Honest to God, this place was horrendous and the servers were incredibly rude and condescending. Please save your money and your evening and go somewhere with edible food for a fraction of the price. I literally don't know how they got a Michelin star, I would rather give their star to the crepe stand around the corner. read more

We made reservations to dine for lunch at Benoit when we were in Paris earlier this month. The restaurant is very old school and old world. I loved it! Crisp white linens, custom china, with silver plated cutlery. It was beautiful! As soon as our party of 4 was seated we were explained the menu by the maitre d'. At lunch they offer a 3 course lunch menu for €38. Then we were visited by the sommelier. He was very knowledgeable and we all loved our wine choices. A plate of cheese puffs were dropped at the table. These airily little bites were divine! For the meal I ordered the Jerusalem artichoke soup, the fish and beans, and then for dessert I ordered he baba rum. My husband ordered the soup, ox cheek and the trio of ice cream (all homemade in house). The soup was fantastic and the presentation was beautiful. The waiter poured the soup over cream in front of you. The fish unfortunately lacked salt or flavor. It was cooked perfectly though. However, the ox cheek was the true winner. It was cooked wonderfully, was full of flavor and was such a comfort to the cold weather outside. For dessert, I personally thought the rum cake was too alcohol saturated to enjoy. You have a choice between two liquors to have poured over the cake - and they are very liberal with it! My girlfriend ate her entire cake and loved it. The ice creams were superb. He had two scoops of vanilla and a scoop of coffee for myself. Husband claims it the best ice cream he's ever had. At the end of the meal we were presented with a small fudge and homemade citrus marshmallows. They were great! The restaurant is beautiful and over 100 years old! What a special place and a great way to try a Michelin! read more

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Our meal at Benoit was like opening your gifts on Christmas morning: you have high expectations and they are met and exceeded. From the amuse bouche through three courses and then a second, post-dessert amuse bouche, it was like a bottomless Christmas stocking. We had foie gras, cod confit, profiteroles with chocolate by Alain Ducasse. Excellent wine pairings and charming staff. A gem of a restaurant amid two dozen other cafes in a very busy and touristy spot. Would eat here again. read more

Food was excellent but loved our waitress even more! Visited march 20th. Thoroughly enjoyed our evening, even when my son pulled ketchup packets from his jacket read more

I made a reservation at Benoit for my first night in Paris to have dinner. I had high expectations after reading all of the articles on this place and knowing of its Michelin star. Unfortunately, I didn't have the great experience that I thought I would have. We arrived promptly on time and were seated immediately. The restaurant is small and the atmosphere is very stuffy. The table we sat at was very close to the next table, so anything we said, the other table could hear. The first thing I noticed was that there was a hair on the plate at my seat. I asked the host/waiter if I could have another plate, and he wasn't too happy about me calling out that there was a hair. He told me I didn't need another plate and then he took off. From there on, I was uncomfortable. After the hair episode, another waiter came and finished waiting on us for the rest of the evening and he was a lot nicer. He recommended a good bottle of wine for us to have, that went really well with the Escargot starter that we ordered. The buttery and rich Escargot is a must try here, and after you're done eating all of the snails, dip the bread in the leftover butter for a really delicious sensation. For my entrée, I ordered the Seabass and I was disappointed. The dish only came with seabass, mushrooms, 2 asparagus sticks cut in half, all drenched in a thick, rich sauce. The sauce was overwhelming creamy and overpowered the fish. I was shocked at how boring the dish was. What the Chef should have done was had less sauce and more vegetables to make the plate worth having. I was so displeased with my entrée that I didn't opt in for dessert. We left there and got dessert at another local bakery. If I had to recommend friends to restaurants I visited in Paris, this would not be one of them. read more

