As usual, when I travel I do my homework in advance and prepare a list of restaurants I wish to try and hopefully share on my blog. Le Cornichon was the first I tried during my last trip to Paris. It was a great kick-off to my sojourn!

Cornichon has a double meaning in French: pickle or nitwit. Given the huge green pickle painted on the wall in the middle of the restaurant, and the green leather on the benches and chairs, you might think they went with the pickle, but I believe they’re just a cheeky lot!
Wood is clearly dominant in the décor; the floor, the tables, the chairs, and the dresser are made of dark oak. Some contemporary art is hung on the walls, among others a funny pig head! Each inch is properly used and no space is left behind. We feel a bit jammed, but isn’t that part of the Parisian experience?
Le Cornichon is located at the corner of rue Gassendi and rue Liancourt in the 14th arrondissement, quite far from the tourist districts of Paris. It offers a creative menu in a dynamic French bistro atmosphere at a very reasonable price. A three-course dinner menu for €39 is more than decent! We were a party of seven and we were able to taste everything or just about on the menu. The crispy warm tart of winter roots with crab and miso and the guinea fowl ravioli in shrimp broth were both inventive and excellent.
I ordered the razor shell, as I love these and can’t find them in NY. They had an interesting preparation with garlic and cornichons but they were a little bit sandy. It’s unfortunately often the case when they are not meticulously well washed. For the main dish, I ordered the candied pork with milk and citrus, served with pilaf rice, pumpkin, and green apple compote. The pork melted in the mouth and the combination of the rice and apple was powerful.
The grilled Whiting and the roasted stuffed chicken breast with gnocchi and braised endives were well appreciated by the other guests. I tried the chicken, it was tender and the combination of the tomato sauce was delicious.
We chose the bottle of Givry 1er cru red and a Gryphe to pair our dinner. The Givry was a little bit too young.
Fresh pomelo, beer ice cream, watercress, and olives were my choice for dessert. I took a risk because I’m not a beer fan but the ice cream had a delicate taste. The combination of the ingredients made the dessert light, fresh, and elegant.
The salt butter caramel shortbread pie with pear and poppy was definitely a great choice. The pear reduced the sweetness of the caramel and it all blended well in the mouth.
My favorite one was the praline chocolat ganache with banana and arrabica cappuccino.
Le Cornichon was created by the meeting of a computer engineer (Franck Bellanger) and a young chef (Matthieu Nadjar) who are both food lovers and shared the same dream! A reservation is recommended as the place attracted a lot of people and can get busy.
Le Cornichon
34 Rue Gassendi, 75014 Paris, France
📞+33 1 43 20 40 19
Open from Monday to Friday
Price: $$$
Three-course lunch menu for €35
Three-course dinner menu for €39
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