Paris’ 11th arrondissement is home to Place de la République, the lively neighbourhood of Oberkampf, Bastille’s infamous flea market and one of the capital’s most exciting new restaurants, Le Cornichon. Having opened its doors just last year, Bertrand Chauveau and Paul Henri have quickly cemented Le Cornichon’s cult status among some of the city’s chicest residents. “We dreamed of creating or reviving a lively place where everyone could come together and talk freely. The old neighbourhood bars of Paris inspired us with their architecture and their unique codes,” the duo tell us.

Operating from 9am until 2am, Chauveau and Henri have perfected the notion of a neighbourhood joint for all occasions. Be it having an espresso standing at the counter en route to work, ordering from the canteen-style weekly menu board, which changes every lunch time, enjoying a shrimp cocktail and Bloody Mary at a hungover Sunday brunch, or dancing into the small hours of a Friday night with a martini hand. Inside, the interiors are injected with 70s nostalgia, designed with green velvet banquettes, chrome faux-leather chairs, neon signage and pinball machines.

“Paris is a small but very dense city, and its food scene beautifully reflects that. From one street to the next, fine dining sits side by side with bistros and street food,” said the co-founders. “The Parisian culinary scene is captivating because it’s constantly evolving, pushing everyone involved to challenge themselves and reinvent their craft, which undoubtedly raises the overall standard and quality.” Between perfecting the perfect French fries and developing the best toppings for their signature ice cream sundae, we asked Le Cornichon’s co-founders to curate their ideal dinner party.

⁠Ideal dinner party location…
19 rue Saint-Roch.

Ideal dinner party playlist…
A playlist of Cyrus Goberville.

⁠Ideal dinner party guest…
Bring Pasolini back to life!

⁠Ideal design/furniture/tablescape…
A linen tablecloth, silverware, porcelain, and crystal handed down from our great-grandmother. 

The best dish to serve…
Crispy sweetbreads with morels, served with potato mousse infused with vin jaune.

The best dessert to serve…
A medley of ice creams and a fine selection of digestifs.

⁠The best drink/cocktail pairing…
A Bloody Mary and a mezcal Negroni to start, followed by a white wine such as Jérôme Bretaudeau de Bret Brothers and a red like Échezeaux.

Le Cornichon is located at 2 Rue des Goncourt, 75011, Paris. Check out their website here and Instagram here.