Chef Abdelhakim Akandar has been the darling (chou in colloquial French) of the European civil servants who work in the area and also of a loyal crowd of locals for a decade now. His gastronomic bistro is the quintessence of Mediterranean extravagance and exuberance. He may underscore a ballotine of Malines poultry with subtle side dishes and a bisque sauce or pair a ravioli of gutsy oxtail with Emmental, and don’t get us started on the exquisite rack of lamb… The extensive menu is quite simply irresistible.