Review: Racines 2 in Paris, France

Racines2 menu board

An amuse bouche of puff pastry and fresh vegetables

Pyrenees lamb with goat cheese agnolotti and roasted sage broccoli.

Closer image of lamb dish

La Creme Tendre au Chocolat

Although you're in Paris, arguably the gastronomic center of the world, it can be tough to figure out where to eat. Just because there are restaurants galore doesn't mean that they deserve your time (nor euros). This is where word of mouth through local foodie friends and colleagues can sometimes be worth its weight in gold. 

Racine 2, located a block away from the noisy and touristy Rue de Rivoli, serves up modern French in a Philippe Starck-meets-industrial Brooklyn space. The entire menu is on a chalkboard - quite common in Paris - which doesn't leave room for much exploration but the food is definitely decent. The Pyrenees lamb was some of the most tender meats I've had in a while, likely spending time in a sous vide bath before they browned it to perfection. Bathing in a shallow pool of au jus, paired with roasted sage broccoli and goat cheese agnolotti, it's a hearty meal for one and gives me incentive to explore the rest of the menu. The decidedly "light" dessert of creme chocolat consisted of a thin, carmelized wafer snuggled between a dark, frothy chocolate mousse above and a denser, milk chocolate creme below - all resting on a plate of deconstructed chocolate cookie crumbs. When gathered together with a fork, it's meant to taste like a praline. The wines by the glass need more attention, however, as the list is not extensive and even that's an understatement. My lamb was paired with a Sangiovese that seemed much too young for this dish. Expect around 32 euros for lunch and 55 euros for dinner.

Ambiance: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Food: 8/10

Racines 2
39 rue de l'arbre sec
75001, Paris
racinesparis.com