My wife and I absolutely loved Chez Janou. We walked in without a reservation but the friendly host found us a table in only two minutes, despite the fact that the place was bustling. The vibe was relaxed, convivial, friendly and warm. The food was delicious and the chocolate mousse is a marvel. As good and as hilarious as everyone says -- They bring a salad bowl to your table filled with what looks to be some cake batter that grandma forgot to put in the oven. With a wry smile, the waitress said, "Let me know when you're done." She doled out two heaping spoonfuls onto our plates and trotted away, leaving the enormous all-you-can-eat pudding bowl on the table. She came back a bit later, as we were licking our plates, and asked "All done?" My wife nodded YES vigorously but the waitress must have caught my little boy smile because she whapped one last dollop onto my plate before scooping up the bowl, winking, and trotting away again. So fun, so decadent, truly memorable! read more

We reserved a table for seven at this restaurant last weekend. For starters: This place is LOUD and BUSY! Do not expect to have a relaxing night out here. Despite having a round table my friends and I could not really carry on a conversation with anyone other than our direct neighbors. Also, as others have said, the bartender is a complete jerk, so don't take it personally. He actually gave away our reserved table without an apology and made us wait another half hour for a new one (pushing back our dinner to 11pm, and derailing our plans for later that evening). Despite all of that, the food was absolutely delicious and the servers were attentive and helpful. I had the moules gratinée and a risotto (very good, but with a measly 4 small scallops on top for €22), while my husband had an exceptionally good steak. Would I go again? Yes, but erhaps for a smaller get-together. I'll cross my fingers that they've sorted out their bartender problem. read more

Chez Janou is a classic French restaurant with a really warm/cozy environment and very friendly staff. The food was simply delicious and nothing was overdone with butter, cream, etc. I ordered the tuna with ratatouille. The tuna was grilled with olive oil and garnished with fresh vegetables and lemon. My friend ordered the duck, which Chez Janou is famous for, and this dish was also prepared very simply with olive oil and rosemary. The chocolate mousse is a must-- freshly homemade and the waitress left the kitchen's bowl on our table. read more

Chez Janou - Chocolate mousse - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

I would give this a 3.5 but being generous. I don't understand the hype with the food. It was slightly better than the average restaurant but not fantastic. The scallops were slightly rubbery, not as tender as hoped and the risotto tasted kind of tough and grainy, like soggy brown rice. The rabbit I tried was very nice and tender but came with uninspiring mashed potatoes. What made the restaurant great was the friendly service and the very rich and dark chocolate mousse. Delicious. read more

Amazing! Great atmosphere and food. Make sure to leave room for the chocolate mousse!! read more

Chez Janou - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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Chez Janou was the first meal we had while visiting Paris last month. We didn't have a reservation but we decided to wait. We waited around 20 minutes and were seated outside. My wife had the fish with ratatouille and I had the steak. Both were nice portions and decently priced. We sat next to a Greek couple and we had a great time chatting with them throughout our dinner. They had ordered the chocolate mousse and gave us a huge plateful to share. We didn't know how much we liked chocolate mousse, we killed it!!! We are not used to people smoking while we are eating but that's one of the things about Paris, not just this restaurant, that makes it difficult to enjoy your meals alfresco. Unfortunately, we had 2 guys sit next to us and was a chain smoker. read more

Had a great time and good here , I really love the food and customer service , great place to dine in, they open at 7:00 P.M. read more

Chez Janou - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

Everything was good, but not great. I was looking forward to the escargot pasta dish, since I love escargot so much! Although there was a generous amount of escargot, they were not as flavorful as I was hoping. Their duck breast was not particularly savory. Same goes for the rabbit confite. read more

We had a great dinner here. Friendly staff and lovely environment. Try the chocolate mousse! It is also a good choice for an affordable french lunch. read more

Delicious food. Gorgeous atmosphere and the servers were all a delight and friendly. We felt like we were surrounded by tourists in our little corner of the restaurant, but the food was delicious and the atmosphere charming. It was packed even late on a weeknight so you will have to wait but you will have a good time while doing so. read more

J'adore! Chez Janou was fantastic all around... from authentic decor to great service to delicious "real" french food, topped with a great atmosphere, the experience was awesome... all that and a super location in one of Paris' hot spots, no wonder the place was completely booked for hours and never slowed down! Loved this place, I will go back and back again with true pleasure. read more

A very Parisian restaurant nestled in the quaint area of Marais, my friend and I both had the specials which were very good; the meat was succulent and the portions were reasonable. Much to our disappointment they ran out of the chocolate mousse which had been highly recommended but will definitely come back just to try it. read more

