Ambience, traditional on a sidestreet and other Paris, France Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Le Petit Prince de Paris

One early evening I was walking & taking pictures near / north of the Pantheon in the Latin Quarter down a little street named rue de l'Ecole Polytechnique when the street got a little narrower & darker with a very pretty red-coloured light on the street near end of the block.

Talk about atmosphere. This place looked so warm & traditional inside, and the menu looked good so in I went.

Small tables placed close together that bother some people are my favorite as

a) they are usually available immediately; and
b) you can eavesdrop or if you are lucky converse with the people next to you.

Le Petit Prince interior was just eccentric enough to keep me occupied (check the "stairway to nowhere" that serves as the coatroom) as the menu and pace are traditional french.

Food and service were good, and I had just barely enough french to enjoy spying on and then eventually chat briefly with the 2 ladies next to me who appeared to be enjoying a "ladies-night-out" but were gracious enough to share their time with a nosy american tourist.

Their food looked yummy also.

All in all petite prince was good & I'm glad I bumped into it.

This was no hidden find btw, lots of people including my alltime Paris hero ExGuy have eaten here.
( I hope one of your favorite colours is rouge ) ...

Favorite Dish: A kir blanc cassis with an hors d'oeuvre of poulet farci Boudin noir (delicious blood sausage and stuffed chicken) served on a very hot plate;
a yummy comfort-food Saute d'agneau (lamb stew) & couscous;
washed down with a glass of good house red. About 24 Euros total.

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01.43.54.77.26
Address: 12 rue Lanneau, 75005
Directions: Latin Qrtr- when walking west rue d'Ecole Polytechnique becomes rue Lanneau; probably easier to walk south from Mo: Maubert Mutualite, go right (w) on rue d'Ecole Polytechnique / rue Lanneau. @ intersection of dead-end rue Lanneau & rue Jean de Beauvais.
Website: http://www.lepetitprincedeparis.fr/

Restaurant Name: Le Grande - (and le Petite) Josselin

On a spoke that shoots out from the "wheel" of one of my favorite hangouts Pl. Fernand Mourlot , runs rue du Montparnasse, (not to be confused with the bustling Blvd. Montparnasse) that like her sister street next door, rue Delambre, has a distinct and pleasant personality. Rue du Montparnasse could be called "Crepe Alley."

Crepes are not my all-time favorite Paris meal, but I'm getting fonder of them all the time, as they're so cheap and delicious.

Speaking NOT as a crepe expert, my favorite places in all of Paris are Le Grand Josselin and on the same street, Le Petit Josselin.

Le "G" was the bigger / bustier one that got all the "pub," but Petit Josselin has food identical and is just as good, played Cinderella and cleaned up after Le Grand when it's closed on Monday (and probably August too).

My favorite is to sit outside on the small terrace tables at Petit Josselin in the mid to late afternoon when it is shady.

Favorite Dish: Crepe Bertine, with tomatoes, cheese, egg, a little jambon, onions and a demi-pichet of cotes du rhone red.

It was my first Paris meal on arrival day this last trip. What a great way to fuel up for a walk up to and through Jardin du Luxembourg.

For me it WAS a great experience. Cost was 12 Euros with service.

I just today stumbled on this little review from a young French girl's blog - she has cute comments and pictures, and she claims (I did not know) Petit Josselin in closed on Sunday.

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01 43 20 93 50
Address: 67 rue du Montparnasse
Directions: Metro Edgar Quinet

Restaurant Name: Chez Clovis

Nothing original about this tip, but I had a delicious lunch, and three good places to try.

I had never spent any time in forum Les Halles, but was watching an Anthony Bourdain travel / food show where he was eating what looked like delicious Blanquette de Veau.
I'm a traditional freak and I also like his taste in food, so I went for it around lunchtime.

Problem was when I got to Chez Denise, blanquette de veau wasn't on the menu that day.
The maitre d' smiled, pointed up the street and said, "no problem, we alternate daily with Chez Clovis, and theirs is excellent as well," so I hoofed it up about 30 meters to the corner and had a seat on the terrace.

View of les Halles, the food, everything was as good as I'd hoped, actually better as Chez Denis has no terrace and I would eat outside every day if I could, weather permitting.

Home run.

Also right across rue 5 rue Prouvaires on the other corner of rue Berger is another good place Le Louchebem specializing in meat dishes serving beef bourguignon that looked so good I almost bailed on the blanquette de veau. This intersection of rue Berger and rue 5 rue Prouvaires to me is les Halles "gourmand centrale" and all three places are very affordable.

Favorite Dish: Blanquette de Veau (delicious traditional veal stew in a lemon-egg cream sauce) was world-class, the portions smaller than Chez Denise (good, as it was a hot day, and a little less expensive).
As usual, good housewine, good people watching.

