The story
On the quiet rue de l'Abbé-Grégoire in the 6th arrondissement, Quinsou is the expression of chef Antonin Bonnet's singular vision. Here, gastronomy and responsibility meet. The kitchen is built around the conviction that "true novelty is always born from a return to the source" – a phrase from philosopher Edgard Morin that the chef makes his own. Bonnet's cooking is a thoughtful, committed French cuisine that aims to marry good taste with common sense, using fresh, seasonal produce and traditional techniques reimagined with care.
The menu changes with the seasons, showcasing the best of the terroir. Dishes like diver scallops from Saint-Malo Bay with raw cream from Borniambuc, kohlrabi, and tagete flower in a ponzu vinaigrette reveal a balance of precision and lightness. A signature starter of cabbage and praline with soy sauce, sansho pepper, herb salad, and parsley juice plays with sweet-savory contrasts. For those seeking depth, there is duck foie gras with amontillado jelly, saffron-poached quince, and brioche, or a paté en croûte of duck, foie gras, and pruneaux à l'armagnac with a fine amontillado gelée. Root vegetables, caramelised and paired with brown mustard leaves, topinambour cream, and red wine reduction, speak to the kitchen's respect for the vegetable.
Quinsou's approach has earned a Michelin star, a recognition of "high quality cooking" that aligns with the restaurant's unpretentious ambition. The dining room is welcoming, and the service is attentive without being fussy. A ballotine of foie gras marinated in Armagnac, available for purchase, encapsulates the restaurant's ethos: a classic French preparation elevated by precise technique and a clear sense of place.
Recognition
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High quality cooking
The years pass and Quinsou (“finch” in Occitan) sings just as sweetly as ever! The man behind the magic? Antonin Bonnet, taking it easy in his luxurious bistro (big mirrors, camel-toned banquettes, globe light fixtures) as he transforms first-rate ingredients into top-quality plates. The day we went for lunch, the €38 prix-fixe menu featured a heady tartare of Albacore tuna from Saint-Jean-de-Luz upgraded with caviar (+€9), plus a tomato condiment, pickled radish and shiso; fabulous squid from Saint-Guénolé lounging on a bed of grilled peppers, with small potatoes smoked over hay and an orgiastic squid ink vinaigrette, all sauced up with homemade bread prepared using heirloom wheat flours – or a plump sausage from the neighboring Boucherie Grégoire (one of the chef’s properties), with al dente haricots verts, coco de Paimpol beans and chard; before a delicious damson plum tart paired with fromage blanc ice cream and encircled by crushed amaretti. The stunning five- or six-course menus are also worth considering: eg.: smoked eel, squid ink vinaigrette, hay-smoked potatoes and purslane; roasted kabocha and red kuri squash, butternut squash purée, physalis and nasturtium; red mullet, sunchoke, purple beans, dill and a bouillabaisse sauce; cabbage with citrus, earl grey and orange infused whipped cream and lemon sorbet… // A.D.
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