They specialize in Provence-styled food, but also in pastis. Pastis is a milky, anise flavored beverage, meant to be served cold and mixed with a little bit of water by the customer (they have pitchers of water for this purpose). With over 80 kinds available, there is quite an assortment, so ask the staff for advice. They also have some tasty olives to snack on. Excellent food. The chocolate mouse is 'perfect', but it does come in an enormous proportion. They bring you a huge bowl (seriously on the order of a gallon) of the stuff for a single order, and you can spoon as much as you want on your plate. They begin dinner at 8 pm, but it pays to make reservations as it does get crowded very early. It is a mixed crowd, with some French people, but it seems to be a popular tourist destination, despite being on a somewhat obscure corner, as there were people from Israel, Spain, England, and the US near us. We had the magret de canard and the rabbit leg, both were excellent. It has a charming atmosphere, with lots of neat old movie posters which keep it colorful and friendly. read more

Only had to wait 15 minutes before the restaurant seated us upstairs. The space is really cute, there are about 3 levels in this seemingly tiny restaurant and it's all very cozy. The escargot and the duck were solid, nothing mindblowing, but still very delicious. read more

A darling bistro nestled in a classically beautiful Parisian neighborhood. Off the beaten path and covered in lush ivy, it's exactly what you imagine the dining to be. The staff are incredibly friendly (and speak minimal English, enough to explain the menu offerings). Tip: Lunch is more cost effective and less busy than dinner I believe. The decor is French-country inspired with mercury mirrors and old decorative pitchers and lamps. On a rainy afternoon, Chez Janou provides a cozy spot to relax in. Indoor or heated patio seating is available. You are seated to a bright yellow napkin, yellow menus, and a bowl of house olives. The olives are delicious! We started with a liter of red wine and the goat cheese salad, with spinach, seasoned tomatoes, and olives. It's more cheese than greens, but I love cheese so I didn't mind. A light oil dressing was on top. We moved on to the roast beef, which was delicious and reminded me of my mom's pot roast. The beef is so perfectly cooked that it falls apart with a fork. Our cut was pretty fatty today, which is the only complaint. It's served with roasted potatoes and carrots, all of which are very tasty and well prepared. We didn't get dessert because we were so full! Had a great experience here. read more

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The food here is absolutely amazing and reasonable! I had the escargot pasta and like others have mentioned it's super rich and flavorful. The service wasn't great but nothing to complain about. I was by myself and got seated immediately but it was definitely a packed house so if you're in a group make reservations! It took awhile for the waiter to take my order but once he did my food and wine came out pretty quickly. I ate here my first night and I highly recommend coming here if you're in the area. read more

I came here based on a recommendation from a colleague.... First off, the bartender isn't snotty, he's French, and he's at work. Being a New Yorker, maybe I'm just used to that sort of attitude. I don't speak French but when I'm in Paris I try to at least know how to say "One please" and the basics like "thank you" and "check please". I also do my best to pronounce things properly though I fail most of the time (French is difficult!). In any case, this place is so cute. The music is great, the lighting was perfect, the artwork on the wall was so cheerful....I loved it. I came by myself straight from the office and was exhausted, starving and a bit jetlagged. I started with a pitchel of white wine (I can't remember which- woops) and ordered the moules provencal for my entree and my main I had the risotto St Jacques. For dessert, the chocolate mousse of course!! The food was delicious, the wine was perfect, the servers were great (the place was very busy), and I actually ended up making friends with the bartender, Stephane. He poured me a few shots of a melon digestif and then pushed the bottle to me to pour my own! Of course, we hit it off because I was speaking Spanish to him and we were able to have a nice, somewhat broken discussion. I will definitely go back here!! read more

Great place to bring friends! Reservations are a must though, otherwise don't even bother walking in. The place is packed from 7p-midnight, buzzing with hungry (and loud) patrons. The waiters are entertaining, definitely worthy of their tips. What to eat: Chocolate Mousse - unlike your ordinary 5oz serving of sweet delight, Chez Janou gives you a whopping bowl (think 2 pounds) of chocolate mousse. If you're thinking anything other than "that's awesome," you're in the wrong place. Brouillade d'asperges - brouillade means "scrambled" in French. Obviously, I didn't know this when I ordered it. I just thought it'd be asparagus with an egg on top. To my surprise it's scrambled eggs with asparagus bits, parsley and whole hell of a lot of flavor. I'd rather eat this for breakfast than dinner, but it was delicious nonetheless. Cuisse de lapin confite - rabbit leg confit. Naturally, it's darker meat, incredibly flavorful and a bit fatty! read more