Absolutely fabulous, authentic Parisian dining experience. Gorgeous dim lighting, delicious food, and the nicest restaurant staff we met during our entire week's vacation. Ratatouille of vegetable appetizer was sumptuous and flavorful as was the scallop risotto. And the kicker--I had 5 dinners in Paris and would have happily, unflinchingly, traded them all in just to come to Chez Janou every night and eat that chocolate mousse again. Probably the best dessert I've ever had and I foresee myself dreaming about it for many nights. read more

Fantastic restaurant! Went here on last night of visit in Paris and it was the best meal there. We had a table outside and it was perfect for a nice atmosphere and people watching without being too chaotic. Service was good---they started to get very busy so we had to wait a bit for the food but it wasn't an issue. The goat cheese appetizer was divine! My husband ordered the rabbit stew/tagine and it was amazing as well. This place had a great vibe and definitely not the apathetic service as other restaurants in area. I think it's a big-city thing having to deal with a lot of tourists---not trying to stereotype. read more

Packed and filled with a sea of people. Managed to get a table without a reservation so it was amazing. I don't know if it was because of Gwyneth Paltrow's review or what but there were tons of English patrons. Only 2 servers handling what seems to be 80+ diners. Food was great but expect to be there a while as it will take a while to get your coffee or check at the end of the night. To help pass the time, order the chocolate mousse. It will come in a bowl the size of 1/2 a basketball. If you love chocolate mousse, you have died and gone to mousse heaven. Otherwise you will eat your standard 5 spoonfuls and marvel with the table next to you and take a photo (like I did) of what you couldn't eat. A busy and enjoyable place. Make a reservation! read more

Chez Janou - Mousse-gasm - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

Nice food and vibe, slow service. We came here with no reservation and had to wait 45 minutes to get in. There was no English menu and the waiter could barely help us with it. Once we ordered, the starter arrived pretty fast. However, the main meals took around 30 minutes. We took an Entrecôte that was supposed to be medium cooked, however it was well done. The duck breast that we ordered was really hard and tough to cut. Overall it was tasty but the service was slow and the food was okay. read more

The cool, hip, busy vibe just called out to us- We walked by here by chance tonight; our last night in Paris. We poked our heads in and restaurant manager offered us a table. I asked hesitantly, in English, if he could accommodate a gluten allergy as my husband has celiac. He instantly produced a menu while we waited at the door of this very busy establishment and promptly showed us all of the things that were sans gluten. The entire menu is in French but he took the time to translate all of the options in English. We sat at an intimate table and began a wonderful 2.5 hour food fest. To my surprise, they have a menu that outlines many different food allergens, using a number system to define such ingredients. We started with the house wine and shared a shrimp and avocado salad with a lovely citrus marinade and a kale salad with chicken. We both ordered steak and potatoes for our main meal. As stuffed as we were, we ordered the chocolate mouse for dessert. The restaurant was so busy and I'm pretty sure it was an oversight but the chocolate mouse never arrived. One of the friendly waiters passing by gave us a taste of our adjoining table's chocolate mouse and it was amazing- but to be perfectly honest, they did us a favor by forgetting our order because we were so over the top full already... the small taste was just enough. We will return to this wonderful restaurant on our next visit and maybe even make a visit just to have after dinner drinks and dessert! So, thank you so much to this wonderful little gem and to the manager and staff for making our last dinner in Paris so memorable! Au revoir read more

Chez Janou - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

Excellent food and service. The chocolate mouse was to die for!!!!!! I am here for business for two months and don't know anyone and the lovely waitress made me feel really welcome. Super friendly and nice! Thank you. Totally recommend this place and I'm going back for sure! read more

Very good. We had the shrimp and pork shoulder dish which were both fantastic. Bread and wine were fantastic as well, great atmosphere. Staff speaks minimal English but was very nice and helpful. read more

Chocolate mousse is a MUST! Food is comparatively good. Staff did not speak much English but very friendly and helpful. read more

Our first dinner excursion in Paris was to Chez Janou. I knew that my fiance would most likely love the unlimited chocolate mousse so this place was a must-try! The atmosphere was mostly welcoming for English-speakers. We were seated in a section in the back of the restaurant that we quickly realized was reserved for Americans. We ordered the salmon - the dish of the day -but they were out of that dish for the night so we shared the tuna and ratatouille instead. The ratatouille was the best I've ever had! I ordered a red wine but was given white. The sever left so fast that I didn't get a chance to correct the wine mistake and ended up drinking it anyway. I considered that it was Paris and no matter what wine I was given, it must be good, and it was. For dessert we had the mousse and it did not disappoint! The servers were ok until it came to settling the bill. We had been charged for both the tuna and the salmon, even though the salmon was not available. It took several conversations before things were straightened out. Bottom line - English speakers can feel comfortable here while getting a tasty meal. We got by on limited French. Just don't expect fast or accurate service. I also recommend paying in cash. read more