Benoit - Escargot - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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My friends and I made lunch reservations at Benoit months in advance of our Paris vacation. We were ready to dine on some delicious Michelin-starred cuisine, but I couldn't be more disappointed by my experience. The atmosphere was exactly what I expected from a French bistro in terms of decor and location. I'm personally really not a fan of the style, but I can't knock it for staying true to itself. We were seated quickly and chose the lunch menu, which was three courses with four choices for each. I selected the oxtail, the cod, and an Armagnac cake for dessert. We also got an order of escargot, as no French dining experience is truly complete without it. We also got some wine, but as I know vanishingly little about wine, I'll refrain from commenting on it other than "it was good, lol". The oxtail was up first. It was chopped up and mixed with some veggies, and I wasn't big on it. The texture was a little mushy for my tastes, and the flavor was very plain. The whole thing was just kinda like paste, in my opinion. Around this time the escargot showed up. I've never had the dish before, so I can't compare it to anything else I've had, but it was fine, I guess. I wasn't big on the texture and the flavor was unlike anything I've ever had before, not necessarily good or bad. I had one, then let my tablemates finish it off. Next up was the orange cod. It smelled of oranges, for sure, but hardly tasted like it at all. The cod was nice and flaky, but the flavor was, again, plain and uninteresting. It was served on a bed of some kind of veggie whose taste I can best describe as acrid. It was sort of sour, sort of tart, and had a texture kind of like rubber. It was one of the least appealing flavors I've ever tasted. Eager to cleanse my palate of the mystery veggie, I was more than happy to see the dessert come out. It was a white, angel food-like cake that was doused in Armagnac and topped with a dollop of luscious whipped cream. By far the highlight of the meal! It was boozy, but not too much, the cream was nothing short of incredible in terms of both flavor and texture, and the cake was a little drier than I normally like, but not by much. I haven't mentioned the service yet, but it was extremely slow. Maybe American service is just fast, but we were sitting there for a good 20 minutes between courses, each of which was gone in a fifth of that. The check similarly took a long time to make its way to the table. They weren't terribly friendly either, but neither were they rude. It gets one star because the dessert was dope, but the whole rest of my experience was solidly one-star. Skip this one, folks. read more

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Amazing dinner... escargot was delicious as was the cassoulet!! Service was excellent! Highly recommend!

We had salmon which was not fresh...a Fois gras that looked like a cheap pate and had no flavor. Service was terrible..The Sommelier poured the end of the bottle for my wifes wine. It was not a proper pour. He finally came over with a fresh bottle and filled the glads. We ate a four different 1 Star restaurants on our Paris trip. With the exception of Benoit they were superb. Benoit is a DISGRACE to Michelin. read more

First off, I- like many other Americans traveling to France- have hopes of finding establishments that embody the era of the early to mid- 1900s in Paris. This place is somehow new and old all at once, and totally deserves Its Michelin star. The bread and butter are as good as you'd expect a Parisian bistro to be, and the escargot appetizer was buttery and herbal. The main course was this rich and velvety combination of pasta, shrimp, foie gras, and duck, and despite it sounding overly rich it was somehow perfectly done. At the end if you order coffee they come by with a tray of Madeline's and provide you a bag of goodies to take home. The service was also very attentive and kind. Don't miss this place on your next trip to Paris. read more

Benoit - Duck pasta - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Having eaten at a number of Michelin starred establishments, I can honestly say this was the first one to really disappoint. Food was serviceable, and since this is a bistro themed restaurant, it is not meant to be inventive. Nothing was outstanding, however. Service was nothing better than poor. Wine glasses were not refilled. Water glasses were not refilled. Waiters were consistently absent. Do not recommend. read more

Good, not great. Not sure why this place is a Michelin star restaurant. Ordered 6 pieces of escargot as an appetizer and 3 of them were empty... just seasoning inside. Overall the food was very average in comparison to the places around it and I'm unsure why this place has a star, but not bad overall. read more

It was a tasty meal, but nothing noteworthy as I would expect from a Michelin-star restaurant. All the ingredients, combinations, and flavors were conservative and some even to the point of being bland. For €39 per person, I feel I could have found something better elsewhere. A safe choice, but you won't be blown away. read more

