After a brief but memorable Champagne trip, my wife Jun and I came back to Paris for one last night in the city. The city on our return was bustling with the Fête de la Musique celebrations (an annual celebration of music). We strolled around the Marais district where we were staying, checking out the Picasso Museum and catching up on last-minute shopping. There were too many Paris restaurants on my wish list when I was planning our trip but I ultimately narrowed my choice to Géosmine, a modern bistro helmed by a young chef Maxime Bouttier. I was hoping to see a creative French tasting menu with fresh takes on the country’s rich culinary heritage (similar to what I experienced at Granite then led by talented chef Tom Meyer when we visited the city three years ago). The fun and exciting tasting menu at the restaurant mostly delivered, with some really outstanding dishes.

The tasting menu at Géosmine, consisting of 11 items, is a relatively bargain at €140 per person. After a few whimsical snacks like black garlic and anchovy cream cracker and fermented white asparagus tartlet, we started getting some wonderful small plate dishes. I was very impressed with the ingenious touch coming from the kitchen. It only came in three pieces, but the apricot and lobster pasta with lobster bisque left such a lasting impression that I could’ve eaten an entire meal just with this dish. A bowl of pea in beef jus and thin slices of guanciale on top was another winner that I enjoyed very much, as was dry aged tuna with cauliflower accompanied by fish and butter sauce.

A duck dish is often a reliable sign of how good a restaurant’s kitchen is, and Géosmine delivered here with a beautiful dish of duck confit with radicchio on top and accompanied by red cherry compote. Compared to all the hits, the only slight miss was the last savory course. When our server brought an artichoke dish, he said there is a “secret ingredient” added to the artichoke. Later, we found out that the ingredient was cow udder, and it wasn’t quite as noticeable was I thought it would be while splitting the artichoke. Another favorite dish of mine from the dinner came into the form of palate cleanser. I’ve certainly seen a fair number of dessert dishes incorporating vegetables by now, but the apple and parsley sorbet on top of lettuce was a brilliant touch with very unique flavor. We finished our meal with strawberry and rhubarb compote, then followed by a delightful bowl of chocolate mousse with salt sprinkled on top.   

Getting a reservation at Géosmine wasn’t too challenging but size of the minimalistic dining space is relatively modest (the restaurant is located in a two-story building and I couldn’t tell how large the second-story space is) so I would still try to book in advance. The wine list is another strength at the restaurant, with representations from various corners of France both famous and relatively unknown (Géosmine has even its own branded Champagne bottle that is served by the glass). The service was overall friendly and attentive, especially considering the distractions coming from the streets outside the restaurant due to Fête de la Musique. Géosmine is the kind of restaurant where you want to visit for a fun and creative modern French cuisine without paying a fortune inside luxurious multi-Michelin-starred establishments. It is for places like this that I find myself coming back to Paris for new and exciting culinary journeys.

KenScale: 8.5/10 (Jun’s Score: 8.5/10)

Address: 71 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011, Paris, France

Website: https://www.geosmine.com/

Reservation via Website