Usagi

When sitting in Usagi it becomes quickly evident that there is a large elephant in the room. No, not the fact that everyone is too polite to mention that the chairs are somewhat uncomfortable. That is, if you are lucky enough to get a chair: you might be made to perch uneasily for the entire duration of the meal on the edge of a single bed that doubles as a shared banquette. Nor is it the fact that the room is unnervingly hot, despite the fact that there is at least one door open to some kind of back stairwell area behind the serving bench.

No, when I say an elephant, I really do mean an elephant. Or rather, a bunny. It's a huge, white lumping thing in the corner, one that sits rather like a child that has behaved poorly and is thus serving its punishment, unmoving, facing the wall in the hope that no-one will notice it. Uh, not quite.

The monolithic carrot-munching quadruped makes more sense when you learn that 'Usagi' is in fact the Japanese word for rabbit. And the rabbit makes more sense when you are searching for the bathroom, only to discover that the animal is in fact an extremely clever housing for said bathroom, one that is inoffensive and very effectively separates the loo from the dining room in a rather small space.

Usagi is peppered with rabbits throughout, both as decorative elements to the decor and the meal (see the photos for the tiny white rabbits carved out of radish), and I suspect that perhaps the menu is designed with rabbit-food in mind, too. What we ordered - the fois gras and duck for entrée, the mullet and tuna tartare for mains - were lovely. The individual dishes were imaginative, inventive and cohesive, and the palate was perfectly appropriate for the warmer months: clean, definitive (except maybe the foie gras in rice paper rolls - a little on the delicate side) and moorish. But that is where the problem lies: after finishing our meals (including a banana and green tea cake and a bottle of wine) we were left hankering for côte de boeuf.

It feels a little as though the menu has been designed with the fashion crowd in mind: small portions, no fat, few carbohydrates. Which is all very well if that is the kind of thing that you are looking for - some place cool to see and been seen at, where the food is interesting and uses really fresh ingredients but won't break your Atkins regime.

Perfect for the models and wannabes who habituate the Marais area, Usagi quite epitomises the notion of form over function. But at 99 euro for 2 courses, one dessert and the cheapest bottle of white on the menu, don't expect to feel full: something that is a little surprising considering what else is available in Paris at this price.

Usagi looks fantastic, the host and owner Shinsuké Kawahara is very sincere in his desire to please (his previous career was as a designer, something that is echoed throughout the space), though at the end of the day it left us wanting, and expecting slightly more. However, next time you are feeling a little guilty from last night's libations, want to go somewhere that has nailed the 'supercool Japanese interior design' genre or are entertaining a visiting supermodel, Usagi is your place of choice.


58, rue de Santonge / 75003 Paris / Ph: (+33) 01.48.87.28.85 / Hours: 12 - 2:30 pm and 19:30 - 10: 30 pm Monday - Saturday / Metro: Filles du Calvaire / http://www.usagi.fr/

Andy Wahloo

The name of this bar may sound like a slightly perverse play on Andy Warhol, as in, "In the future everyone is going to be famous for 15 minutes" - as I'm sure many of it's patrons would like to be. However, Andy Wahloo actually means "I have nothing" in Arabic - a rather odd name for a place that is so richly furnished. Created by the owners of the eponymous Sketch and Momo in London who also own the chic little restaurant 404 next door, Andy Warloo is a serious destination for the young and beautiful of Paris.

The bar is nestled into a fairly small space, one that is replete with arched colonnades and tiled floors, brightly coloured woven lanterns and more throw cushions than you would expect to find in your average harem. With an Arabic/ Moroccan theme to the music, the food, the bar and the decorations, one can settle in for the evening and watch (or imagine) a contemporary version of 1001 and Arabian Nights unfold before them.

That is, as long as you have brought a small fortune in gold coins along with you: at 10 euros for Mojito, a night in this little Morocco is going to set you back a bit (one round for you and your 5 closest friends almost buys you a discount ticket to the real thing- but let's not dwell on that). If you do as I do and stick to the Heineken beer, it's a little less hard to swallow at 5 euro a pop. Alternatively, get in early for Happy Hour, between 5 and 8pm daily, as many of the cocktails drop down to 5 euro and the beer to 3.50.

From lunchtime onwards you can sit around sipping mint tea and picking at Arabian-inspired mezze, such as carrot salad or marinated olives, and from around 9pm the seriously gorgeous decor is off-set by a seriously gorgeous crowd. Later in the evening European DJ's get to work, pushing the in-crowd from their upturned paint cans and into the writhing throng that is the 'dance floor'. If this is all a bit much, needle your way out the back and pull up a compacted-cardboard ottoman in the courtyard - that is, if you can find one free...


Andy Wahloo / 69, rue des Gravilliers / 75003 Paris / Ph: (+33) 01.42.71.20.38 / Hours: noon - 2am Monday - Saturday / Metro: Arts-et-Métiers or Rambuteau / http://www.myspace.com/andywahloo