If I have to rate customer services in Paris, they all either have a zero or a negative rating. In Paris, the service motto is "customer is not king." There is a prevalent sense of obnoxious arrogance. You literally have to speak up or else you'll wait for all your life get even a f**king drink. They will ignore you and pretend to set up tablecloths next to you like you don't exist. All right, for now, I have to get this out of my system! Back to the food, after an hour of waiting to order, our waiter finally came around and asked us for drinks. We took advantage of this opportunity and ordered the drinks and food right away so that we would not miss him again, even though he'd be busy arranging the salt-and-pepper shakers right in front of us. Dit mere! For starter, I ordered asparagus soup. Light and delicious! For plats, main courses, We both ordered Entrecôte Bistrot - beefsteaks with boiled potoes with blue cheese sauce. The beef was juicy and delicious. The potatoes were perfectly cooked and moist. We sat outside on the sidewalk. The weather was so nice. A group of gay British boys sat next to us and also made comments about the services. One of them said to me, "Welcome to France, darling." Nonetheless, we enjoyed the food with red wine. We looked at the clock and it was 11 pm. Needless to say, we skip the dessert and paid the bill. Five or four stars?! I don't think so. Was I marred by the obnoxiously bad services? Yes. Did I enjoy the food? Yes. Would I come back here again? No. read more

First ate here five years ago. Was once a neighborhood spot now seems to attract a wider audience. Food: fantastic as always. The duck isn't to be missed but neither was the risotto. Dinner has to be followed by the mouse. I'm glad they haven't changed their approach of bringing you an unfathomably large bowl for you to self serve - if it's a test of will my wife and I failed. And I'm ok with that. Ambiance is great no matter inside or out. My preference is to eat out under the canopy along the quiet street. Even missing he more local feel it had years ago this is still a go to in all of Paris. Can't recommend it enough. read more

OMG, I don't know why so many people get in line for this huge shit hole !!! As a parisian I went there with some of my american friends that recommended this place and we all agreed that: - horrible service - food was absolute crap, not tasty no fresh products, MC Donald is 10 times better ... and anyway you end up going there because you are still starving after diner ... - we had a reservation for 22:00 and they made us wait an extra hour ... anyway, bad food, bad service, long line ... please don't waste your time there, there are so many better restaurant in Paris I would recommend more the brasserie next to your apartment ... ... and I was trying to be nice bye bye SVP a ne pas faire !!!! Je me demande prk la queue pour entrer dans ce resto est aussi importante surtout pour un trou comme celui la. Cette endroit m'a été recommandé par des amis américain, nous y sommes allés et nous nous sommes tous mis d'accord pour dire: - la nourriture était vraiment mauvaise, Mc do est meilleur, d'ailleurs tu finis par y aller car tu as faim en sortant - on avait une résa à 22h et bien entendu ils nous ont fait attendre 1h de plus... - Service cata strophique ... Bref, je recommanderai plutôt le brasserie en bas de chez vous ... biz read more

Chez Janou is obviously on every American tourist list because I think our friend was the only person speaking French in the restaurant. But the food was great. The guys got rib eye steaks and I got grilled lamb chops. All excellent. I read more

Very kind server who explained menu in english with sense of humor. I enjoyed my lunch here. We ordered Veal with pasta, fish with potato, escargot with pasta, steak and chocolate mouse. The best part is the desert- chocolate mouse (all you can eat under 10euro). You should try!!! read more

Chez Janou - Yummy chocolate mouse!! Don't miss it - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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After waiting for a table even with a reservation, they handed us a menu in French. Of course it doesn't have to be in English. But then when I asked for help, the waiter said "you figure it out." If you don't want foreigners-that's fine. There are plenty of restaurants that provide menus in multiple languages. Go elsewhere if you French is not sufficient to understand a gourmet menu. (Google translator won't work because of the script they use) read more

