Le Melville, Paris – where Bistronomy meets Jazz

In Paris, just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Élysées, Le Melville has its own distinctive vision of an evening out: bringing food and jazz together, without allowing either to take precedence over the other. Here, jazz is far more than a musical accompaniment to dinner. It is one of the essential ingredients of the experience.

There is certainly no question of background music here. The music is live, performed on stage and clearly visible to all the guests, comfortably seated throughout this warm and welcoming room.

There are restaurants where people come primarily to dine, and jazz clubs where the main attraction is, naturally, the music. And then there is Le Melville, which sets out to bring both worlds together in a single experience. Here, gastronomy is not merely a backdrop to the concert. You don’t come simply to grab a bite and satisfy your hunger while listening to a jazz tune. Nor is the jazz reduced to a pleasant soundtrack playing in the background as you eat. Food, jazz and hospitality all come together in a shared musical score, within an elegant, welcoming and vibrant setting.

One should also mention the genuinely warm welcome from the moment you walk through the door, followed by attentive, efficient and thoughtful service throughout the evening.

Behind this concept are two friends, Laurent and Sébastien, brought together by a shared passion for music, musicians and those Parisian places where time seems to slow down. One spent many years working in the music industry; the other enjoys bringing creativity, culture and hospitality into conversation.

Just as we created the jazz radio station we would love to be able to listen to 24 hours a day, they set out to create the jazz club they themselves would have wanted to visit: elegant without being formal, demanding without being intimidating, and culturally minded without ever becoming institutional.

The shared ambition of Sébastien Prat and Laurent Macherey? To make Le Melville a comfortable jazz club as much as a restaurant. A place to discover an artist, meet up with a musician, carry on a conversation or simply let yourself be surprised. The founders sum up their philosophy in a statement that could well serve as their manifesto, and indeed their promise:

“Le Melville is not a restaurant where jazz is played. It is a restaurant that you experience like a piece of jazz.”

At Le Melville, the evening begins at the table. You are welcomed in and shown to your seat, where you can settle in comfortably.

Dinner service starts at 7.30 pm, giving the evening time to unfold before the music gradually takes over. As the sets progress, Le Melville subtly changes its character, while retaining its welcoming atmosphere.

Conversation gets under way, and the cocktails soon arrive. Gaby opts for a So What? (bourbon, Cointreau, mandarin, lime, cane sugar and orange bitters, with egg white), while I go for a Sugar & Spices (ginger-infused rum, ginger syrup, apple juice and lime).

The first dishes follow. We would recommend the Tuna on Tuna (Saku tuna with squash and sage), as well as The Sea Takes Root (scallops, Jerusalem artichoke and chives). The lights grow softer. Sébastien Prat then introduces the Very Blue Quartet, led by Jean Bardy on double bass, with Marc Berthoumieux joining the group as a special guest on accordion.

On the Plate, a Musical Score Open to the World

The musical concept finds its natural counterpart in the kitchen. The bistronomic cuisine of chef Malcom Écoulasse is rooted in French tradition, while allowing itself excursions into other culinary worlds. The Middle East, Africa and Asia all make their way onto the plate in subtle touches: a condiment, a marinade, a spice or an unexpected hint of acidity.

There is nothing showy about this approach. These influences are there above all to bring out the best in the ingredients, adding depth, texture and character. The cooking remains generous and accessible, while steering clear of an overly predictable formula.

A freedom that inevitably brings jazz to mind: a framework, an intention, a command of the craft, but always room for interpretation. The score may be written, but it is the way it is played that makes all the difference.

We had chosen to visit Le Melville that evening because we already knew the quality of Jean Bardy’s group, featuring Eric Lohrer on guitar, Guillaume Naud on piano, Andrea Michelutti on drums, and the very special guest Marc Berthoumieux on accordion.

We had previously reviewed their album Au Café des Anges in Couleurs Jazz when it was released.

It soon becomes clear that the audience has come that evening as much to enjoy some fine, swinging jazz as to discover carefully crafted, inventive cuisine.

The music programme is therefore central to the identity of the place. It is not an added touch of soul; it is the very soul of Le Melville.

This commitment is reflected in the layout of the stage, set on a raised platform. The musicians have a real presence in the room, enhanced by lighting that picks out their silhouettes and gradually transforms the atmosphere.

There is no hard dividing line between musicians and audience here. The tables are only a few metres away from the performers. This closeness brings us back to something essential in jazz: listening, exchange, improvisation, the interplay between musicians, and Jean Bardy’s infectious sense of humour. Not to mention the knowing musical exchanges with Marc Berthoumieux.

This is probably where the true individuality of Le Melville lies: in its determination to bring two worlds together without confusing them, offering a genuine dining experience while giving music the place it deserves. A restaurant where people come as much for what they taste as for what they hear, and where an evening, like a great concert, can leave you with the memory of a moment that will never quite happen in the same way again.

Le Melville is now the place we recommend to friends visiting Paris from elsewhere in France or from abroad, especially those looking for an evening that combines jazz and gastronomy.

The place to be! A Couleurs Jazz Hit.