Le Duc, a seafood restaurant on boulevard Raspail since 1967

Le Duc, a fish and seafood restaurant at 243 boulevard Raspail, opened in 1967. The brothers Jean and Paul Minchelli created it in the 14th arrondissement, a short walk from the studios of César and Dalí. The dining room, designed by Slavik that same year, is panelled in varnished wood like a yacht.

Jean Minchelli served raw fish here, a first in Paris that caused a stir. Avoiding heavy sauces and long cooking, the restaurant was one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine. Ministers, tycoons and models have met on its leather banquettes, beneath portraits of fish.

Jeanne Minchelli, Jean’s widow, later ran it, and the chef Pascal Hélard took over the kitchen. The original dishes, such as sea bass tartare and raw scallops, are still served. The restaurant celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2017. Dominique Minchelli, Jean’s son, runs it today.

The menu follows the day’s catch: fish from Brittany, oysters from Normandy, salmon and langoustines from Scotland. Diners order sole meunière, goujonnettes of sole with two peppers or John Dory with vodka butter, on boulevard Raspail, in the 14th arrondissement.