TLDR; come here, speak what French you can, order the chocolate mousse and tagliatelle escargots, watch, learn, taste, experience, and realize that someone here really knows what they're doing. It was 9pm, we had cut short our Marais walk because I was hobbling after running a heel-banging 2km only to miss our train from Reims back to Paris by 30 seconds, and I was longing for something to soothe the yowling desire I had to make our last meal here worth it. So of course I flipped open our Rick Steves book and found Chez Janou. It's on a side street so quiet you can hear the clinks of cutlery one block down. We wormed our way into a teeny corner to wait, and I used that time to desperately attempt to Google-Translate the entire menu ("small goat roti Roman"? "gambles outbreaks Pastis"??). The place was packed with locals - always a great sign - and we were finally seated at two adjacent sides of a little square table at the junction of the restaurant. Perfect for people-watching and discreetly snapping photos of intriguing diners! We ordered 2 entrees, 1 plat, and 1 dessert to share. --Salade ecrevisses (Shrimp, spinach, grapefruit, tomato); 11€. After seven days straight of baguettes, croissants, and sugar, no fiber ever tasted so good. This salad is as hearty as stew, filling and exploding with flavor. Every bite snaps with hints of wasabi, plump and bitter grapefruit, robust shrimp, flushes of tomato, and it is so obvious the chefs can truly play with flavor. We could have stopped there, but... --Assiette de ratatouille (w/ jars of sardine & olive paste); 10€. Anyone can cook! To be honest, I only ordered this because I was familiar with the dish in the Pixar film, but halfway through, I felt as if I'd tasted enough flavor for two of these. My tongue was practically doing the salsa with the olive paste (maybe this is how French women stay thin?) --Tagliatelle escargots; 16€. Imagine upending a tankard of pine nuts, pesto, garlic, exquisite escargot, and sheer magic on a bowl of simple tagliatelle, and you have this dish. It is incredible. --Creme brulee fleur oranger; 9€. The top is thin and zings of fragrant orange, while the cream underneath remains chilled. This creme brulee is big enough to cover a manhole (just kidding its diameter is approx. from the heel of your palm to your second knuckles, which is still pretty big) and two of us couldn't finish it. Total: 50€, and a very happy mother and daughter satisfied with the last and best meal they've had in Paris. We're definitely returning to try the sass of the bartender and the chocolate mousse next time! read more

We had received three recommendations for this restaurant... and felt it was a bit lacking. Our meals were sufficient, but nothing to write home about. In addition, the seating is rather cramped and hot. We had duck and lamb; both were decent, just not good 'enough' for the price. My entree of tomatoes and goat cheese was quite terrible. It is a nice intimate traditional restaurant... I just think there are better options out there. read more

If it's your first time visiting Paris you may have preconceptions about fantastic food and pompous, nearly hostile service. Well, Chez Janou really delivers on both. I navigated through the French-only menu and gruff arrogance of our servers well enough to enjoy a really great prime-rib style steak w/ a delicious garlic butter sauce and a giant open-faced baked potato. Not gonna knock these guys just for being twits, the food is really good. Plus some of you may seriously be looking for that authentic French rudeness to accompany your meal. Myself, I would have been a little disappointed if I got out of France w/o a dose of what I've heard so much about. Thanks Chez! read more

This was one fun and delicious place! Great Provencal food and very pleasant service. Recommend getting reservations as there is a line at the door after 1830. read more

Great food in a homey, charming interior. This place is tucked around the corner from Place des Vosges, which can be a perfect stopping point during your day of sight-seeing. The baked chèvre in tomato sauce is a solid choice, as is their bouillabaisse. Those are the two stand-outs, but every time we went here, I had a delicious meal. The chocolate mousse is legendary; it's worth ordering it just to see the look on someone's face when they set it down on the table. I should also mention that this place is great for solo dining at lunch. You can read a book or enjoy the raucous antics that go on behind the bar and in the kitchen, often instigated by M. Janou lui-même! read more