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Today we brought guests to the restaurant where we thought we would have a special Paris lunch. However, we were greeted with- you don't have a reservation, which clearly we did, than a few minutes later -oh your reservation was cancelled-which it was not. Once it was established that there would be room for us to entertain our friends there was a coldness from the host. We were looking forward to entertaining our dear friends who live in Paris. They are always so hospitable to us so we planned this lunch to reciprocate for all their kindness and hospitality. I can not fault the food however the service and hospitality was lacking. In Paris we know that the check should not be given until requested but in this case ours was put on the table before we were even asked about dessert. We enjoyed our friends but the lunch and service did not live up to our expectations. read more

This was the second Michelin one-star restaurant that I went to while dining in Paris, and it was quite a different experience from the first (see "Qui Plume la Lune"). We dined on a Sunday evening via a reservation. Benoit is interesting in that it has multiple little tiny rooms so you never have to shout to hear the person across from you. We sat in a backroom on the first floor tucked away near a bunch of cabinets holding guests' coats and jackets. The room seated 16 people, although there were at least two other rooms for tables. Benoit knows their food well, and we ordered from the du jour a la carte menu. In addition to our a la carte decisions, they gave us these bread cheese puffs (gougeres or pao de queijos if you go for churrascarias) as starters and had Madeleines and chocolate-hazelnut truffles prior to dessert as part of the dining experience (without extra charge). I have to say that I wasn't quite as impressed with the service here as other places in Paris. They weren't quite as passionate about the food. However, they were very polite in accommodating English speakers as well as those inquiring about ingredients. Overall, it was a very nice experience though, and I would go again. read more

I love Benoit. We ate here on our first night in Paris and it was fabulous. The restaurant itself is so cute! And the service is great, they are friendly and there to please. You can tell this place has been here for a very long time, all the small architectural and design details are from another age and it is really quite romantic. Even the bathrooms are beautiful. The temperature in the restaurant was warm unfortunately, but this was the case at all the small bistros we went to in Paris. The food here is exceptional. Our favorite dish of the night was the John Dory I got as my main course. The sauce was so complex and delightful, it was one of the tastiest things from the whole trip. The asparagus in the dish was also cooked perfectly. My husband got the langoustine which he loved. His sauce was also fabulous. To start I got the smoked salmon and potatoes. I'm not a smoked salmon person, but it was really good. My husband got the escargot to start, he said it was good but not better than any other escargot he has had in America. The bread and butter they have is awesome and they also give you some gougeres to start with and those were fabulous. We got the chocolate cake for dessert and it was delightful. The wine was also fabulous. At this time, the restaurant has 1 Michelin star. This place is a gem. read more

Benoit - Langoustine - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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The greatest charm of this Parisien restaurants does not prepare you for the gourmet meal that you will have. If I can say that this was the best restaurant I've ever eaten in, I would do so. It is hard for me to say that that is the case. Nevertheless, I must complement this restaurant in this style. The restaurant provides you with a complimentary cheese soufflé/pastry. In addition, even though we did not order an appetizer, the restaurant provided us with the complementary rabbit Pate/appetizer. It was delicious. However, nothing prepared us for The lamb shoulder which was the most moist lamb that I've ever eaten in my life. It was accompanied by the potato Lyonnais/potato au gratin/onion soup. The potatoes were prepared in a style au gratin with a taste of French onion soup. Finally, although I am not a dessert person, the deserts that were provided were absolutely amazing. We had a dessert entrée that had three separate Desserts including a lemon tart, chocolate pie and a pistachio pie or marzipan pie. All three were absolutely fantastic. I couldn't choose between either one of the three desserts as being my favorite. As a compliment, however, the restaurant also provided a homemade madeline as well as a homemade piece of chocolate. Everything was absolutely amazing. The service was also very very good. The waitstaff was attentive and did not force you out. In fact, dinner lasted approximately 2 hours. There was a couple started before us and left after us. Although the price for dinner was not cheap, it was surprisingly affordable. Considering that we were in such an excellent restaurant with excellent service and excellent waitstaff, the meal ended up costing us only €190. This included a bottle of wine and a bottle of water. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant and give it a five star rating. read more

