Comptoir de Vie

Paris' Must-Try Seasonal, Sustainable Tasting Menu Is at a Bar

"Launched in early March by Alex Francis and Barney O’Kane, this Montorgueil tasting-menu concept translates a farm-to-table cocktail ethos into fine dining with a strong emphasis on seasonality and sustainability. Guests are welcomed into a light, airy space with an open kitchen centered around an 11-seat counter that encourages direct interaction with the team; a hyper-seasonal five-step dining menu (90€, welcome drink included) can be paired with a signature drinks experience (55€, non-alcoholic option available), and there is also a five-step drinks tasting menu (70€). Executive chef Adam Purcell collaborates closely with the bar founders to design dishes and drinks in tandem, using whole-animal and whole-ingredient approaches and repurposing byproducts (for example, a cacao-free chocolate truffle made from beer waste paired with a chicory cocktail) while spotlighting local French producers. Examples from the first menu—an Apple Sgroppino with poached apple sorbet, calvados and dry cider, and a raw oyster finished with housemade black pepper oil and kiwi granita—illustrate the team’s playful yet precise approach, and design choices (washable wool coasters, house-distilled spirits, a zero-ice policy) reflect the project’s sustainability-driven storytelling mission." - Kristy Alpert