Le Pinceau, 3 rue Dénoyez, Paris 20

In 2016, the tiny restaurant Le Desnoyez opened at 3 rue Dénoyez (same pronunciation, different spelling). The restaurant had fierce loyalists (myself included). but for whatever reason closed in late 2018 or early 2019. What I had not been aware of until recently is that in June 2019, a new restaurant very much the same in appearance and spirit took its place.

As you can see a little from the photo above, Le Pinceau is on a street loaded with head-swirling graffiti; indeed, I cannot recall seeing more graffiti anywhere than on this tiny street that runs between the rue de Ramponeau and the rue de Belleville. It defies the gentrification that otherwise one sees in Belleville. But as with most of the Paris outskirts, it’s not a dangerous location.

Pierre Jacquemet (ex-Agapé) heads up the cooking and is assisted by his co-owner Gabrielle Stiquel who handles the front of the house.

The interior looks exactly as it did when the restaurant was Le Desnoyer:

You can maybe squeeze 18 people in there (including five or six at the counter) and in good weather, another six or eight outside. The day I was there, the restaurant was about half full, all French but for me, ranging in age from maybe mid-twenties to about fifty, and many seemed to be regulars. But this is a slow week because of the Ascension holiday on Thursday, meaning many people will take the whole week off, and so that may not be a typical lunch crowd.

The lunch menu is 20€ for a main dish, 22€ for a main and either a starter or a dessert, and 25€ for starter, main, and dessert. The options at lunch on the day I was there:

The wines are all natural, what you expect in Belleville, and in general in most of northeastern Paris. I took a glass of white Gaillac (about a 45 minute drive northeast from Toulouse) as an aperitif and to carry over to the first course:

This was quite a good wine, exceeding my expectations, with richness and some oiliness, but also some minerality.

I chose the two oysters to start:

The oysters were excellent, and the lemon/pepper/chive dressing complemented them beautifully, as did the wine.

For the main course, I took the bonite (tuna) which came in a hearty sauce with mashed potatoes, zucchini, and green beans:

The two large chunks of the tuna were dense, meaty, and flavorful, and the lightness of the vegetables helped to keep the dish from being too filling.

With the main course, I took a wine from the Auvergne in the center of France, made from Pinot Noir and Gamay:

On its own, the wine wasn’t very interesting, lacking precision and differentiation, but with the tuna, it showed better and indeed was a more than decent match.

For dessert, I took the farmhouse fromage blanc (a lower-acid relation to yoghurt) with strawberries and chopped hazelnuts:

The freshness and purity of the ingredients made this ultra-simple dish a delight.

If you like your espresso strong, as I do, the coffee at Le Pinceau is worth trying:

The bottom-line for an excellent three-course lunch, two glasses of wine, and an espresso was a modest 41.75€, tax and tip included as always in France:

As with its predecessor, Le Desnoyez, Le Pinceau is an excellent place to go for fresh seasonal food prepared with care, and as a boost, you can explore the heart of Belleville, one of Paris’s most dynamic areas today.

Le Pinceau

3 rue Dénoyez, 75020 Paris

Tél: 09 81 08 30 35

Monday-Friday lunch and dinner

Métro: Belleville (lines 2 and 11)