French Restaurant Review: Steam Bar, Paris

Even though Saint-Germain-des-Prés has become stultifying gentrified, there are still a few places where its blowsy, bohemian personality survives. One is the Rue du Dragon, which is lined with some terrific bars and restaurants, and also the maze of tiny ancient streets between the Rue du Dragon and the Boulevard Raspail.

Tucked away in one of them – the Rue du Sabot – is the charmingly and intentionally louche Steam Bar, a dim sum restaurant with a smouldering and slightly tongue-in-cheek décor by Boxwood Studio interior designer Gabriel Pistre. The effect is to recall the 2000 Hong Kong film In the Mood for Love, starring Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Not surprisingly, it’s become a local hit, since Parisians are besotted with dim sum, and here they’re made by chef Chi Cheung Wong, who formerly worked at the Shang Palace, the Michelin starred Chinese restaurant at the Hotel Shangri-La.

The menu is divided up between steamed dishes, including raviolis, gyozas and baos, small plates and izakayas, and it’s so moreish that it’s a challenge to make a choice. Lunching with a book editor friend who lived in Hong Kong for five years, I mostly let her choose, but did insist on some Dan Dan noodles, which were spicy and succulent. Otherwise, we loved the Black Pearl (shrimp, ginger, Thai basil), Little Hanoï (a riff on the flavours of Pho with beef, cinnamon and star anise); Hong Kong Streets (an inventive siu mai of pork, chicken and smoked scamorza cheese); and Kanako (duck, chicken, carrot, ginger, sobasha and hoisin sauce) dim sum, and the refreshing dessert soup of mango, tapioca pearls and coconut milk. We enjoyed friendly service and an excellent cocktail list, too.

Steam Bar, 2 rue du Sabot, 6th arrondissement.

Tel. (33) 01-45-48-96-65

Average €40

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Lead photo credit : © Steam Bar, Paris