I really love this multi-purpose destination, established since 2014 on the edge of the Marais, not far from the Place de la République in Paris. It serves as both a 4-star boutique hotel, a Peruvian restaurant, a Mexican taqueria called El Vecino, and a hidden Mezcal bar.
Today in this article, I am going to tell you about the INKA restaurant, which I recently tested since the arrival of the new chef, the Mexican taqueria which is the group’s latest creation, and also the Mezcaleria, which is the hotel’s secret bar where I enjoy going for a drink quite regularly. The only part I haven’t tested is the hotel itself, so I cannot speak about that.
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Table of Contents
The INKA Restaurant
Since the spring of 2019, Juan Carlos Récamier, a chef of Mexican origin, has been at the helm of the INKA restaurant within the 1K Paris hotel. This was an opportunity for INKA (a contemporary restaurant showcasing Peruvian gastronomy) to get a makeover, from the decor to the menu. The restaurant features a chic, ethnic, and colorful atmosphere, with a folkloric touch through decorative objects derived from South American craftsmanship.
Regarding the menu, for lunch and dinner you’ll find either small plates to share or more elaborate dishes, inspired as much by Peru as by the influences of Nikkei cuisine (a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines).
On the plate, you will find many seafood products from sustainable fishing (a principle dear to the new Chef, who is committed to values of local sourcing, seasonality, and environmental respect) around compositions that honor superfoods and Peruvian specialties.
Must-try: homemade cocktails, especially those with Pisco, the grape brandy produced in Peru and Chile (€10 to €12); the Ceviche Bar, obviously, as it is one of the chef’s specialties (dish between €13 and €16); the Nikkei Charolais beef tartare served on a bone marrow toast (€15); arroz con octopus, grilled adobado octopus with yakitori-style flavors and wok-fried rice (€22); lucuma, a dessert made from this bright yellow fruit that has a nutty taste very popular in Peru (€9).
INKA Restaurant
13 boulevard du temple, 75003 Paris
Open every day from 7am to 11am, 12pm to 2:30pm and 7pm to 10:30pm
Brunch every Sunday from 12pm to 3pm
Lunch menu: Ceviche + anticuchos + dessert = €24_
The Mexican taqueria El Vecino
In 2021, another restaurant opened its doors within the 1K hotel: the taqueria El Vecino, which offers 100% homemade cuisine in the purest tradition of Mexican street food. On the menu, “hechos a mano” (handmade) tacos (count about €12 for 3 tacos), with intense, flavorful toppings reminiscent of Mexico, which top corn tortillas made daily by the Inka restaurant teams. There are also quesadillas (between €9 and €11 for two) and small bites to eat on the go (guacamole, pico de gallo, frijoles charros beans, salsa verde…).
The address is located at the front of the 1K hotel, and the taco is enjoyed on the go, in all simplicity, indulgence, and conviviality. And to wash it all down, you can have a draft Corona (THE Mexican beer) or the local favorite, the Michelada, a typical Mexican cocktail made with beer (€8), which the favorite photographer tested for you (he is very adventurous when it comes to this kind of thing).
Taqueria El Vecino 13 boulevard du temple, 75003 Paris Friday and Saturday 12pm-10:30pm continuous service Sunday to Thursday 12pm-2:30pm (lunch service) 5pm – 10:30pm (dinner service) Lunch menu with 3 tacos of your choice for €9
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La Mezcaleria, cocktail bar
I have already mentioned several times on the blog this clandestine cocktail bar hidden on Boulevard du Temple and led by its head bartender Mickael Kernoa. Indeed, it is at the back of the hotel that you discover this confidential address: a bar clandestino with Mexican flavors. You access this Mexican enclave through a unique, restricted, and quite confusing passage within the restaurant’s kitchens… A fun experience that I highly recommend!
In any case, it is the ideal place to discover Mezcal, “The Drink of the Gods,” in a mysterious setting. This Mexican spirit, a relative of tequila, is an alcohol ranging from 38 to 48% ABV and was the traditional drink of the peasants of Oaxaca, who consumed it to forget the long days of labor in the agave fields. Appreciated for its harsh, generous, and captivating side, it is obviously the main ingredient of La Mezcaleria‘s cocktails!
Of course, since our trip to Mexico in 2016, which notably took us to Oaxaca, the capital of Mezcal, the favorite photographer and I have become fans of this alcohol.
La Mezcaleria
13 boulevard du temple, 75003 Paris
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm to 2am
Cocktail prices: between €12 and €15
Thanks to the INKA restaurant, the Mezcaleria, and Melody for these invitations.
Hotel 1K Paris INKA Restaurant and La Mezcaleria Bar 13 boulevard du temple, 75003 Paris
Find below all my articles about Mexico and restaurants:
⇒ My restaurant reviews in Paris
⇒ My Mexican restaurant reviews in Paris
⇒ My articles about my trip to Mexico in 2016
MY ARTICLES ABOUT MEXICAN RESTAURANTS
⇒ Chilam
⇒ La Mezcaleria, cocktail bar
⇒ LITo Mexican Food
⇒ The Que Gusto Festival
⇒ Cantine California Tacos
⇒ Bocamexa
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MAP OF MY GOOD FOOD SPOTS IN PARIS AND THE ILE-DE-FRANCE REGION
Restaurant 
Bar 
Patisserie / Bakery 
Tea Room / Coffee Shop
Brunch 
Ice Cream Shop
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
