Arnaud and Oscar are the two young chefs behind Lesar, and if you’re wondering where the restaurant name comes from, it’s because A&O both have the letters ‘ar’ in their first names, making them “Les Ar“(geddit?)

Their recently-opened venture is not very far from our hotels and features seasonal ingredients on a menu that changes regularly to reflect that. And perhaps even more interesting than the delicious-looking evening menu, they open for lunch twice a week with a fixed price menu that we found exceptional…

It’s difficult to pin down exactly why, but there are certain restaurants that give off good energy as soon as you walk in, perhaps because of the interior design, perhaps because of the generous smiles from the staff. Lesar is one of those places.

In a small, slightly nondescript street, to which the Paris council has recently added flowerbeds (should look amazing next spring), this is an area that’s not well known for its good eating spots, which could be a blessing or a curse (the restaurant has changed owners four times in eight years). Hopefully, Arnaud and Oscar’s passion, professionalism and bouncy good vibes will quickly make Lesar a mainstay in the neighbourhood.

They opened in March 2024, and the project is basically just the two lads, plus a little help for busy evening services. This explains why lunch is only served Thursdays and Fridays – even with their youthful energy, with one cooking and the other serving, A&O simply wouldn’t be able to do it all week.

Their space, with a dozen or so tables (plus a few more on the terrace in summer) and an open kitchen is neutrally decorated with abundant earth tones and real wood. We appreciated that the website allows you to book either a table or seat at the bar, the latter of which gives you a great view of the chef at work (spoiler alert: he has his work cut out for him).

We decided to visit Lesar on a wintery Thursday lunchtime for the fixed price menu which gives you just two choices for each course. Some people might find this a little limiting, but it’s a strategic choice from the lads, meaning that they can conduct the service proficiently.

And so we started our meal with a beetroot carpaccio with pistachio vinaigrette, and an œuf parfait (i.e. cooked at 64°C) with a savory-infused carrot purée.

The egg was unsurprisingly cooked to perfection, served with little croutons and both colourfully and delicately presented. As for the fresh, light, thinly-sliced raw beetroot, the seasoning was just right and presentation was once again gorgeous.

For our main dishes, the veal aitch bone with sweet potatoes and chimichurri sauce didn’t appeal, so we both opted for the homemade Alsace-style spätzle with wild mushrooms. The variant of pasta was cooked and quickly pan-fried to give it an agreeable crunch, with a very proficient mushroom sauce hidden below.

A playful dish that we very much enjoyed.

The day of our visit, the two ‘desserts’ were in fact one dessert and one cheese choice, with a plate of brillat-savarin and tomme cheese rolled in flowers (small but flavoursome), and a spectacular whipped dark chocolate ganache served with a drizzle of olive oil, something that restaurants really should do more often, as the juxtaposition of tastes is amazing.

What a great meal we had at Lesar!

If you’re not available for a Thursday or Friday lunch, or the tiny choice of (delicious) dishes has you hesitating, then an evening meal is also an excellent choice, with a much larger selection of dishes to share at very reasonable prices. These two guys are very worthy of your encouragements, so go down there and say hello!

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Lesar (here) is open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner, and Thursday and Friday for lunch

Online booking here

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