This restaurant has a lot of character. It is decorated very artistic inside. The food is also very good. I am a vegetarian- although they didn't have any vegetarian main courses I got two starters which were amazing. I had the gazpacho and the petit chèvre roti au romarin (which was goats cheese in a really flavoursome tomato sauce served with bread). We then ended our meal with the chocolate mouse which comes in an absolutely huge bowl and you can help yourself to as many servings as like. One of the best restaurants in Paris I've been to. My only observation would be that they should add at least one vegetarian main course- however I still had a very nice meal so will return when next in Paris. read more

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The quality of the food is amazing and far exceeds expectations based on the ambiance of the restaurant. It's a nice cozy place, but try to get reservations unless you want to wait. Get the risotto and scallops and chocolate mousse. read more

Chez Janou - Massive bowl of chocolate mousse brought to your table when ordered for dessert. - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

Several friends who visited Paris recommended Chez Janou based on visits over the past few years. Our friends who lived in Paris gave us a bit of caution: said it had a good past reputation but was starting to get overrun with tourists. The good: a great youthful energy, lots going on, a place for great people watching. The Janou salad with ham, cantaloupe, figs, tomatoes,and mozzarella was extraordinary. The ok: possibly as a result of our poor French on the phone, they seemed to have no record of our reservation. They seated us immediately anyways. The waiter was a good sport and translated the entire menu from French to English for us. The artichokes we ordered as an appetizer were clearly quite fresh, but so undercooked that no amount of teeth scraping was going to get anything off the leaves on the outer half. The bad : the waiter seemed to have too many tables, forgot our wine order, brought the wrong drinks to the table adjacent to ours, and recommended the undrinkable house wine over a croze-hermitage that was a better match for our food. The poached fish main dish that one of us ordered came out at room temperature. The steak tasted like something that had been griddle fried at an inexpensive American diner, not a nice French bistro menu. There are definitely better choices in the Marais. read more

Pay attention to other 1-3 star reviews. Our party made a reservation, showed up on time, was promptly seated and promptly ignored, without water or a menu, for 30 minutes. This was a recommendation from a local friend who runs a fine lodging agency and we will be recommending that she never recommend this restaurant again. There seems to be an issue with one of the male waiters. When he finally delivered our water and menus, his attitude changed when he heard we could speak French decently. Whatever the issue, avoid, avoid, avoid. read more

The host and staff are very nice and helpful. They happily spoke English and helped translate the menu. The food here is exceptional. The escargot pasta was amazing. We also had the steak, baked cod dish and starters and their amazing chocolate mousse. Our party consist of 2 adults and 2 teens ages 15 &17. We all very much enjoyed their food. The house wine is very good too. read more

Although I wasn't writing Yelp reviews at the time, I wrote this email raving about Chez Janou to a friend during our visit in May 2012 and thought I'd share it as my review: If you do go to Paris one day, you must go to Chez Janou- it was hands down the best meal in Paris I've had this trip. Each dish was spot on. It's tiny and packed and you're going to be elbow to elbow with the next table and for such a delicious place there is a surprising amount of foreigners/tourists but do not be deterred, it will knock your socks off. The decor is super cute and I also loved the colorful glass carafes that they serve their water in. You said you didn't want to see pictures of food because it'll make you sad so I won't but I absolutely need to tell you about them- to share the good news! We opened with baked mussels and a salad with avocado, shrimp, grapefruit, tomatoes and greens of sorts. Then we saw another table with a salad with prosciutto, melon, mozzarella, tomatoes, and greens and we got that too. Those salads were amaaazing- and you know that's saying a lot because I don't even like salads! For our main dishes, we got scallops on risotto, escargot in a pesto fettuccine, and prawns. Everything was so finger-licking good. Next time we're getting all the same, including both salads, except we're booting the prawns because it was the weakest link and smallest portion and trying the duck breast which was highly recommended by the waiter. Oh, and they give olive oil and this delicious grated parmesan and olives and it was all just so good. And the best thing was, the price was great too! Whereas yesterday, the three of us had good food elsewhere but it was ~230€, today we had food that was as good if not better, more of it, and it was only ~90€. Loved it entirely. read more

