It would be fair to say that chef Tatiana Levha’s resume drew diners to Le Servan, the 11th arrondissement neo-bistro the chef opened with sister and sommelier Katia Levha in 2014. Having trained at two separate Three MICHELIN-Starred heavy hitters, L'Arpège and L'Astrance, the then 30-year-old chef had more than earned her culinary stripes. But the precise cooking and creative twists—dishes like line-caught red tuna with roasted squash and sriracha or soft-boiled egg, chanterelle mushrooms, Savagnin butter, walnuts, and summer truffles—kept diners coming back for more. Le Servan quickly became one of the most hard-to-book tables in Paris.
In 2018, the Manila-born sisters launched Double Dragon, an Asian canteen that serves sophisticated, playful takes on street food, and earned a MICHELIN Bib-Gourmand (meaning excellent food at a great value) in 2021. This year, the Levhas celebrated a successful decade of Le Servan. They continue to influence the Paris restaurant scene with their casual approach to fine dining—and know where to find great eats. Here, they share their favorite addresses with the MICHELIN Guide.
When it comes to sourcing high-quality ingredients for your restaurants and home, where do you shop in Paris?
Terroirs d'Avenir has an épicerie with a wide selection of organic and well-sourced dry goods. They also have a bakery, a butcher, [and] we buy our vegetables there, [along with] olive oil for the house, hazelnuts and chili peppers [piments].
You’ve mentioned your passion for using fresh, high-quality citrus in your cooking. Is there a specific place where you source citrus fruits and products in Paris?
There’s a boutique called Lemon Story in the 18th that specializes in citrus fruits and products. It’s run by a woman who has over 100 varieties of citrus in the south of France. It's exceptional and we buy all of our citrus there. She sells jams – the calamansi is really good – different kinds of limoncello and some fermented, salted citrus. Our favorite is the Meyer lemons.
Do you have a favorite fromagerie in Paris and what are some of the must-try cheeses they offer?
It’s hard not to buy everything at Fromagerie Quatrehomme. We usually go there for Christmas to buy a cheese platter, but we get raclette since it’s the season. They also have the best brie and many [cheeses] with truffles and dried fruits.
For pastries and bread, do you have any favorite bakeries or pastry shops in Paris?
We usually go to Tapisserie, the pastry shop of One Star and Green Star Septime. They have the best lemon tart and also one of the best galette des roi. We go to Ten Belles for our bread, which we also use at the restaurant, and like going there for coffee and a chocolate chip cookie.
Do you have a go-to spot in Paris for brunch or a casual lunch?
We usually eat pho around 11am in a Vietnamese place called Song Heng. It's located in the oldest building in Paris and is very authentic and very small. They only have one kind of pho – beef – and, for us, it’s the best in Paris.
For late-night dining and drinks, do you have a favorite spot in Paris where you enjoy classic French food and good wine? What makes this place stand out for you?
Bistrot des Tournelles is a new place that serves pretty late. It’s very classic food – meat with French fries, very French – and very well made. They have a nice wine selection and the last time we visited, we drank a very good Fleurie from Dutraive.
Are there any shops or bookstores in your neighborhood that inspire you outside of the kitchen?
Right around the corner from our restaurants is Les Mots à la Bouche, an LGBTQIA+ bookstore with a great selection of feminist books, magazines, and children's books.
When it comes to fashion and everyday wear, do you have a favorite store in Paris?
We buy clothes in a shop called Royalcheese. It’s got a nice selection and the pieces are unisex, durable, good quality and responsibly made. The last thing I [Tatiana] bought was a Patagonia bag, and I [Katia] a pair of Redwings and comfortable Rototo socks.
As parents, do you have any favorite places in Paris where you enjoy spending time with your kids? Are there particular parks or museums you would recommend for family outings?
From the Beaubourg Museum (Centre Pompidou), you can see the whole of Paris, and it’s a nice place to go with kids because there’s a big activity area. We like going to all of the parks, like Jardin de Luxembourg, the Tuileries and Jardin de Plantes. We also like to take the kids to Le Musée en Herbe.
For people visiting Paris, do you have any favorite hotels where you would recommend staying?
The rooms at Le Pigalle Paris dispense with most of the luxury hotel trappings and focus on what matters: inviting spaces (whether small or large) with iPads and turntables with enough music to get you through the night. The experience is rounded out with plentiful personality through modern and vintage artwork, objects, books and furnishings.
Maison Breguet in the 11th arrondissement lies within a former industrial building in the Bastille, providing a distinctive backdrop. However, don't let the lo-fi vibes take center stage as unusual features like a private garden and wellness area with a sauna, hammam and swimming pool lend an air of ease and elegance. The rooms start out compact, but they’re more than comfortable enough, equipped with high-end linens and Nespresso machines – and if you need more, there are deluxe rooms, adjoining rooms, suites and even a separate three-bedroom house with its own small garden.
Imagine the Parisian equivalent of Studio 54 shutting its doors for a renovation and reopening as a luxury boutique hotel. With us? If so, you’ve got the basic idea of what Les Bains Paris is all about. In the late 1800s it was a public spa, and by 1980 Les Bains Douches was a bona fide den of celebrity-studded louche behavior. Now, the bedrooms are soothing, light-filled havens that promise to restore you to health and sanity, no matter what you’ve been up to the night before.
Hôtel Fabric Paris's 33 rooms bring the wow factor from room size to the industrial windows letting sheets of light pour into every space. The tiled bathrooms are a particular delight, complete with oversized rain showers and L’Occitane bath products. Another plus? There's a dedicated gym and some yoga spaces, in addition to a Les Bains de Marrakech spa which makes clever use of the former warehouse’s surplus space.
Address book:
Le Servan
32 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011
Double Dragon
52 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011
Terroirs d'Avenir
various locations around Paris
Lemon Story
1 Rue Garreau, 75018
Tapisserie
65 Rue de Charonne, 75011
Fromagerie Quatrehomme
various locations around Paris
Song Heng
3 Rue Volta, 75003
Bistrot des Tournelles
6 Rue des Tournelles, 75004
Les Mots à la Bouche
37 Rue Saint-Ambroise, 75011
Royalcheese
various locations around Paris
Beaubourg Museum (Centre Pompidou)
Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004
Le Pigalle Paris
9 Rue Frochot, 75009
Maison Breguet
8 Rue Bréguet, 75011
Les Bains Paris
7 Rue du Bourg l'Abbé, 75003
Hôtel Fabric
31 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011
Hero Image: Double Dragon and Le Servan Chefs-Owner Tatiana and Katia Levha
(© Shirley Garrier)
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