Le Vieux Chêne
A typical Parisian bistro with just the right amount of atmosphere. In Paris, if you want good value for money, lunch is the right time to try a restaurant. The other day I was planning to meet one of … Read More
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La Régalade Saint Honoré
Good news! The famous Régalade restaurant, located far out in the 14th arrondissement and previously owned by megastar chef Yves Camdeborde before being taken over in style by Bruno Doucet, has now opened an annex in central Paris. More good … Read More
Café de la Nouvelle Mairie
A great place for an enjoyable, torture-free evening with friends. Pros: Good organic wines, great vibe. Cons: Food could be improved on, too many wines to taste at one sitting. It would be difficult to get any closer to the … Read More
Simonin
Fancy dishes but little atmosphere and ill-fitting, Trekkie-like waiters’ uniforms. Do you look at your waiter at a restaurant? Do you check out how he or she is dressed? Does it matter? My answers to the first two questions would … Read More
Clémentine
Old-timey comfort and good, fresh food. Pros: Fresh vegetables, well-chosen wines, pleasant atmosphere.Cons: None to speak of. Attentive readers will have noticed a second arrondissement bias in my recent reviews, and this one is no exception: I’ve been checking out … Read More
La Closerie des Lilas
Every struggling American writer on the way to a date with destiny has passed through the Closerie. Places associated with literary figures… hmm. The Deux Magots will forever bring to mind Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, but one can’t … Read More
Autour d’un Verre
Regulars help themselves to a glass from the mismatched set. This unusual restaurant is easier to define by what it is not. It has no trendy (or otherwise) decor, no arty food presentations, no flashy service. And yet it is … Read More
Glou
Great value for money at 10 euros less. Photo: patricklazic.com Glou is one of those trendy restaurants that takes pride in letting you know where each of the precious ingredients on the menu comes from. This has become tedious, but … Read More
Shan Goût
Sharing is a good idea at Shan Goût. Photo by John Talbott This pocket-sized Chinese restaurant, lost in a little side street near the Gare de Lyon, is definitely worth a detour from your usual gastronomic route. The dining room … Read More
Chez Grenouille
You won’t find nouvelle cuisine at Chez Grenouille. Pros: solid winter fare, excellent products, the restaurateur’s justified pride in his work. Cons: colorless decor The walk from my second arrondissement office up to Chez Grenouille in the ninth was longer … Read More