Chez Janou - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

Dropped by wed night around 10pm with no reservations and ended up waiting 5 mins for a table of two. 4 stars for the food but this place gets 3 stars because of the service. Got the duck breast with potato and mushrooms which was delicious. Our waitress was friendly and spoke english however once we got seated, it took her 20 mins to come check in with us. After finishing our meal, we wanted to order a creme brûlée (which ended up being delicious as well) and guess what? It took us another 15 mins to waive her down to get the order in. She also forgot to give us bread and told us she'd be right back with it but never ended up bringing any, which I didn't really care for. I'd recommend dropping by. Probably one of the best meals I'd had in Paris so far. read more

Chez Janou - Duck breast with mushrooms and potato! - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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Service? Great. Interior? Cute. Food? AH-MAZING. Although our lunch group couldn't try that notoriously famous chocolate dessert (since one of the group members was allergic to chocolate..... sad), all of our main dishes were so great. Fish dishes were cooked in the oven perfectly with just the right amount of juice in it, the ratatouille in three variations (one in tomato sauce, one with cheese melted, another one in vinaigrette...) were very down-to-earth, and delectable.... Will definitely come again! But remember that this is a very popular place, and gets crowded very easily everyday.. May be less for lunch times. read more

Sea bass trimmed with slices of eggplant & tomato, a rich green herbal sauce on the side. Basket of fresh, crisp bread (to make sure no sauce is left.) Helpful, pleasant waiter recommended a great wine -- all excellent. Mousse au chocolat ( I know, so American, but soooo good). But I didn't expect a whole bowl!!!!!! Reasonably priced for the Marais. I look around and see duck, stuffed artichokes & piled high sea food dishes. Definitely have to return. I may never eat the mac n cheese back at the apartment. :-) Oh yes. Eau Avec gas to wash it down. read more

My friend and I ate here a couple of weeks ago - a great location and we were lucky enough to grab the last table outside. Unfortunately the terrace was the only welcoming aspect of the whole evening. The service, food and price just did not live up to expectation. I usually order a bordeaux red but they didn't have any so asked for a recommendation - the waitress recommended the most expensive glass of red on the list (which perhaps I should have noticed). My friend has a glass of rose which she enjoyed however my red was totally undrinkable and I ended up ordering another glass of a different wine which wasn't much better. For the food - I had tuna tartare and my friend had the farsi which she enjoyed very much. The tuna was ok but nothing I would recommend. I had been looking forward to coming to Chez Janou for a while (was on my long list of places to go in Paris) but it really did not live up to the hype - I would not recommend this to locals however I think it's a great location for tourists and perhaps my friend and I just hit the place on a bad night. read more

We went here three years ago on our honeymoon. We arrived very tired after having walked around all day. It was crowded and we were told it would be an hour wait. I normally never wait but I was really tired so we said Ok and squeezed up to the bar and ordered some wine. There was a grumpy old French lady sitting next to me so we pulled out our translators and did our best to strike up a conversation. We bought her a drink and after a few minutes we had her smiling and laughing. Our efforts were noticed by the nearby hostess and miraculously our one hour wait for a table was reduced to just 15 minutes. Moral of the story: Be nice, especially when you're in another country. read more

Its super busy and lots of fun amidst a cool retro decor. The wait staff were hip ,young ,and unpretentious which can be a nice thing in the Paris restaurant scene. I highly recommend this place especially if you are in this part of the Marais. Overall its more like 4.5 stars. The menu has most of the french bistro classics and the fish and seafood items at our table were all very well done. Like most of the yelpers I have to say the giant bowl of chocolate mousse served for the table was the big hit of the night with just the right amount of fluffy rich chocolate ness. If you want to explore mousse au chocolate why not start here. Another fun fact that's a big plus for Chez Janou is the extensive selection of Pastis and l'absinthe. If you like , you can try many variations here, but ,be sure to call a taxi because you'll be sloshed on your way home. read more

Great Parisian bistro in Le Marais. It's going to be crowded and loud, but the food won't disappoint. Wine - awesome, the chocolate mousse- to die for and If they have le coquelet roti- get it, you won't be disappointed. read more

The mousse au chocolat will rock your world. we came here after dinner for dessert and were able to snag seats at the bar. I wish we ate here for dinner as the food looked incredible! read more