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This place just doesn't stack up to the other Michelin 1-star restaurants in Paris. Was seated on the lower level. It was noisy, crowded, and very touristy. Not impressed. Average to slightly above average food. Disorganized staff. One star for the Alain Ducasse pralines served at the end- they are outstanding. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late to compensate for the poor service, average food and mediocre overall experience. For the cost of a meal here, I would expect a much higher quality cuisine and level of service. Based upon my experience I would say they are not deserving of a Michelin star or any significant accolades. There are just too many exceptional restaurants in Paris to justify dining here. read more

Honestly really unimpressed for the price of this place. Was really a weird uncomfortable vibe from the staff too like haughty but the food wasn't even good and the server only recommended me like 6 different bottles of wine that were $150 - 300 and said vague things about them? Really didn't even listen to what I said I liked when he asked. I was bewildered and just ended up getting a bottle of what they have by the glass and it was very good and more like $75.... They have bottles that are $46 on the menu it's not like??? It's that kind of place?? That actually kind of sums up our whole experience though, I felt uncomfortable and like I was trying to be quiet and on my best behavior just for some sub par escargot and I can't even remember the entree I got. Not nearly of the caliber the people working there want to pretend it is. I would not go back or suggest to anyone. read more

My mom and I had an amazing meal here. The special right now (beef Wellington) was just fantastic. I usually only get to eat that around Christmas, so it was an exciting meal for me. The service was wonderful, the only thing that caused a slight problem was that they lost our reservation, but they fixed it quickly. I read a review about them sticking all English speakers/ tourist types in one room, which is true and a bit offensive, but it came with its perks. It was a beautiful room and was very quiet for my mom who is hard of hearing. read more

Benoit - Escargot- maybe best I've ever had - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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This was one of the most enjoyable dinners I had in Paris, largely in part to how fun the staff was here. They were such a joy to joke with, and really made the experience even better. This is a bistro Alain Ducasse oversees, and the food was absolutely delicious. It's a little more of a laid-back environment, so it was a perfect choice to put between some of the dressier dinners on the other nights. The tables are close enough together, in a charming way though. Made friends with the people sitting nearby, so much so that I was pouring them wine from my bottle. I highly suggest coming here! read more

Benoit - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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At the end of a two-week stay in Paris, this was our big treat. We expected fairly high prices, so were not surprised with that. The facilities were impeccable, especially the upstairs. However, the evening we were there we really needed air conditioning but upstairs had none. The staff were attentive, welcoming, knowledgeable--everything you'd expect from a Michelin one star restaurant. I'm learning French, but there was plenty of English available if you needed it. My food was wonderful, but my wife and her friend ordered a special chicken dish "cooked in a bladder". I wouldn't have chosen that particular word if I had been translating the menu into English. However, it did accurately describe the dish. As a result of the steaming effect, the chicken came out without any browning. Further, it came out slightly undercooked and a little bit tough. I think we would have gladly traded it for some Col. Sanders fried chicken at that point. It made an interesting presentation, and it was beautifully served by our waiter, but what was the chef thinking? Many times in our lives we have said that gourmet food often does not measure up to comfort food. That was certainly the case this night. read more

For a one star Michelin restaurant, the food at Benoit should have been much, much better. Service - Friendly staff, but slow service. We were there 2.5 hours total for lunch, and most of the delay was because the restaurant was understaffed. Atmosphere - Beautiful. Very cute bistro with excellent decor, pretty plates and overall very clean. Food - Alright lets break it down. We got the set lunch menu: Green lentil veloute, chicken fricassee and their boozy cake. The soup was smooth but was just flat flavour-wise. The chicken was beautifully presented, but was overcooked and bland. The cake wasn't terrible but really nothing to rave about. Maybe the set lunch menu wasn't the best they had to offer, but it wasn't even close to meeting the standard for a Michelin starred restaurant. I would maybe come back to try other items on the menu, but given the other great alternatives in Paris, it would be unlikely. read more

