"The most authentic southern-Italian cooking in Paris, behind Alessandra Pierini's cult épicerie — call ahead for a low-key first date."
About RAP
Alessandra Pierini opened RAP in 2010 on rue Fléchier in the 9th, in a small room behind the Italian épicerie she had run since 2007. The shop made her name as one of Paris's most trusted importers of Italian product, and the kitchen draws on the same network. Where most of the city cooks Roman or Emilian, Pierini cooks the south: Sicilian, Calabrian and Pugliese. The pasta alla Norma at €24, with fried aubergine, San Marzano and salted ricotta from Ragusa, is the most faithful version of the dish in Paris.
The Kitchen
RAP, short for Restaurant Alessandra Pierini, sits at 4 rue Fléchier, a few steps from Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. Pierini grew up between Liguria and Marseille and built the épicerie next door into a reference for Italian ingredients before she put a kitchen behind it. The cooking is southern by conviction. The stuffed sardines, Sicilian-style, at €16 are the antipasto to order: five per plate, filled with pine nut, sultana, breadcrumb and Pecorino Siciliano, fried and served at room temperature. The pasta alla Norma at €24 is the headline, salted ricotta from Ragusa grated over Sicilian aubergine and San Marzano. The pasta list is short, all made in house, all under €28, and the Tropea onion focaccia from the shop arrives free with every meal. A full dinner runs €55 to €85 before wine, which Pierini pours almost entirely from small southern producers. It is the southern entry on our list of the best Italian restaurants worldwide; reservations are by phone, opening about three weeks out.
The Room
RAP is small and plain, a single ground-floor room of around thirty covers with the shop's shelves of pasta and oil visible through the connecting wall. Lighting is warm and even, the sound stays at table level even when full, and the spacing is close without being cramped. There is no dress code; the crowd is local, Italian-leaning and there for the food rather than the scene. Sit near the window for daylight at lunch. The size keeps a conversation easy across the table, which is the room's quiet advantage.
Best for a First Date
Book RAP for a first date when you want the night to ride on conversation rather than spectacle, for three reasons. The thirty-seat room stays quiet enough to hear each other without leaning across the table, which most Italian rooms in Paris cannot promise. The southern menu gives you things to share and talk about, from the stuffed sardines to the free Tropea focaccia. And the bill at €55 to €85 a head keeps the evening unfussy, easy to settle without ceremony. Call three weeks ahead and ask for a window table at lunch or an early dinner. For more rooms that protect the talking, see our first date guide.
Not for
Not for a last-minute table or a big group: RAP seats about thirty, takes bookings only by phone, and its website reservation has been unreliable since 2022.
Frequently Asked
Is RAP worth it?
Yes, if you want southern Italian cooked with real product rather than the Roman and Emilian dishes most of Paris serves. RAP is Alessandra Pierini's restaurant behind the Italian épicerie she has run since 2007, and the kitchen uses the same imported ingredients. The pasta alla Norma at €24 and the Sicilian stuffed sardines at €16 are the dishes to order. The room is small and the cooking is honest.
How do I book RAP?
Book by phone on +33 1 42 80 09 91, roughly three weeks ahead. The online reservation system has been unreliable since 2022, so a call is the safe route, and Pierini or her team often answer between services. The room seats only about thirty, so weekends go quickly. See our Paris dining guide for more of the city's Italian tables.
What should I order at RAP?
Start with the stuffed sardines, Sicilian-style, at €16, five to a plate with pine nut, sultana and Pecorino. Then the pasta alla Norma at €24, the most faithful version of the Sicilian classic in Paris. The pasta list is short and all made in house, and the Tropea onion focaccia from the shop arrives free. Pair it with a southern Italian glass from Pierini's list.
Is RAP good for a first date?
Yes, it is one of the better low-key first-date rooms in the 9th. The thirty-seat room stays quiet enough for conversation, the southern menu gives you plenty to share and discuss, and the modest bill keeps the night unfussy. Book an early dinner or a window table at lunch. See our first date guide for more rooms that keep the talking easy.
Visit
See RAP
Reservations by phone only, opening about three weeks out. The website booking has been unreliable; call to be sure.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address4 rue Fléchier, 75009 Paris
NeighbourhoodSaint-Georges / 9th
CuisineSouthern Italian
Price€55–85 pp; pasta under €28
Dress CodeNo dress code
Seating~30 covers
ReservationPhone only +33 1 42 80 09 91
DietaryVegetarian antipasti and pasta; ask for options
