No foie gras here! If you are tired of traditional French cuisine with its emphasis on heavy sauces and meats, I suggest you try Septieme Sud with its cuisine that focuses on food from the South of France/the Mediterranean and location steps from the Hotel de L'Empereur (which I have reviewed). Lighter fare such as salads and tartines (toasted French bread with various toppings) prevail here, but they also have a deft hand at pasta and the nightly special fish.If you're so inclined, start off with a Greek salad. Tender lettuces leaves are tossed with tomatoes and a tangy salad dressing. It's topped with a generous slab of fresh feta. I also like the simplicity of tomato and cucumber salad. For your appetizer, you can try one of the tartines (they also make a good light meal) or just skip to an entree. I recommend the brochette of chicken or if you're tired of meat, the penne pasta with proscuitto. All the food sounds very simple, but it is deceptively so. And that's the idea when you compare it to cuisines of the other French regions.
The restaurant opens at 7:30 pm, but because it's so empty this early, you won't need a reservation - you can just walk in. However, if you want to eat when the Parisians do at around 9:30-10:00 pm, you should make a reservation. The restaurant is very popular with the locals from the neighborhood. The atmosphere upstairs is cozy (tables close together), almost romantic; downstairs in the cellar is a more party-like atmosphere. Either way, the food is the same. The staff speaks limited English, but the menu is translated.