Quite surprised that this place had a Michelin Star. The service was mediocre at best, which I can try to overlook if the food was great. However that wasn't the case here. We ordered four dishes and a dessert, and one of the four dishes (ox tongue) was quite good, two were acceptable (crayfish soup and casserole), and one was downright not edible (filet), which we left nearly untouched on the dish and that went unnoticed by the staff also. The dessert (iced soufflé) was also underwhelming so we took a few bites and left it there too. The bathroom wasn't even fully functional with broken lights. Restaurant patrons had to warn each other to be careful because the guest would be fully in darkness inside. We heard the finishing dishes were quite good, including the praline (some called it the only highlight of their dinner), but we never received it despite were made to wait for a long time for the check. By now, we were just glad we were able to get the check, and paid as quickly as possible so we can get out of that place. An experience for sure, but not one that we would want to repeat or wish upon anyone we know. read more

Wonder fresh salad! Considering it's inside the Louvre Museum, incredible to find such fantastic food!

In Paris, there are a ton of restaurants with truly fantastic food. What differentiates them now is their service and ambiance. In Benoit's case, food was fantastic and service/ambiance were differentiating factors - negatively. Our waiter (and the entire waitstaff) showed a deep contempt for the patrons they served. At the table next to us (so close to us in fact, we may have been dining together) our waiter snarled at the guests so fiercely in a way I've never seen before from a waiter to a paying patron. She continued to treat them poorly with barely disguised contempt for the next 3 hours. On my other side, two couples waited close to 40 minutes to even order their food and wine. They started asking every staff person who passed them if someone would take their order and finally someone did. At first, I thought this was part of an act - rude but highly competent waiters who were playing a show (of course, I thought that would a fairly unwise decision from a management team). However, then the table next to me got served guinea fowl instead of skate (there's only three choices, it's not that difficult) and had to wait for them to make a new skate. Overall, this was a three hour dining experience - not because we savored every last bite, but because our waiter was deeply inattentive and we sat waiting for our plates to be cleared for the better part of an hour. At one point, I left two small bites on my plate during the third course and the waiter loudly tried to force me to eat those last two bites while our whole room was watching. Yes, food was delicious, but service and ambiance (all three of which I'm also paying for) was horrendous. read more

By far one of the best dinners ever. If you are ever in Paris you must stop by. There are no words to describe how good the food was read more

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I was so excited to be at Benoit and incredibly disappointed in my meal. I ordered the salmon and when I used my fork to cut into it, the salmon turned to paste under my fork. The Bearnaise sauce was served in a little container for pouring, but I could turn that container completely upside down and not a drop of sauce would come out. The sauce was thick, tasteless, and should never have been served. I was extremely disappointed and unlikely to return. read more

I have been here many times and I've decided it's time to write a review. Everything I've had, has been excellent. I love coming here for traditional French food. One of my favorite things was the chicken with morels. OMG so delicious. They also give you a gratin that is so cheesy and delicious, I could eat five of them. We are going to be in Paris in about two weeks I will definitely be back read more

I am disappointed to have wasted one of my meals in Paris with Benoit. This was one of the worst serviced Michelin starred restaurant I've ever been to. The servers are condescending and contemptuous towards their patrons and offered little insight nor care. While the ox tongue appetizer was good, the beef filet was over cooked (asked for medium rare) and was difficult to chew. There are so many good restaurants in Paris. Do not waste your time here. read more

