It is always a pleasure to be reuinted with old acquantainces and I had a wonderful surprise the other night when Walter and I walked into the month-old Les Botanistes on rue Chomel, down from the Bon Marche department store in Paris's 7th arrondissement. Restaurateur Jean-Baptiste Gay met us warmly at the door to his Art Deco bistro, and the good times began!  It's been 10 years to the day since I wrote about his former bistro, Jean-Baptise, then in the 17th arrondissement. We loved the place and are also in love with Les Botanistes, formerly known as Le Gorille Blanc and before that La Cigale. I believe that restaurant spaces have good karma or they don't. This one has it in spades, with its classic red and white checkered tile floors, bare, varnished oak tables, and a decorative old wall clock that forgot to tell time long ago. Jean-Baptiste and his wife, Virginie, are gracious and professional hosts while chef  Jerome Cadillat (who trained with chef Alain Dutournier) turns out such satisfying bistro fare as plump white asparagus with a peppy vinaigrette; roasted guinea fowl cleverly paired with cubes of topinambours (sunchokes) as homefries; plump Spanish pequillo red peppers stuffed with goat cheese. We also had the pleasure of enjoying a classic Lyonnais bistro dish we have not seen in decades: clapotins, or sheep's trotters braised in vinegar and mustard, then dressed with a creamy egg and mustard dressing. When you go, sample Philippe Gilbert's citrus-like Menetou-Salon from the Loire Valley or Remi Jobard's classic Bourgone Blanc from Burgundy. We've been to Les Botanistes several times and my vote for best  taste of all was the chef's warm raspberries paired with an unforgettable scoop of pistachio ice cream. (Can't wait to make this when I get home!)    Charm is the word for it all.

Les Botanistes, 11 bis rue Chomel, 75007 Paris, France. Telephone; 01 45 49 04 54. Closed Sunday. Metro: Sevres-Babylone.