Babi: the wine-on-twenty hybrid bistro

Babi blurs the lines between bistro, wine cellar and table de génie, in an intimate format and a resolutely free spirit.

On Rue Mandar, in the heart of Paris’s 2nd arrondissement, a discreet address has been attracting lovers of innovative cuisine and little-known wines since August 2025. The name? Babi. A 30-cover table designed as a place for sharing, it was born of the friendship between Jérémie Taché and Néo Guerin, both of whom have worked in demanding establishments such as Shabour and Tekés.

Neither a traditional bistro nor a conventional gastro, Babi’s cuisine is free of format, drawing from Sicily, Brittany, Egypt and Armenia. Each dish is conceived as an exploration, starting with a central product. The current menu bears witness to this: theAmuse Moule, one of the starters that won us over, turns mussels with Roquefort into a superb cream and a potato croquette into a French fry. A clever and ultra-regressive composition.

A short, devilishly inspired menu

Here, the product is the common thread. Homard Sauvage tortellini – a tribute to Brittany’s blue lobster – are enhanced with a lemon bisque and mint oil. We love the pastis-chili glaze on the lobster claw served on the side. Another successful folly? The Pigeon In Vitro, illustrates the audacity and talent (brilliant, we must say) of the young chef. We love the combination of poultry, vinegared rice and Breton seaweed. A brilliant move by Jérémie (the sommelier): serve us a superb sake to accompany the dish.

Each dish is designed to be accompanied by a glass from the cellar, the central pillar of the project. Jérémie has carefully selected around ten different wines to offer by the glass. These include Keush, a magnificent Armenian sparkling wine.

A room for conviviality

Conceived as a place to live, Babi favors proximity: only a few seats at the counter, and around thirty covers in all. There are no barriers between the dining room and the kitchen. We dine in a warm atmosphere, sometimes enlivened by direct communication from the chef. This format encourages spontaneous exchanges, between guests and with the team.

Careful attention to detail

The decor, entrusted to Studio ONO, was designed to match the kitchen: sober, raw, local. Oak furniture from Montpellier, handmade ceramics from Malakoff, tableware by Maison Degrenne… Here, everything is done to showcase craftsmanship and tell a story.

The visual identity, designed by Laurane Perrot, avoids the clichés of trendy restaurants: the logo, menus and even the sign were hand-painted by artist and painter Victor Bert.

Babi, we love it and we’re going back.

📍Babi, 11 rue Mandar, 75002

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