Is is sacrilegious to eat non-French food and enjoy Italian dining in Paris?

Shopping in the 6th one day until I was absolutely famished, I stumbled upon Del Papa. What attracted me to this place was the hip modern facade. It looked interesting and when I am particularly hungry Italian is my “go to” cuisine of choice. The menu is a traditional array of Italian starters like a Caprese Salad and Prosciutto to an excellent Antipasto.

The main courses are uncomplicated, but very tasty. Familiar entrees like Penne Arrabbiata and Fusilli with Pesto are served with fresh warm Italian bread. I was greeted promptly with olives and an opportunity to choose from a decent selection of Italian wines at a reasonable price. Of course, it was an option for me to order the wood-fired Neopolitan pizza which looked particularly tempting given I was super hungry – the portions were large by French standards, but I resisted. Instead I opted for the simple but delightful plate of pasta with a Pomodoro sauce and basil. Gal Pal Lisa was with me for lunch and ordered the equally delicious pasta with Pesto.

I also had dinner there one night this summer, July 2013 and found the food equally as delightful. It was a balmy summer night in Paris, perfect for dining en plein air where we met Papa Fabrice. He was a charming fellow who treated us like queens. I was with my mother-in-law and two sister’s-in-law and we felt like a million bucks with all the attention he gave us. We ordered some tricolor pasta and a nice bottle of red wine and split a tiramasu for dessert. We began with an aperitif glass of Proscecco which made us all very happy!

With three locations in Paris, Del Papa is a convenient restaurant to pop into for an impromptu lunch or dinner with friends or solo. Dinner for four with a moderately priced bottle of Chianti will run you less than 100€.