I think if you like traditional you'd enjoy either place and the food will make you happy.

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01 42 33 97 07
Address: 33 rue Berger 75001
Directions: Intersection of rue Berger and rue 5 rue Prouvaires, just below (south) of Les Halles.
Chez Clovis is at the intersection; Chez Denis is just a few steps down rue Prouvaires.
Metro Chatelet or Les Halles

Restaurant Name: Le Rond Pont Cafe

I was walking in the 20th to a highly recommended restaurant (La Boulangerie with supposedly a good vin-rouge rumsteak back on rue des Panoyaux) when I passed this place. I stopped to look at the menu and thought ( ' you really oughta eat here...') but I plowed on to my original location. As luck would have it, La Boulangerie was closed.

I backtracked and Le Rond Pont Cafe turned out to be really really good.
It has the feel of a local place (no one spoke much english) and even though I had checked out the menu, every table in this little place was full & had the same delicious-looking dish on the table, so I put the menu down and asked the waiter for "that, please" (cela, svp?) pointing at the table next to me.

The 'Couscous Maison' they brought looked great and tasted better. Talk about comfort food.
One of the best meals I had this trip, and large portions sized for how many sit at the table, friendly fast helpful staff (parle francais only), and very affordable. House special couscous maison is only 15 euros: there's a lot and it tastes great.
NOTE: they do NOT take credit cards .... cash only

There's a Rond Pont hotel in the same building but I didn't check it out.

also: just my opinion but

---

Belleville is a great place to check out.
In the 20th I found a lot of the "disneyland" international crowded tourism that pervades the inner arrondisements is almost nonexistent.
Belleville & adjoining Oberkampf have good affordable, local food & nightlife and give me more of the feeling of what true day-to-day working class life in Paris might be like.
A great place to stroll is on the boulevard Menilmontant "parkway" either direction from Menilmontant metro stop on ligne 2.

Favorite Dish: Couscous Maison comes to the table in 3 trips:

- first a serving dish of couscous with an empty shallow bowl;
- then a platter with a big beautiful looking piece of roasted beef shank / rib or a cut much like it
- and finally a big bowl of what is best described as fresh, comforting & delicious stew with potatoes, onions carrots etc.

Couscous gets spooned into the bowl; big chunks of beef that almost pull off the bone, then smothered with the stew. Chowtime!

I ordered pate out of habit for appetizer, it was a mistake, and a stupid choice on my part anyway. Don't bother. The wine (a carafe of house burgundy) was good (as is usually the case in a Paris 'local joint.' )

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01 47 97 54 89
Address: 148, bd Menilmontant / 75020 Paris
Directions: Metro Menilmontant right next to the Metro stop on bd Ménilmontant

Restaurant Name: Cafe Le Mirabeau

On a hot afternoon after hiking & taking pix on the Passy side of the river between Pont Grenelle and Pont Mirabeau, I was very tired and hungry. I limped / dragged my exhausted carcass over to Ave de Versailles, and there was a shady yellow oasis with Cafe Le Mirabeau sitting right in the middle of it.

I must have looked like I felt (worn, underdressed, dehydrated, dirty and fried) as this was the only time on this trip I got a rude waiter. I love rude french waiters. They actually make me laugh out loud with every display of quiet attitude: it's like being in a situation comedy skit, and the more I try to stop laughing, the funnier it gets.

Anyway, waiter be damned I got my terrace table, carafe d'eau, carafe d'vin rouge, and wanting to eat healthy, a cool delicious salad de'thon.

Thank you god. It was delicious. No one imho (sorry Belgium) does mayonaise like the french. Even the bread was good ( I must have been starving).

The world slowed to one of those Paris crawls as I sat, cooled, ate, drank & smoked on the shady terrace watching well dressed & beaucoup-monied Passy types stroll in & out.

Really turned the day around, and the overall experience of Le Mirabeau was so perfect I tipped my waiter (the rude sphincter muscle) anyway.

Favorite Dish: House wine was a delicous cote du rhone, the tuna salad, especially the mayo dressing was Paris-class. (I gotta' start making my own mayonaise at home).

The dinner menu looked very interesting, with all the traditional faves, and based on what they did with a carafe of wine and a simple salad, I'll bet dinner here is delicious.

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: 3 Place de Barcelone (see directions below)
Directions: Place de Barcelone in Passy at the intersection of Ave de Versailles & Rue Mirabeau
Metro: Mirabeau ligne 10
Here is a MAP

Restaurant Name: Restaurant Tour d'Argent

Her Michelin stars come & go,
but a La Tour d' Argent event is
not necessarily all about food -
it is about the whole experience.

