Restaurant Martin, a well-hidden address

How many Parisians have passed by the unusual façade of the Renaissance Paris République Hotel without even paying attention? Quite a few! Only those who look up will notice it. Just a stone's throw from the famous square, it boasts typical 1970s architecture, with futuristic portholes, cast aluminum shells. Designed by Jean-Jacques Fernier, winner of the Grand Prix International d'Urbanisme, the facade was later embellished with Bantu warriors by street artist Kouka, at a time when theIn 2016, the building was transformed into a 5-star hotel owned by the American Marriott group.

Arty haven

The preserved artistic heritage served as a guiding principle for the decor, orchestrated by interior designer Didier Gomez. Paintings, photographs, drawings and murals adorn the walls of the main lobby, the bar, the Martin restaurant and even the parking lot! As for the 121 rooms (including 12 suites), they have the air of an artist's studio. The bathrooms feature a glass and metal wall, reminiscent of the large windows in the studios of early twentieth-century painters. It's hard not to find inspiration in these urban cocoons: cherry tree branches on the walls, graphic carpets, made-to-measure sofas... Then there are the famous portholes, balconies overlooking the city, which you come to "inhabit" by sitting on the ledge. The street show is in full swing, with its share of hurried Parisians.

Open kitchen

Will they see the hidden porch adjoining the hotel entrance? The curious ones, no doubt. Turning their backs on the hustle and bustle of the main boulevards, they enter a courtyard flooded with calm. A 300 m2 vegetation-covered wall faces the mini-Pétanque court. Attractive armchairs and tables complete the summery atmosphere, inviting you to linger as soon as the sun rises. Finally, at the end of the terrace, the door to the Martin restaurant - also accessible from the hotel. The contemporary furnishings are softened by a few vintage finds (a typewriter and a stack of old Paris-Match magazines from the yéyé era) in a spirit of Parisian titi. Behind the semi-open kitchen, new chef Mélissa Ravel is busy at work.

From harvest to plate

She loves to work with good produce (poultry from the Gâtinais, fish and meat from Normandy...) and vegetables, as evidenced by the carrot and casserole tattooed on her arm. And it's thanks to her astonishing vegetarian dish of carrot with sumac and lemon, breaded with seeds, that she's now at the helm of Le Martin. From the Clermont-Ferrand region where she was born, she has retained a taste for hiking between volcanoes, accompanied by picnics using local ingredients. And memories of picking cherries, blackberries and hazelnuts with her farmer grandparents. All this she tries to transcribe in her dishes. In the South of France, where she worked as a seasonal worker, she fell in love with seafood - squid and octopus being her guilty pleasure. Accustomed to chopping thyme in the garrigue, she is already dreaming of installing planters of herbs and edible plants in the courtyard. And what if her table became a green escape in the heart of Paris?

3 questions to Mélissa Ravel, chef at Restaurant Martin in the Renaissance Paris République Hotel.

Gault&Millau: What is your background?

Mélissa Ravel: I started out at university, but quickly switched to a BTS in hotel and restaurant management, because I wanted to work with my hands. I was immediately hooked on cooking, where I feel like a self-taught person. I gained experience at various restaurants, including La Maison Blanche, Les Inséparables and the Courtyard Paris Gare de Lyon.

G&M: You've just arrived at Le Martin. What direction would you like to take the restaurant in?

M. R.: Among other things, I'd like to show that you can do lots of things with vegetables. I'd also like to give my brigade a certain freedom, as my mentors Jean-François Faure and Gildas Picard gave me at Sous les Micocouliers in Eygalières. So I proposed a "butter of the moment" to serve as an appetizer, made each month by a member of the team to highlight it. It will be presented with its name. At present, all the starters and dishes of the week are created by the members of the brigade to develop their creativity.

G&M: Art in general seems to be very close to your heart. How do you relate it to cooking?

M. R.: For me, cooking is a whole. Taste always comes first, but the pleasure of the eye is also part of the experience. I like to embellish products by adding flowers, for example, which are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. I'm looking for a certain harmony on the plate. I dream of creating a dialogue between the hotel's artworks, which are very present, and the cuisine. Lastly, I'll no doubt be offering my brigade the chance to visit museums, for those who are interested. I find that it opens the mind and provides inspiration.

Restaurant Martin - Renaissance Paris République Hotel

40, rue René-Boulanger, 75010 Paris.

https://www.restaurantmartinparis.com/fr/

T. 01 71 18 38 88