Fana – Montmartre's Bib Gourmand with a prize-winning Paris-Brest

Fana opened in May 2024 in a pedestrianised lane behind the Mairie du 18e, at the quiet, uphill edge of Montmartre, and has not stayed quiet for long. Gabriel Gras Fernandez and Jorice Sardain, previously of the Hôtel Le Meurice, opened Fana, a bistro at the back of Montmartre near the Mairie du 18e, on a stretch of rue Ferdinand Flocon that had just become pedestrian, Fernandez running the savoury kitchen. Sardain was a former Le Meurice chef who had worked with Cédric Grolet, and the two met when Jean-Baptiste Lavergne-Morazzani invited Fernandez to open the Bistrot du 11, the annex to his three-toque restaurant in Versailles, where Sardain was head pastry chef. The MICHELIN Guide agreed with the idea: Fana holds a Bib Gourmand, and the generous, refined creations of Jorice Sardain – such as his iconic Paris-Brest – made Fana the very first Bib Gourmand restaurant to appear in the Passion Dessert selection, awarded on 31 March 2025. The room is open and light, seating perhaps 36 people, more in fair weather when there is a terrace, with views of the Sacré-Cœur, and the cooking favours seasonality, short supply chains and sustainably caught fish.

01The room and the setting

A street closed to cars, giving way to strollers and families, with a direct view of the Sacré-Cœur, sets the tone before you even sit down. The restaurant's bay window opens on sunny days onto a modern dining room where bricks, stone walls, large benches and wooden tables form the decor – a contemporary gloss on the classic Montmartre bistro. The room seats perhaps 36 at a push, more again once the terrace fills in fair weather.

02The chefs

Gabriel Gras Fernandez was born in Toulouse in 1989; he first trained in industrial design before turning to the stove. He took a CAP in cooking with Michel Sarran, then a CAP Pâtisserie at Ferrandi while working alongside Jean-Pierre Vigato at Apicius, before joining the kitchens of Christian Le Squer at Pavillon Ledoyen and Philippe Bellissent at Cobéa. Christian Etchebest then gave him his first head chef's position at a new Cantine du Troquet on rue Daguerre, and a year later Jean-Baptiste Lavergne-Morazzani invited him to open the Bistrot du 11 in Versailles, where he met Jorice Sardain, head pastry chef of the gourmet restaurant next door. Sardain had previously worked with Cédric Grolet at the Hôtel Le Meurice. Together they set out to combine culinary rigour with ease.

Insider tip

Closed Sun–Mon; lunch formula €29/€36; book ahead for dinner.

03The cooking and the Passion Dessert

The kitchen builds its list around seasonality, short supply chains and sustainably caught fish; past dishes have included black mullet with artichoke and smoked condiment, and veal with kale, broccoli and violet mustard. On 31 March 2025, the Guide awarded its Passion Dessert prize – created in partnership with Valrhona in 2019 – to Jorice Sardain of Fana, and it was his Paris-Brest that made Fana the first Bib Gourmand restaurant ever included in the selection. A year on, Gault&Millau rates the kitchen 12.5 out of 20 in its 2026 guide, and Gras Fernandez was given the first Exceptional Terroir Trophy, for cooking built on local produce and carefully crafted desserts.

04What to order

Dessert is not optional here: the Paris-Brest, topped with IGP Piedmont hazelnut praline and crème anglaise, is a crisp choux, a decadent praline and a creamy custard – the plate that won Sardain his title. The strawberry tart, built on vanilla cream and chantilly, is made to share and worth asking for in season. On the savoury side, look for whatever seasonal fish is chalked up, or, when it reappears on the board, veal with kale, broccoli and violet mustard.

05Wine and drinks

A selection of organic and natural wines complements the menu, chosen to sit alongside produce-led plates rather than to perform on its own.

06When to go and booking

Fana serves lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:15pm to 2pm and 7:30pm to 10pm, and is closed on Mondays and Sundays. With one Bib Gourmand and now a Passion Dessert title behind it, tables for dinner are worth booking well ahead.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.