No, not me: Regis, the king of Paris oysters. It’s not just me who says that: Mireille Guiliano wrote a thin, fun little book a few years ago about Paris oysters; at the center of it was Regis, whose last name I can’t remember: the cantankerous genius of this tiny oyster bar in St-Germain, believed by many to have the best oysters in Paris. From the book:

And:

I could go on. I had already discovered this place years before Mireille Guiliano wrote a book about it, but now I realized that this absolute gem of an oyster bar was worthy of a book. Of course it was! If you don’t like oysters, you won’t see the point of this place. No reservations, the place is tiny, the owner is a grumpy perfectionist who doesn’t want to put up with your bullshit, etc.

But if you love oysters — and oh boy, do I — then Huitrerie Regis is the best place on earth. I tell people that if I could only eat one last meal on earth, it would be three dozen speciales de claires at Regis. You can get extremely good oysters all over Paris, but nobody’s are better than Regis’s. I don’t know why. Some things are meant to be a mystery.

I have testified in this space for over a decade as to the glories of Huitrerie Regis, which I visit every time I’m in Paris. For example, there’s this from 2015:

I do two things when I am in this city, without fail: go pray before the shrine of St. Genevieve, and go eat oysters at Regis. That’s how it is. So, imagine my great shock when I read on the Internet not long ago that the great man had retired and sold the business to two new owners, Edoard and Benoit.

Oh Lord, what now?

Well, I took two friends, young lovers who plan to marry, to dinner there last night. Because of Covid restrictions, there are only two tables available, both on the sidewalk, though they did set up two standing tables on the outer edge of the sidewalk.

I am happy to tell you that Regis is as good as ever. This sacred space has passed into good hands. Here is Edoard, having taken up Regis’s spot as the shucker:

And here is Willy, whose mission it is to make sure you have a good time:

It must be such a blessing to know that you work in a vocation that makes people so very happy. And by the way, the grumpiness left with Regis. I didn’t mind it at all — it was part of the oyster bar’s charm — but the new owners are happier to see you.

Well, look: the oysters were staggeringly delicious, as ever. They are the concentrated essence of the sea. The new owners have improved the wine list. Willy, our host, recommended an Alsatian Riesling, which was an unusual choice to my mind, but it turned out to be perfect. Here are my friends Adelaide and Pierre, sitting across the table from me:

We talked of the beauty of French women, a glorious example of which we had at our table (Adelaide doesn’t like oysters, though, which is her only apparent flaw), and we talked about love. They plan to marry soon, though Pierre hasn’t yet popped the question, but that is coming soon, I feel certain. Is there a better way to spend a cool late spring evening in Paris than eating the best oysters in the world, and drinking cold French wine, in the company of two young people who are deeply in love with each other? It was a presentiment of heaven. I mean that literally: this is what paradise is going to be like.

So, one era has passed at Huitrerie Regis, and a new one has begun. Check out their new website, and please, oyster lovers, make a visit here on your next trip to Paris. Some things change, but also never change. Huitrerie Regis, thank God, is one of them. You should be aware that it’s not cheap to eat at the portal to paradise at 3 rue de Montfaucon, but for someone who really loves oysters, this is a spectacularly great value, because honestly, who can put a price on perfection? You will be talking about this place for the rest of your life. An evening at Huitrerie Regis proves that money really can buy happiness. (P.S. Order the speciales de claires No. 3.)