Fodor's Expert Review Le Chapeau Melon

A real neighborhood find, this quirky little cave and wine bar is run with imagination, flair, and zero pretension. Dishes like salmon cru drizzled with grass-green Provençal olive oil and soy sauce, served alongside slices of tart green apple; a nutty velouté of shiitake mushrooms with a tiny dollop of crème fraiche; or calimari served in its ink with flecks of vanilla are the happy result of whatever inspires owner-chef–wine aficionado Olivier Camus that day. Wine here is a serious affair, and interested diners are met with enthusiastic annotations (and copious samplings) of the wines of the day listed on the blackboard. To get a real feel for this convivial neighborhood come to the 6 pm happy hour, for homemade terrine, artisanal charcuterie, and an excellent glass of wine.