On the bustling creative strip rue Keller, near Bastille, this sleek new glass-ceilinged eatery shows no signs of the building’s former life as a Franprix supermarket. The homely yet stylish interiors are by Paris-based Marie Deroudilhe (onetime employee of celebrated designer Patrick Jouin) and feature classic Ton chairs and timeless coat racks that add a neo-bistro feel. There’s a bar corner at the entrance, a pastry counter and an open kitchen where chef William Pradeleix creates dishes inspired by time abroad working with Jean Georges and, more recently, for Helène Darroze at the Connaught.
Menu aside, Manger is bound to set new standards in the food industry for its devotion to social reintegration, a longtime dream of owner Thierry Monassier, who rehabilitates troubled youths and retrains them as staff. Monassier also convinced chef friends, from Yannick Alleno to Christophe Michalak and Pierre Gagnaire, to give away a few of their most successful Michelin-starred recipes for a programme of gastronomic dinners called ‘Diners des Chefs’.
