Fodor's Expert Review L'Ourcine

Sylvain Danière knows what it takes to open a popular bistro: choose an obscure location in a residential neighborhood, decorate it simply but cheerfully, work extremely hard, and constantly reinvent your menu. The real key ingredient is talent, though, and Danière has plenty of it, as demonstrated by his updated duckling au sang (in blood sauce) with celery-root puree, and a popular crémeux au chocolat (chocolate pudding) to finish things off. Locals mingle with well-informed tourists from Texas or Toulouse in the red-and-cream dining room, and you can watch the chef hard at work in his small kitchen. Go for lunch when you can get a main course for €18, or enjoy the three-course prix-fixe menu for €38 at dinner.