When I told my friend Sofia over drinks that I was planning my first trip to Spain later this year – she didn’t blink before

picking up the phone to make a reservation at her favorite Spanish restaurant. As a native of “Barthalona”, she jumped at the chance to prepare me by taking on the role of culinary ambassador of her home country.

Within the hour we were seated at the bar of Fogón on the left bank of the Seine being served gorgeous tapas by one-star Chef Alberto Herráiz and his wife Vavina.  

Fogón means the kitchen stoves and Alberto has overseen them since 1997. As a fourth generation chef from Castilla la Mancha, his mission in moving here was simple but ambitious – to open a tapas bar and ‘arroceria’ to teach diners the fundamentals of authentic paella-cooked bomba rice, “the best-known and least understood dish of the Spanish culinary traditions!”

After putting ourselves in Chef’s hands with a twelve-course tapas dégustation, followed by the famous scuttlefish ink rice – I sat back with a glass of his homemade Sangria topped with red fruit mousse and took a good look around.

The modern dining room was packed with chic diners gathered around the tables designed by Alberto himself, their happy faces illuminated by the pretty rice candles.

Cool clean lines and a soft color combination of eggplant/white reflect Alberto’s love of contemporary art & design – including the menu illustrated by Miguel Barceló.

When our ador-able server Juan (who has been with the Fogón family since day one) sees me taking it all in, he steps over, puts his hand on his chest and says, “Spanish cuisine comes from the heart, cooked with love and shared with our friends.” If the amount of laughter and good-time conversation coming from their guests was any indication – he must be right.

Just the idea, or concept of tapas is comfortable, informal and social – much of the reason that L’Avant Comptoir is packed night after night.  Any cuisine or resto that prides itslf on bringing folks together to have a good time around a table has my vote.

Fogón’s tapas are served for the entire table and change every month to include seasonal extra-sophisticated bites of gazpacho, pinchos, banderillas (savoury appetizers on cocktail sticks) light dishes and sweet tapas, for only 49 euros. 

Alberto proudly put plate after plate in front of us and then uncorked an elegant Gravas de Marisa ’04 – a steal at 30 euros.

These are just a few stars of the night…

Ajo blanco, a pistachio-based gazpacho with shrimp, garlic, bits of toasted bread, and herbs was a delicious balance of crispy, creamy and fresh.

This grapefruit stuffed piquillo with a balsamic glaze rocked.

Salty flan of rascasse fish and basil cream never stood a chance, going down like a flash of lightening.

And this ham based broth with green pea and mint ravioli was so good I asked if I could order a huge bowl to take home.

This soft shell crab with lime and avocado unexpectedly took me back to my childhood on the shores of my beloved Gulf of Mexico at my grandfather’s side, jeans rolled up carrying crab nets – I had to put my fork down and compose myself for a moment - (reminding me of the scene in animated film Ratatouille where mean-spirited food critic Anton Ego took one bite of the dish and the camera yanked him back to his days as a boy sitting at the kitchen table sobbing “ma-ma.”)

The best of the night came down to the pea and mint ravioli and this simple but "wow" vegetable- sardine meillefueille. My lord, talk about an explosion in the mouth.

After all this I should have been less full but became hungrier with each bite – a successful taunting of the taste buds and appetite… bravo.

Tasty tapas aside, the menu features six paella-cooked rice dishes, as well as a rice dish of the day, all cooked to order in a specific stock for each recipe with just a few different ingredients, such as the traditional Valencian-style rice in black cuttlefish ink, or less well-known recipes for rice with vegetables, rice in fish stock, rice with scampi, rice with jamon ibérico (Iberian cured ham)…etc.

Alberto’s aim is to “create a perfect balance of textures and identifiable, distinct flavors right from the very first grain of rice you taste, the exact opposite, in fact, of ‘mixed’ paella”, which Herráiz views as a shadow of the “real deal.”

Although I am not much of a sweets fan, this Piquillo pepper strawberry sorbet with bits of croutons was the surprise dessert of my life – an icy blast of savory-sweet.

Even after all this, Chef wanted me to try his savory take on Morcilla – normally a sausage stuffed with pig’s blood, rice, onions and spices…. His version is a strange but glorious chocolate roll with sweet onion confit rolled in crushed nuts!

With twelve waist-busting tapas and a bottle of wine coming in at 65euros, it is a great deal of food, flavor and value - definitely cheaper than the plane fare to get to Spain.

I took a long walk home thinking I was never eating again (a common threat I give myself daily) but woke in the morning, and made another reservation for next week.

If you appreciate (or want to learn about) authentic Spanish cuisine, in a cool sophisticated environment where you can relax and eat one Michelin-star food family-style paired with a great wine list and super-friendly service... Restaurant Fogón should be a must on your list of restos in Paris.

Restaurant Fogón - 45 quai des Grands Augustins, Paris 6th, Tel: 01 43 54 31 33, open every day except Monday, Tuesday to Friday: 7pm to midnight & Saturday and Sunday:  noon to 2.30pm and 7pm to midnight. M° Saint-Michel, Odéon, Mabillon or Chatelet