Chez Janou

Pastis is woven into Chez Janou’s identity, from the bottles above the curved bar to the restaurant’s unusually broad list. Familiar names sit beside regional versions flavoured with fennel, herbs, liquorice or gentian, with alcohol-free alternatives listed too. The selection gives the bar a particular character before dinner reaches the table, rather than leaving the drinks as a standard accompaniment to the food.

Provençal dishes and the meal’s dessert

The menu follows the same southern direction. Panisse, made from chickpeas, appears as fried pieces with sauces; cold ratatouille, anchoïade and tapenade offer another Provençal starting point. Fish dishes can include sea bass with tapenade or swordfish with a vegetable tian, while prawns are flambéed with pastis and served with anise-scented rice. The flavour connections between the bar and the kitchen are therefore quite literal.

There is range within that theme. Duck with rosemary, haddock brandade with aïoli and tagliatelle with snails sit alongside the fish dishes on the current menu. Small cheeses such as pélardon bring another regional connection. The dishes are served as a bistro meal, with starters, main courses and desserts, rather than an extended tasting menu. Seasonal changes can alter the particular choices without changing the restaurant’s overall direction.

Dessert has an important practical condition: the restaurant serves its desserts as part of a meal, after a main course. Chocolate mousse is one of the listed choices, alongside preparations such as pain perdu with salted-butter caramel and crème brûlée scented with vanilla and orange blossom. A visit made only for dessert would therefore miss the way the restaurant actually serves it.

The bistro room near Place des Vosges

The setting carries much of the appeal. The dining room has yellow walls, red banquettes, wooden bistro chairs and globe lights, with framed posters and a wall clock above the tables. At the bar, bottles and tiled surfaces create a more compact focal point. Outside, the green-and-white striped awning and terrace beneath the trees give rue Roger Verlomme a recognisable corner.

Chez Janou is close enough to Place des Vosges to form a natural lunch or dinner beside the square and its museums. The restaurant opens for both services every day, but a particular table or terrace seat still depends on availability. Its strongest reason to visit remains that combination of Provençal cooking, a distinctive bar and a lively, closely arranged bistro room.