Pluto is technically a museum café, given its location within the Lafayette Anticipations gallery in the heart of the Marais. But to describe it as such seems almost criminal, given the delicious creativity coming out of Chef Thomas Coupeau’s (ex-Carbon, ex-Cloche) kitchen. I had first encountered his food at Cloche, where I enjoyed his creativity but found that something was lacking in the delivery. At Pluto, freed from the pressure to create within the constraints of adhering, at least somewhat, to bistro fare, Coupeau’s cuisine seems all grown up, incarnating fully a playful approach to seasonal French produce with international flair.
It’s no surprise to me that the no-reservations loft-style café is abuzz within moments of opening at 12:30: You don’t get food of this quality for this price in this neighborhood, at least not anywhere that I can think of. The lunch menu is offered daily, even on weekends, at 28 euros for two courses and 32 for three.
Appetizers and mains each numbered three on the day of our visit. In each category, there was at least one vegetarian option, and most of the others featured either fish or seafood. Between the two of us, we sampled nearly everything.
To start, we forewent the fish accras with aioli and pimenton in favor of the buffalo mozzarella topped with lemon, pepper, vibrant olive oil, and seasonal white asparagus. The portion was welcomely dainty, perfect for lunch. But while the flavors were lovely and bright, the fine julienne of asparagus got a bit lost in this preparation and could have easily been kohlrabi or radish. Even though it ate well, particularly with the lovely sourdough from nearby Sain Boulangerie, it was kind of a shame for the supposed headliner of the dish, a seasonal ingredient that’s so prized in France, to fade into the background.
Far more successful, for me, was the banka trout and kohlrabi Thai-style salad with a perfectly sweet-and-sour dressing. A few slices of flavorful trout (and one unfortunate pin bone) were bulked out with whole fresh herbs, the first of the season’s cherry tomatoes, and a generous smattering of deeply toasted almonds.
For mains, we decided to forego the pasta alla vongole with spring garlic in favor of the generous croque monsieur with Cantal and jambon blanc. The rich artisan sandwich bread was piled with loads of gooey cheese and a welcome, heavy hand with the mustard. The ham was cut thickly and visibly nitrite-free from its slightly beige hue. The only downside of this dish was the accompanying side salad made of unwieldy uncut romaine leaves dressed with a strangely sweet vinaigrette.
The vegetarian main saw a chapati topped with green goddess, tahini, and spring vegetables. It proved a very saucy dish difficult to eat neatly, particularly given the sauce-to-chapati ratio.
Luckily, there was more sourdough to help us out.
The green goddess ate almost like a creamy pesto, bright and verdant, while the tahini provided a lovely umami depth. The green asparagus, turnip, and beetroot were perfectly cooked and left relatively untouched, making them ideal foils for the sauces. A smattering of fresh herbs, pickled onions, and thinly sliced fennel were nice notes of freshness. Above all, it was lovely to see a vegetarian offering this gourmand and creative in a city where plant-based diners are usually relegated to ho-hum pastas and risottos.
Dessert was where I was truly wowed, however: My first bite of the beer cake with beer caramel and crème fraiche rendered an unprintable utterance. This cake wasn’t actually all that beer-forward in flavor but rather ate like a sticky toffee pudding with an umami, slightly malty backbone that gave it a moreishness I absolutely adored.
My only real complaint here is in the service. Our mains arrived while our apps were still on the table, and then our dessert took 25 minutes to arrive, a long lapse during which the servers, who had been friendly yet absent, rounded the base towards unprofessional as they finished side work while we craned for their attention. Perhaps this was an anomaly, and even if not, I can highly recommend this gorgeous spot for an afternoon lunch… provided you’re not in a rush to get somewhere afterwards.
Pluto – 44, rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004