This is kind of embarrassing for such a name as Alain Ducasse... First off it's a really cute throw-back Bistro - yay! Then menu is turn of the century which may not be good for some but for me was a treat as they offered more traditional "Bouchon" fare such as organ meat and game along with more standard meat chicken and fish, however, it was a smaller menu. It started out as one would expect from a Michelin starred restaurant... We were warmly greeted by the manager / sommelier and promptly order a great vintage Burgundy... all is good. In fact the manager was lively, attentive and a bit of a jokester... we like this... We noticed that the servers appeared to be just 20 somethings, (as in 20 or 21years old) in fact we joked the boys likely hadn't even started shaving just yet... but no worries, they all worked their hearts out... this is not about the service (eh we had one little hiccup at the end but that was only because we couldn't wait to get of the place)... The staff frankly, including the managers were all great, professional and personable. Our first course comes of escargot for my wife and pâté en croûte for me and both were as expected from this throw-back style bistro. In fact, the food selection looked like it had come from the turn of the 20th century - no no, this is a good thing as there were some great old fashioned game menu items such as pheasant, boar and deer, organ meats and caseoulette; everything old, is new again - right! My wife went the the more traditional filet route along with their famous mac n cheese side, except the side never showed up... and the filet was was well as in medium well instead of medium rare... seriously at this level, a 15 degree swing in temp is unacceptable. My deer straps (tenderloins) came and were delicious, perfect med rare; except now we have to send the wife's meal back and as a professional Michelin starred restaurant does, they pick up my meal so that I am not left eating alone. Classy move! Ok stuff happens, let it go... the manager comes over pours some more wine and we explain as well that the mac n cheese never arrived either and he was very apologetic and frankly said they're having a problem in the back. It also has to do with the kids working as servers not knowing their menu that should never had been served without the side. Then my wife and I look at each other... apparently, someone is getting a butt whoopin at 100 decibels back in the kitchen and we can hear it all the way out in the dining room... oooooopsie.. lol très tacky... I see that my wife's filet has arrived along with her mac n cheese and I immediately note that this piece of beef is about 50% thicker than the one served... 1st no no in fine restaurants is inconsistencies in menu items as causes uneven cooking times, hence the medium well presentation... protocols require even cuts of vegetables and proteins for even cook times... Ok my wife's food was very tasty... but wait, where's my food? They didn't forget me - did they? Oh yes they did... really... you're kidding... nope... so now my wife is eating alone and about 5-7 minutes later, my deer straps come out... perfectly cooked by the way... but the manager was again very embarrassed and apologetic and even took both our main course meals off the charge... Again, a very classy move (but we were not looking for freebies). But it get's better.... we opted not to have desert not that were upset, but we were just done... I don't want to go into dollar amounts, but our wine was a special treat from Burgundy and very expensive and to have it go without it's food paring at this level was not welcomed. So again, we were done and wanted to leave... We asked our young waiter for l'addition / check and instead 5-7 minutes later he brings chocolates and marshmallows... which is a nice touch, but we really wanted our check... Then another 5-7 minutes goes by and the young lad brings out profiteroles - with NO tableware to eat them with... use our fingers... sure at home but not in a Michelin restaurant... then a couple minutes later he brings the silverware - LOL , I got a bit snappy with the poor kid and said we didn't want the profiteroles but rather our check and the poor guy didn't know what to do as clearly he was told to bring the profiteroles... but we wanted our check! The true shame is we had a walking tour guide who had eaten here two weeks earlier and her comment was "Please lower your expectation"... read more

Party of 4, looked to be first seating. I gave it 2 stars because it was accommodating to a gluten free member of my party, and some of the food was very good (the sweetbreads and the half calves head). The steak was probably just as good as you could do at home. The wine was very reasonably priced, which was a plus, but I can't give it 2.5 stars. I'm dinging it for two reasons: First, it was very cramped, there was barely room to get out between tables and the next table over may as well have been the same table we were at. 4 big people at a table would not have worked. The second reason was the service - the waiter was friendly but we waited 15 minutes for our plates to be cleared, which was annoying because he was in and out of the room 10 times during that period, and another 15 minutes for him to get us the check - same thing, it takes 30 seconds to scan a bill and tap a card, but evidently everybody else took priority - while we sat and roasted in the non AC room staring at each other for 15 mins. Two of our party finally got up and left. And 300E for 4 people and 1 bottle of wine, no other drinks and no dessert. Nearly 60E for an 8 oz steak. Strangers sitting on top of you in a hot little room. Definitely not what we expected for a Michelin star restaurant! read more

