chickpea falafel with red cabbage ketchup, tahini aioli, and garlic chips (24), which I spotted on a neighboring table and did indeed look excellent.
We ultimately forewent the à la carte options and tried, instead, both prix fixe mains. The salmon was served with al dente Paimpol beans, bell peppers, sorrel, and a rich fish stock emulsion whipped into a foam. The skin had had been removed and char-cooked before being replaced on the fish, a technique I’d never seen before but may even recreate at home, seeing as it meant the chip of skin stayed crisp all the way to the last bite.
The bavette steak, meanwhile, was kissed with a generous black pepper seasoning and cooked until just warm inside – a perfect saignant. It was paired with a fresh side of green beans tossed with char-grilled corn and a touch of Thai basil.
And yet while the steak was delicious, the star of the plate was the corn cob itself, which had been glazed in miso before being char-cooked so that it was sweet, smoky, and rich. I could have eaten a dozen of these.
We also ordered a side of grilled sucrine (5), which was served with lemon-infused labneh drizzle, za’atar and sumac. It was perfectly nice, though not as mind-blowing as some of the other offerings. While I’m not usually a grilled salad girlie, I suspect it might have needed a bit more time on the grill to really sing.
I typically don’t order cheese in restaurants, but I had to try the Pont l’Evêque (18), here served two ways: in a generous wedge and also melted in a Staub cassolette. Sourced from Laurent Dubois, the cheese itself was, of course, of impeccable quality, and I really liked the Granny Smith apple, mizuna, and walnut accompaniment, as well as the tart apple gel.
But I was, somewhat to my surprise, even more conquered by the dessert of the day: rhubarb just barely confit in elderflower liqueur was served with a cheesecake siphon, a rhubarb-ginger gel, and a touch of crumble. The cheesecake mousse was denser than I would have expected, and I was pleasantly surprised by its richness and its unapologetic savoriness. Unlike many sweeter plays I encounter in Paris, this one was giving major New York cheesecake vibes.
The rhubarb gel was very generously flavored with ginger and went perfectly with the mousse. And while the crumble was a bit underwhelming (as most crumbles in France are), with a note that could have either been staleness or a reliance on rice flour, it was a small stumble in an otherwise delicious dessert. We scraped this plate clean.
There’s very little I can say to criticize this restaurant. While expensive, the portions are incredibly generous and delicious, and the service is lovely and personable, particularly the cheffe herself, who emerged from the kitchen to check in with tables at regular intervals. The bread comes from time-tested Poujaran and is the perfect pair for soaking up the delicious sauces, and the cozy dining room offers two ambiances, from the airy downstairs to the more intimate upstairs. It’s the ideal date night restaurant, but it’s also a great place to bring the parents when they’re visiting. Whoever I’m bringing, I really hope that my next visit is soon.
Didon – 8, rue du Dragon, 75006