Paris, France — It has one of the most beautiful views  in the city looking right onto the golden dome of the Invalides in the heart of Paris near the Eiffel Tower. But neighbourhood residents and Parisians don’t come here for the view: they come here for the excellent value fine food. The cuisine is carefully nurtured with seasonal products and offers a somewhat Mediterranean twist on the dishes, fitting in this light-drenched eatery where good humour is the order of the day. And this is, too, a Guy Martin restaurant, one of France’s finest and most consistent of chefs. At Pasco it’s master chef Alain Immele at the helm in the kitchen. 

While the menu changes with the seasons, we recently sat down to a fabulous feast that started off with an hors d’oeuvre served to all. This was an asparagus mousse flavoured with pomegranate. Appetizers were generously portioned with a delicious cold soup of mountain-grown green peas flavoured with pear and salmon prepared Japanese style as a tataki, but French in execution with a dusting of sesame seeds, and served with wild asparagus, radish, turnips and an intriguing and tangy purple arugula salad. The piece of poultry with a glorious stuffing was accompanied by candied carrots and heirloom vegetables  and the sauce surrounding the poultry was enhanced with just the right dose of tarragon. A beautiful filet of fresh cod wrapped in  roast ham was also on the agenda served with parsnip purée. Instead of dessert we opted for a cheese selection from the house of Griffon which ages its cheeses in its own ageing rooms. 

The wine list is a Tour de France of wines with just about every major region represented. We  opted for a rare to see on a menu Secret de Lunès, dry and fruity at the same time, this is an organic wine from the Jeanjean winery, now run by Brigitte of the sixth generation of the Jeanjean family,  in the Languedoc region in the south of France and made with the Viognier grape variety. Pasco is an excellent value restaurant both à la carte and prix fixe. There is a nice 3-course lunch menu at 35 euros ($US39). Reservations are highly recommended. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. Pasco, 74 Boulevard de La Tour Maubourg, 75007 Paris, France. Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 18 33 26. https://www.restaurantpasco.fr/en/