Awesome little bistro.Old school style. I loved the escargot,food was good,but not fantastic.They give you a little bag of candy and cookies to go,after your meal.Service was amazing tho. read more

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The restaurant is lovely as is the service but the food was surpringly poor. Appetizer was some sort of grilled cheese thing (not good) or rillettes of rabbit (dry and tasteless). Dinner was cod which was way too salty. Disappointing. Dessert almost made uup for it but you can't live on dessert alone read more

If I could give this restaurant no stars I would. I am very disappointed in the service, quality of the food, and overall atmosphere of this establishment. The waiter was no where to be seen the whole entire night. After ordering a bottle of wine no one would continue to pour the bottle. I am highly concerned that you classify this restaurant as a Michelin star restaurant. Please connect with your staff to create a better dining experience. You should be ashamed of how this restaurant is run and how your staff treats customers for the prices you have set. The expectation was most definitely not met and I hope you take this feedback and work with your team to ensure you are upholding your credibility as a Michelin star restaurant. I would not ever recommend this place to my worst enemy, the limited food options they did have were decent but nothing to rave about. The wine was the best part and the only thing that got us through this awful experience. read more

We we t to this place because my husband belives that Dodi and Diana wanted to eat there on their-last night on earth. Food good but nothing out of the ordinary for Paris. Service is ok. Am sure you can go to hundreds of other restaurants in Paris. read more

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What a disappointment. After living in Paris for three months, I was excited to try this restaurant (with a big reputation). Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. The highlights: Poor service (disorganized staff, messed up orders, meals not timed properly) Mediocre food for the most part Overpriced (there are far better values to be had in this city) The bottom line: I will pass on this one in the future and would not recommend. I informed the server right away that I had a dairy allergy and that I was unable to have butter as a result. I asked him if there was butter used in the preparation of the vegetable appetizer and he said 'no', so I ordered it.. Well, it turns out there was. I then told another server (one of 4 or 5 that were working with our table and obviously not communicating well with one another) that I had a dairy allergy and could not have dairy- such as BUTTER. He said that he understood and would make sure that the others were informed. A few minutes later some gluten free bread was dropped off and placed in front of me - the (albeit friendly) server said that it was for me since I have a gluten allergy. (I DON'T HAVE A GLUTEN ALLERGY. I TOLD THEM I HAD A DAIRY ALLERGY!) On to the other food... The bread was subpar and tasted old (never trust a French restaurant that serves old/bad baguette!). The smoked salmon app was good (better than average). One of the guests in our party had the filet steak (which she did not enjoy). She said it was it incredibly tough. She had a lot of trouble even cutting threw it with a steak knife. I had the salmon main without the sauce (which was simple, but fine). The chocolate cake dessert was average at best. The scoop of sorbet was exceptionally good (but ridiculously small- we are talking like 2 tablespoons worth of sorbet... RIP OFF). The bill: 420 euros for 3 people. We each had an app, a main and a dessert and a 40 euro bottle of wine. POOR VALUE. [I was charged 40 euros for a couple sides of fresh fruit as a dessert]. The disorganized staff was clearly not well coordinated and as a result was messing up our orders left and right. Two of our appetisers came together and the third person's came about 15 minutes later (AFTER the two of us had already finished ours). The same thing happened with the desserts. We also ordered our espressos with the dessert and asked that they be brought together.. They were not. We had to ask 2 more times before they finally brought the espressos out. Final thoughts: 1) Alain Ducasse should not have his name associated with an establishment that is run in such a poor fashion. 2) This place should not have a Michelin star. 3) The servers should be educated on how to handle food allergies as they can be serious/life-threatening in some cases. 4) One dedicated server per table would work much better than 4 or 5 that are not communicating well with one another. read more

Others have said it and I concur: Big disappointment. Poor service, unimpressive food and Waaayy overpriced if you order good wine. Don't bother, Alain Ducasse's name is not enough to forgive this overpriced averageness. read more

