Category: Indian Restaurant
Address: 205 Rue St Martin, 75003 Paris
Transportation: Metro line 5 Jacques Bonsergeant station
Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday 12–2PM, 7:30–10PM
Saturday - Sunday 12–3PM, 7:30–10:30PM
MG road an Indian restaurant right in the centre of Paris in the 3rd arrondissement with wooden chairs, tables covered with marble from Agra decked with Indian paintings and a colourful ambience it takes you to a culinary trip to India.
This contemporary restaurant will be a different experience than your last Indian restaurant as they combine traditional Indian food and add their own sweet twist to it.
They have certainly up the ante for other places in Paris. We decided to have Indian food for lunch and fell in love with the place and were intrigued to know more about the inception of this place and thus we spoke to the owner of the place Stéphanie De Saint Simon, a warm and affectionate person who is not afraid to work hard in order to run her own show.
Interview
1 How was the idea behind MG road conceived?
It all began when I was travelling to India and I was inspired by the country its people and their culture. I travelled extensively and was moved by Indian craftsmanship and thus filled a trunk with Indian crafts and heritage commodities and came back to Paris. Back in Paris everyone was very interested in buying these items and I realized not a lot of people are doing this here and thus I began travelling to India more often and started selling my collection to boutique and other places in Paris.
As I didn't find the authentic Indian food I fell in love with in Paris I decided to start it. And thus we started MG road 3 years ago and a year later started my 2nd restaurant Desi road.
2 What would you say is the hardest part of running a restaurant in Paris?
Everything, right from finding the right chef to running the daily errands, to handling cultural differences to keeping the menu interesting, everything can be a little tricky but as I’m passionate about this I try to take the problems in my stride and keep pushing myself to do better. If you are not ready to work more than 18 hours a day then this business is not for you.
3 Would you say French people have been experimental in their food choices?
Yes we have a lot of French customers who love Indian food but it’s a gradual process due to the fact that both the French and Indian cuisine is so diverse. So it takes a while to adapt but once they do they keep coming back for more.
4 Who is your usual customer?
Most of our customers are tourists, students, locals and people who love India or Indian food and of course French people who are want to explore other cuisines.
5 What do you think is your secret sauce which compels people to come back?
Like you know there are several Indian restaurants’ in Paris, what sets us apart is the authenticity of our food and the contemporary twist we add to it our head chef Manoj Sharma from London makes sure of it and our hospitable staff provides impeccable service.
6 Where do you source your ingredients from?
We source our tea from India. All the other ingredients we receive from our wholesalers’ in Paris with the fresh produce every day.
7 Which is the most popular dish in your restaurant
Butter chicken is hands down our best seller as well as Dahi Sev, which is a street food in India. We cater a mix of north Indian and south Indian cuisine also popular street food which is hard to find in Paris.
8 In an industry which is male dominated what challenges did u face as a restaurant owner?
I believe women are born with multitasking skills and it’s a matter of working hard and staying motivated. There are challenges everyday and it can be hard to juggle but at the end, if you’re passionate and hard-working nothing is impossible.
9 What are your future plans for both your restaurants?
I don’t have long term plans, I am more spontaneous in nature but we are exploring new customer markets for MG Road and Desi road and planning to expand the menu soon.
So, if you are craving some flavour you know exactly where to head next.
O'BON PARIS'S NOTE
You may also find out our restaurant atmosphere at Desi Road in the 6th borough.
Indian Restaurant
Address: 14 Rue Dauphine, 75006 Paris
Transportation: Metro line 7 Pont neuf station
Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday 12:15–2PM, 7:15–10PM
Saturday - Sunday 12:15–2:30PM, 7:15–10:00PM
Photo Courtesy- Stéphanie De Saint Simon
Author-Mili Nair