Even though Claude Terrail is no longer with us,

and lately it has become pseudo-fashionable
to "pan" this place -

(especially by snarky "experts" who, when you corner them, usually end up having to confess they've never even eaten here) -

Tour d' Argent will still always be one of my fave splurges in Paris.

The view of Notre Dame from Pont Tournelle across the Seine is unforgettable, the presentation of the duck dishes unlike anywhere else in the world,
and the history & tradition as heavy, close and palpable as a damp Paris late-night stroll along the Seine.

---

Years ago, I was most impressed with the gracious host of Tour d'Argent: Claude Terrail (Repose en paix) - a warm and convivial gentleman who had more class in his toes than I will ever hope to have in my whole body.

Mr. Terrail, who for decades has hosted Europe's most wealthy and famous, went out of his way to come to my "unfamous / nobody" table, greet me and personally see to my satisfaction & comfort. Merci beaucoup, Monsieur. We will miss you.

---

Tour d'Argent (referred to by some critics as "the most fascinating table in the world") is unique:

it is not Taillevent; Le Grand Vefour; a Robuchon-type like Jamin; or Guy Savoy: and rightfully so with all respect to them:

With the killer view across the Seine of Ille de la Cite and the venerable traditional 'belle epoque' Canard a L'Orange-heavy menu, it is unique in experience.

Dinner is very expensive (dejeuner is more affordable).

---

My recommendation & summary:

I treat places like Tour d'Argent with a reverent finality:
...Chances are this may be the only time I ever have the pleasure (or the Euros) to eat here.

You only go around once in life: I can honestly recommend at least one trip in your Paris lifetime to Tour d'Argent. You can most certainly do worse in Paris with a splurge dinner.

Bon APPETIT !

NOTE: Closed all day Monday and Tuesday for lunch (see website)

---

Favorite Dish: Caneton Roti a L'Orange, Croquettes Au Pain D'Epices (roast duckling with orange sauce & gingerbread croquettes).
Appertif kir royale, foie gras, a demi of '95 Chateauneuf du Pape, fromage plate.
...and the chocolates selection made special for Tour d'Argent served with cafe are untouchable, world class, and to die for.

The "signature dish" of Tour d'Argent has always been Canard au sang, or "bloodied duck," a numbered, pressed duck served in its blood.
Here is how they make it: Click below for a step-by-step recipe with instructions:Tour d'Argent le canard à la presse

---

Dress is "business-formal." Put on your best togs for this place.
Unless you are independently wealthy,
bring a credit card and your sense of humor.

I can not imagine two people escaping with a bill under E400 euros - ( ~ $550 USD) if you treat yourself in the style to which you would like to become accustomed, and even at that price you're "skimping" on the wine list ... I have faith that if you go you will still find the experience worth it.

For evening dinner, reserve at least a month in advance.
It is often easier to reserve for dejeuner or early (~ 17:30) dinner.

Note: The wine cellars - the vintages are some of the best in Europe: some of the prices are for oil sheiks.

Mr. Terrail was kind enough to give me a parchement copy of my menu from the summer '03 menu as a keepsake, so I scanned & posted it for grins.

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01 43 54 23 31
Address: 15-17, quai de la Tournelle 75005
Directions: Mo: Maubert Mutualite
On the "left bank" side of the Seine, "upriver" a little east & diagonally facing Notre Dame on Pont Tournelle, only 1 street n of Blvd. Saint-Germain.

Chez Rene (boeuf bourguignon heaven) is just around the corner.
Website: http://www.latourdargent.com/
Other Contact: Fax : 01 44 07 12 04

Restaurant Name: Chez Rene

Recommended to me years ago by the book
"Food Lover's Guide to Paris,"

I made a point to have dinner at Chez Rene.

It was delicious. - I arrived when they opened (19:30) and it filled up fast.

I'm a sucker for boeuf bourguignon & other classic traditional "comfort food" dishes.

I had fois gras with a pastis, then the boeuf bourguignon, and fromage, with an espresso for dessert.

This was all washed down with a bottle of the house Beaujolais per Patricia Wells' recommendation ...(perfect).

The staff was most helpful and courteous.
The ambience to me was very authentique, original, old-style and comfortable.

A night to remember, and one I hope someday to repeat.