There are two types of French restaurants that get awarded a coveted Michelin star - Old-school guardians of traditional haute cuisine who specialize in gastronomic tasting menus with astronomic wine prices or avant-garde tastemakers who often leave you wondering whether you had a 13-course appetizer or a run through a modern art gallery. Both, unless you've got a solid pocketbook, will leave you feeling like you handed your money to Jerome Kerviel (or to Bernie Madoff, for those of you who don't follow French financial scandals). No bistro is awarded MIchelin stars, especially not one with an affordable lunch menu. Unless, of course, that bistro is Benoit. Despite now being part of the Alain Ducasse empire of restaurants - hideous Flash-based web site, gauche little adverts for his other restaurants and all - Benoit maintains the same atmosphere and sense of tradition it has for over 90 years. From the old-fashioned floral inlaid plates to the real silver silverware that has likely touched the lips of a dozen mayors of Paris And then, of course, there's the food. Steeped in French tradition and far from pretense, this is bistro food as it should be. A world away from the second-rate rubbish served up at the brasseries and so-called bistros at large street corners or near large monuments, the charcuterie, meats, and side dishes here are obviously made with a love of food and quality ingredients. French cuisine - in my book - is less about fancy sauces and whimsical presentations than it is about taking parts you may not consider eating, but use the best sources and the most time-tested preparations to make them taste amazing. This is where Benoit succeeds. In addition, you get the cozy, casual atmosphere - and lengthy wine list - that the word bistro gets you to expect. So what sets Benoit apart, to the point that the folks who publish the big, bad red book so love it? The service. It glides along without a bump, it's professional yet courteous, and in my experience, no less than three servers attending to your needs. When was the last time you got that at a bistro? At lunchtime, at that! All this for an affordable price: 38EUR for the lunch ménu, a pittance for this caliber of food and service. It can be even lower with Ducasse's France (ré)Cuisinée promos a thinly veiled attempt to boost sales during la crise économique by trying to reintroduce French cuisine at low prices. And although a nice selection of their wine list is offered by the glass at lunch, count on a carafe of the good stuff to nearly double your tab. But hey, can you really enjoy a meal like this without at least one glass of wine? I think not read more

Michelin-star rated, kind of a stuffy, old-school bistro. We had a fairly elaborate meal here that encompassed several courses and cost a pretty penny. It's definitely an ornate dining room with big china plates and menus as large as portrait frames. We sampled several entrees / plats and memorable items include: - Cookpot of seasonal vegetables: This was actually our favorite appetizer: it was essentially roasted, glazed root vegetables that arrived in a ramekin that was sealed on the perimeter with a pie crust. Really simple but really good. - Cassoulet: This is apparently their house specialty, and is a very generous helping of bean / veal stew. It arrives in a cast-iron pot and probably contains enough servings for the entire table. Very delicious, very heavy. - John Dory: This in-season fish was perfectly seared and arrived on a light base of asparagus and butter beans, with some sort of green sauce Out of the desserts I think the profiteroles were probably the most successful. I wasn't a big fan of the mille-feuille, which had layers of cream sandwiched between a somewhat dry, flaky layers of tart crust. You do get a lot of complimentary items when dining here. The waiter brought over a bread pastry that resembled Southern popovers during our appetizer course. As we wrapped up dessert he came by again and again to give us freshly baked Madeleines, still warm and puffy from the oven. And we got these tiny little pistachio cakes and chocolate truffles to top it off. Overall a long, gluttonous meal that highlights old-school Parisian dining at its best. read more

7 years is too far from my last visit, I was young and tender, tender as the calf cheek at Benoit melting in young girl's mouth and softly touching her tongue. Well, I realise that I turned into beef fillet now but still cannot forget this wonderful restaurant. Old fashioned French food, difficult to come by nowadays among the creative cuisine chefs. Besides the amazing wine list, it always make a perfect night with my beloved one. read more

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