"Having a meal at Douceur Piquante—in a warmly lit dining room with turquoise walls, flowers everywhere, and a mix of vintage formica and dark wooden tables—feels like eating at someone’s house. The chef-owner pairs recipes from Indian Ocean countries and territories like Zanzibar, the Comoros, and Madagascar with Provençal flavors, especially citrus. And she never stops moving: One minute she’s in the open kitchen rolling herbed veal meatballs, frying samosas, or spooning curried broccoli over pilaf, and the next she’s at your side, pouring a lemon-ginger or hibiscus juice while swapping gossip with tables of regulars. The pace here is laid-back, so if you’ve got a packed day, come for lunch on the early side, but try to leave enough time for dessert. In the land of chocolate fondant cakes, the one at Douceur Piquante stands out for its little zip of Espelette pepper." - sophie friedman