---

How is Chez Rene today?
Last year I received this nice note from David Leibovitz -

"Dear David: Thanks for your message. I ate at Chez Rene about a year or so ago and the Coq au vin was (still) excellent. Prices have creeped up and lunch is a better deal. Don't know of any recent changes, but a Parisian friend who's writing a dining guide to the city asked me if it was perhaps too 'postcard Paris'... Be sure to ask about the eau de vie hidden behind the bar...although it's not for the squeemish! --David"

Favorite Dish: Boeuf Bourguignon, and the Coq au Vin is also highly recommended, though Chez Maitre Paul not far from here has excellent Coq au Vin (also recommended by Food Lover's Guide, if you love to eat in Paris.)
click below
Find Food Lover's Guide Here

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01. 43.54.3023
Address: 14 Boulevard Saint-Germain 75005 Paris
Directions: Mo: Maubert-Mutualite or Cardinal Lemoine - then walk towards the Seine to the nw intersection of Boulevard St-Germain and rue du Cardinal Lemoine.
1 street south of Pont Tournelle: it is just around the corner from Tour d'Argent

Restaurant Name: Le Dome and Le Bistrot du Dome

I had to go back to the Dome for fish this year. But as a terrace freak and as part of my "cheaper eats" resolution for this trip I ate at Bistro outside this time.

The moules and sole meuniere are still out of this world.

---

By habit and because I like the personality, the history, (and the quiet) I always make my home in Montparnasse.
Too tired to jump into the Metro for dinner at some other location: no problem. There are 2 good choices for food right in the neighborhood: Le Dome and Le Bistrot du Dome, or Dome & "dome lite" right across rue Delambre from each other.

Both are owned & run by the same family.
Previously one of the original "annees folles or "crazy years" cafes, the Dome is now a classic, upscale restaurant, and Bistrot du Dome is a smaller, less expensive, more casual bistrot with some tables on the terrace.

Both Dome and Bistrot Dome specialize in fish (with Dome adding fresh oysters / shellfish) and since they share the same ownership and philosophy, both do it very well.

Decide what type of experience & ambience you are looking for: the formal French indoor dining hedonistic extravaganza; or the laid back bistrot with the option of some tables on the rue Delambre terrace.
I will personally always love Montparnasse, and both Dome & bistrot du Dome are part of the reason why.

Favorite Dish: At Le Dome any dish of mussels & sole; the bigger Dome has good fresh oysters.

Across the street at Le Bistrot Du Dome 1 rue Delambre the food is equally delicious, just no fresh oysters, but you can sit outside. It's cheaper and more for casual dining / people-watching.

Bottom line: both have great food & ambience for whatever mood you are in at the time. Dome lite Bistrot will run you $30-40 max while pigging out a la carte at Le Dome will set you back $75- $100 due to decline of the dollar.

Both are great -- pick your poissons (sorry)
:)

Bon App?tit

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Address: 1 rue Delambre Paris 75014
Directions: Montparnasse 14th arrondisement, at the end of rue Delambre where it intersects with Blvd. Montparnasse.
Metro Vavin or take a good walk up (ne) rue Delambre from Mo:Edgar Quinet, ligne 6. They are right across the street (rue Delambre) from each other.

Restaurant Name: L'ete en pente douce

A tip of the hat to fossettes
fossettes Kelly Anne

here at VT.
Kelly Anne:
your tip to me was right on & greatly appreciated.
Here is my homage to you.

L'ete en Pente Douce sits to the "east/left" of and down the stairs from the Sacre Couer. Forget dejeuner anywhere else in Montmartre... this is (imho) the place.

Favorite Dish: Tourte de Bouef.
See next tip below for a picture and carte.

Tourte de bouef was recommended to me by the lovely lady with the red hair with her back to you by the front door. It was delicious.

Think of french meatloaf "en croute" with sauce à tomatoe (see second pic). It was as good as it looks, and cheap.
with vin de le maison rouge, fromage, and espresso, of course.

Bonjour. C'est un beau jour dans Montmartre !

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01.42.64.02.67
Address: 23, rue Muller
Directions: From Marché St Pierre, take steps up to the first level.
or with back to Sacre Coeur door, take immediate left and walk all the way downstairs to rue Muller

Restaurant Name: L'Alsace (Brasserie)

Had very good choucroute here with the Paris foto-meister Anthony Anthony's Paris Pages
the evening of 10/1/03.

Highly recommended.
Even though the interior of the restaurant is very beautiful
L'Alsace interior

I recommend eating out on the street/terrace on the Champs so you can watch the people go by while you enjoy their excellent food and good service. Hours: Open 24/7

Favorite Dish: Choucroute "Royale" - French/Alsace sauerkraut with pork and sausage cooked in champagne. Accompanied with fresh duck foie gras, followed with a vanilla creme brulee

Leave a Comment

Theme: French
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 01.53.93.97.00
Address: 39, avenue des Champs-Elysees
Directions: Métro: Franklin-D. Roosevelt, or walk "down" the "west"/other side of the Champs from Metro Charles de Gaulle Etoile.
Website: http://www.restaurantalsace.com/en/index.htm