Abri, a Haven of Innovative Food in Paris

Abri is a small, upmarket restaurant with 22 seats and minimalist decor. The chef, Katsuaki Okiyama, creates fusion cuisine, combining Japanese influences and traditional French cuisine. Marinated mackerel with cauliflower, grapefruit, onion and vanilla cream, cuttlefish, kale, Comté cheese emulsion, cabbage coulis, black rice galette, squash velouté, olives, saffron and orange emulsion, Saint-Pierre with chicory and artichoke… They’re all mouth-watering ingredients. And it’s clearly a success, because you need to book well in advance if you want to try the chef’s dishes.

Every Monday and Saturday lunchtime, the restaurant also offers a more ‘street food’-style menu: tonkatsu sandwiches, made from Japanese-style breaded pork, cabbage salad and a thin omelette flavoured with dashi stock between two golden, soft slices of bread. The price alone beats the competition: 13 euros with a drink and dessert included.