All the reviews I read about the new Provençal-inspired restaurant in Greenwich Village with former Avec chef Koren Grieveson rave about her bouillabaisse topped with fluffy puff pastry. They say it’s the not-to-be missed dish. I had to try that Marseille seafood soup ($27) with mussels, monkfish, octopus and garlicky aïoli.

The signature dish was delicious, but I’d prefer raving about and suggesting Claudette’s other light, fresh expressions of each veggie dishes.

With these Provençal dishes and dining in summer, we opted for a rosé. Instead of upping our wine to a more pricey one, our server down-priced it offering a full-bodied one from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes — the Clos Floridene, Graves, Bordeaux, 2011 ($35). Impressive.

Do not miss the small du Jardin veggie plates to start ($8 each, all five for $38). The pieces of spring peas still in their shell plus chunks of radish come in a delicate vinaigrette flavored with ras el hanout, a North African spice mixture. The shaved fennel is mixed with slivered almonds and dried apricot chunks in a light tarragon-imbibed dressing.

Also don’t miss the other small plates, including the salad of shredded warm lamb ($14) mixed with asparagus, frisée and some potatoes in a sherry vinaigrette that could be a light meal itself. So could the ample portion of braised and charred baby octopus ($11) over chickpeas and cuttlefish, flavored with fresh Italian parsley and some harissa.

When I return, I would skip the entree and just indulge in the light savory small dishes, so that I’d have room to sample their desserts.

Photo credit: Claudette site

 

– bonnie

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Claudette
Greenwich Village
24 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 868-2424
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