Founded in 1902 as a companion establishment to the permanent Circus venue next door , @leclownbar rose to prominence in the last decade , on the back of the skills of 2 terrific Asian chefs . Initially Sota Atsumi generated a ton of buzz and 4 years ago the baton was passed to Korean chef Jung Yonghoon and it remains an essential place to visit in Paris.

Bistronomie and natural wine is a great duo, the wine list is diverse with around 340 options. The food is ultra satisfying and the vibe is terrific in a small space with a blend of tourists and locals with plenty of character.

Started off with juicy white asparagus , cress and caviar - simple preparation but having asparagus served near the source rather than being transported to Asia really shone through here .

The Veal Sweetbreads is a Clown bar signature , served with a smoked eel sauce and morels , this is a beautiful dish . This did however confirm my suspicion that Yunnan morels are superior to their French relatives which was pretty interesting.

A lovely cheese plate to round out the wine and the meal , a great start to a fortnight in Paris .