We had just gotten of the train from Berlin, and our tour book had mentioned this restaurant. I was determined to sample Parisian food for our first night. After getting our bearings we found this wonderful restaurant. It was crowded, there was a wait, but it was absolutely an awesome experience. The food was fabulous, and the atmosphere was intimate in the sense you dined closely with fellow patrons. The menu is all in French...so we took our chances, closed our eyes and pointed to the menu. It was delicious! For desert we ordered the chocolate mousse, which is brought out in a large serving bowl for you to take you helping. We left a tip for our waiter, who was very pleasant. (we were not aware that gratuity is normally left for wait staff). She must have remembered because when we returned a couple nights later she offered us complimentary melon liquor. I highly recommend this restaurant. Chez Janou has such a great vibe, the food is so lovely, the atmosphere is bright, charming and youthful. Merci Beaucoup, Chez Janou! read more

Chocolate mousse in a salad bowl! We also made friends with a rowdy, eclectic threesome at the table next to us. read more

Our first dinner in Paris as well as the only restaurant we visited twice. We loved Chez Janou! If your French is lousy like ours, don't be intimidated by the crush of people standing at the front door. Just wade on in and ask for a table in your best French. The waiter will respond in English, whereupon you would be well-advised to order an aperitif from the bar. We tried the rinquinquin and some sort of melon liquor, both of which were light and excellent- perfect to heighten the appetite! We splurged every time had a full meal. Our first appetizer was the mussels, which were buttery and garlicy. Perfect! We had the ratatouille the second time, which is the thing that we plan on ordering again the next time we're in Paris. The vegetables were cool and perfectly prepared. The sardine paste and the olive spread was perfect. I could have made a meal out of it! For main courses, we've had the veal liver (twice), duck breast, and the rabbit confit. While the duck and rabit were superb executions, the veal liver was the real winner. The first clue that you're entering a new place is when the waiter asks you how you would like the liver cooked. Medium, I guess? What comes out is a slab of liver that tastes so fresh and meaty, you would not even think to associate it with the liver and onions of the greasy spoon fame. For dessert, we dared to try the chocolate mousse, which comes in a bowl the size of a helmet! They slap a huge pile of it on a plate and encourage you to dig in. We managed to knock out 1/4 of it before they came to take it away. We asked the waitress is anyone had ever finished it. She laughed and said two guys did once, but they came back the next day to tell them that they had stomach aches. Go to Chez Janou! You'll love it! read more

It was freakishly hot out and I was absolutely tired from shopping around le marais (poor me) so stumbling onto chez janou was like finding an oasis in the desert. It was the sustenance I needed (you know, bread and wine of course) and it was absolutely adorable. Great servers too. I recommend the goat cheese appetizer. It's plenty for lunch and knowing I wanted the chocolate mousse, I saved some room. read more

Chez Janou - Goat cheese - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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The chocolate mouse is to die for. We went here after visiting the Harley Davidson store in Paris. A little hard to find on a back street but worth it! read more

Stopped by on a Saturday evening and they were extremely accommodating. Our server was very friendly and helped us with our very poor French. The food was incredible. I highly recommend the goat cheese salad, the Duck entree and the cream brûlée. A+ would recommend. read more

We liked the food and the intimate environment. The service was also ok. The only bad thing was the people smoking around us. Price was ok too. read more

Ok....a bit difficult to find, a bit crowded, but for sure worth the wait. We started off with mussels which were exceptional. Had the duck breast for main course and finished off with a huge bowl of chocolate moose. The price was reasonable; two for 70€. The waiter offered us shots on the house and took my beer off the tab. Nice people! read more

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Go. Just Go. Please ignore the snotty bartender as you enter, they really are friendly once you get past him. We ate there twice. The second time we sat next to a seasoned travelling couple who declared this their favorite restaurant in Paris. Upretentious and great food this was up the street from our hotel, recommended by the hotel and was the best piece of advice they gave us. The "American Seating" usually starts around 630 and you can meet all sorts of wonderful people. Outdoor dining is great. Food, service outstanding... Now if management could just learn that they have a growing ex-France clientele and fire the bartender who turns his nose up at non-Parisians as they enter the door they will be better off. Highlights were the steak, shrimp, rabbit and the chocolate mousse. If I was given a nod by Rick Steves (or me) I would step up my game and welcome EVERYONE in! read more