Take a trip to Corsica to Alma, a restaurant and tapas bar typical of the island of beauty, in the Montorgueil district, to enjoy good meals in a lively and more than welcoming atmosphere.
In the Montorgueil districtperpendicular to the very lively street of the same name, Mandar Street is surprisingly much quieter, and this is where a end of Corsica took up residence for dinner. Almait's a tapas bar which smells of sunshine and good humor, with its warm and welcoming atmosphere. In a quickly filled room, where you can sit just a stone's throw from an olive tree or a guitar, you can taste a menu 100% from this magnificent island a few hundred kilometers from the capital.
In this third restaurant by Romain Barboni and Saveriu Cacciari, managers of L'Alivi and Chez Minnà, Corsica is still on the menu, comfortably seated on high chairs or on red benches, with mirrors and plant decoration on the ceiling, which reinforces this impression of friendlinessin the middle of objects and souvenirs recalling theisland of beauty. Don't forget to book, because from the start of the evening, the place quickly fills up with discussions that get mixed up and make us raise our voices to hear each other.
On the Alma menu, there is no real distinction between starters and main courses, but a selection of various savory dishes where There is always a Corsican ingredient. In addition to Corsican charcuterie and cheese boardsthere is something to satisfy all palates, whether land, sea or vegetable, such as octopus romesco, gnocchi with brocciu and coppa or truffled ham croquetas.
We might as well tell you that with all these great options, it was difficult to choose, so we tested a little of each since it is recommended to consume three plates per personfor fairly affordable prices. Obviously, we had to taste the Corsican charcuterie, with coppa, lonzu, prisuttu and sausage, which we found much stronger and spicy (or should we say “full-bodied“) than usual.
A nice appetizer before tasting our three beautifully presented plates of tapas, which will make you salivate with envy. THE zucchini fritters turned out to be crispy and excellent, contracting with their very light Corsican cream cheese sauce, sprinkled with an ounce of lemon to add a sparkling side. With our three small Corsican burgerswhose fig-based barbecue sauce is memorable and brings a certain originality, we nibbled on superb Corsican tomme fries and paprika, infinitely melting and spicy.
To finish on the savory side, our sweet tooth opted for the appetizing Truffle Croquewhich literally filled the air with its characteristic scent when it arrived at the table. These three thick pieces of focaccia garnished with mozzarella, tomme (always), truffled ham and a cream of mushrooms, gave us a real moment of taste pleasure, with a truffle that explodes in the mouth and gives character to the dish. the whole, marked by the softness of the cheese and the crunchiness of the bread.
After these dishes rather copious despite their tapas side, we wanted to end in style with a fresh and light note despite the tiramisu and the soft chestnut which caught our eye. Thus, the citrus fiadna turned out to be a perfect choice, as visually beautiful as it tastes good, although this typical dessert is quite unusual. Composed of brocciu cream and fresh cheese, its texture is a little spongy and the balance between the sweet cheese and the acidity of the citrus fruit is ideal.
To accompany our discovery of the Corsican gastronomya choice of drinks ranging from Corsican beer to cocktails with typical alcohols like citron brandy or Matteï gin, but we opted instead for both mocktails from the menu, homemade creations: the sparkling wine “The plain“, with bergamot tea syrup with rosemary foam, lime and cucumber tonic, which is perfect for lovers of acidity, as well as the “All’estero“, softer and very marked by ginger beer, with basil and red fruit coulis.
Here is a restaurant with a soulwhich makes you want to take a trip to Corsica to see a little of the country and its divine dishes!
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation.
This test was carried out as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know in the comments.
