You don’t need a special occasion to go to the new restaurant Occasion in the 10th arrondissement. And although the only dining option – a set menu with four courses for €49 (or, on Saturday evening, five courses for €59) – may seem expensive, it really isn’t when you consider that any old restaurant, or even cafê, will charge, say, €12 for a starter, €22 for a main course and €12 for dessert. It’s a bargain price to pay for four exquisite courses prepared by two cheffes, Candice Brée and Margaux Baju.
The architect-designed decor is another attraction: elegantly pretty, with little touches like designer lamps and candelabra, a handsome mid-century curving wooden booth, Marcel Breuer chairs and fancy cutlery.
To open our appetite, we were served yummy little “cacio e pepe” gougères (cheese and pepper pastry puffs) on an escargot tray. Peppery perfection.
The first course of tiny, super-fresh raw scallops was beautifully accompanied by pine oil, fine carrot sticks and mandarin pepper-infused marmalade. We had been warned beforehand by the server not to finish off the butter flavored with smoked hay that came with the crusty dark bread because it went so well with the scallop dish. That turned out to be eminently true. That butter was good enough to eat all by itself.
Then came a pair of rectangular, non-identical twin ravioli, one stuffed with ricotta and seaweed, the other with artichoke hearts and tonka beans. Both lovely, they swam in a delightful, delicate broth of artichoke leaves, bergamot and seaweed.
The next course in this fish-dominated meal was lieu jaune (pollack), perfectly cooked, with fresh chives and a healthy serving of al dente broccolini and Swiss chard. On the side: a buttery zabaglione with hazelnuts and housemade kosho (a fermented chili-pepper-and-yuzu-zest paste) for added zip.
We didn’t think it could get any better, but it did, with the luscious dessert, a variation on tiramisu called célerimisi, which had the different textures of tiramisu – creamy with bits of cake – but not the same flavors. On top was a scoop of ice cream with the surprising flavors of celery and coffee. I loved it, but my dinner companion went absolutely mad for it.
That was followed by a bonus dessert of delicious buttery cookies baked in scallop shells – seems like nothing goes to waste here.
Get there soon for a calm, refined evening with lovely fare. And don’t say anything, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, given the quality of the food, the prices were to rise in the near future, another reason to try this Michelin-ready and well-named (it’s truly special) restaurant now.
See our Favorite Restaurants by Arrondissement page to find a good restaurant in the neighborhood where you want to eat.
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