This was probably our favorite French meal in Paris! We had our concierge book us a dinner reservation with this restaurant on the recommendation of a friend who visited Paris previously. The cozy space has a café vibe with cute, vintage posters on the walls. The waitress was fluent in English and the service was some of the best we encountered in France. We felt somewhat pressured to order appetizers at some of the restaurants we visited, which thankfully was not the case here. For our entrees, I ordered the leg of rabbit, which was very reminiscent of chicken thighs. It was moist and tender and came with a side of buttery mashed potatoes. The DH had a steak, which he described as good, but a little bland. They came with a side of scalloped potatoes, which he enjoyed. We each had a glass of the house wine, which complemented the meals nicely. The real star though, was the dessert. If you've clicked through a few reviews, you already know- GET THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE! It comes in a huge pot, which could easily be split between a party of 8. Of course we ordered it for the two of us and only finished off about a ¼ of it! Besides the fact that it is massive, it is by far the best mousse I have ever had. Most mousses I have eaten have been very light and airy, this was denser and richer. Imagine the best chocolate pudding you have ever eaten! Highly recommend this place! read more

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Food was delicious, service was the worst experience my family had in Paris. The waiter added three items to our bill that we did not order, did not bring water by until asked twice (after an hour of waiting). After ordering a bottle of wine, reminded the waiter about the wine after 45 mins, and still never received it - but was also charged. Definitely not worth your time, there's better places and food in Paris, go enjoy those. read more

My wife and I had dinner here with a same-day reservation. We were seated promptly and the restaurant was lively w/ medium noise level. We had the shrimp salad to start, the bass with mashed potatoes and tagliatelle with snails for mains/plates, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Every dish was excellent, especially the shrimp salad which was both vibrant and hearty. The restaurant was recommended to us by a friend who lived in Paris years ago, so they've been doing this a while now! Definitely a must. read more

We recently recommended Chez Janou to some friends who were planning a visit to Paris, since our own dining experience was so amazing. Here's what our friends had to say upon their return: "You were right - the best food of all the places we ate. We had a blast there and loved the mousse. What a kick. It was packed. Our hotel got us a reservation at 10pm our first night in Paris. We thanked you by drinking a lot of wine! I had the duck, which I thought was steak. DELICIOUS." Pretty much says it all. read more

Order the duck! I've been here twice during my time in Paris and I was more a fan of the duck and seafood/shellfish appetizer than the escargot pasta. Food --- *Duck - Very good and cooked unlike most duck we have back in the states. Comes with a healthy heaping of potatoes and some great sauce. This was by far, the biggest portion I was served in Paris and I AINT MAD! *Escargot Pasta - Really was missing a richer sauce (MURICAAAA), but the sauce/seasoning on this pasta was now bad. I just found the escargot taste a little overwhelming. Now I LOVE LOVE me some snails, but they needed something to help the taste. *Fish Kabob - This was refreshing and awesome! They had all sorts of different fishes on the skewer which was a nice surprise *Cold Fish lunch special - This was a fish special they had served cold and while I don't remember the name--I do remember we weren't fans of the dish *Shellfish appetizer - We referenced a mussel plate that someone else had posted a picture of and the waitress let us know that mussels weren't very good at this time so they were doing the dish with some other shellfish and we LOVED this! Service --- Pretty good! For the French :). They staff spoke enough English to answer any questions and the man we had the second time around even teased us with some jokes which was great. Location -- Great area for shopping! Nice quiet corner, so you won't get much people watching, but there's plenty of that just a few blocks away! read more

Arrived Sat night at 9pm without reservations (kind of knew we'd have to wait) but had a few drinks on the sidewalk to pass the time easily. The muscles and the gazpacho were perfect. read more

Chez Janou is one of my favorite places to eat in Paris. Everything I've eaten there the three or four times I have gone has been tasty and comforting. They really do the Provencal food expertly. I previously celebrated a birthday here and they gave us free shots of an herbal liqueur! Chez Janou is just a fun, casual place. This most recent time I went was in November 2017 for lunch. We had pot au feu (which a large group of burly French men were eating right next to us), mussels with garlic/butter, olives, and cote de boeuf. We also had some red wine our waiter recommended. We were seated outside under their patio tent, which was a great way to enjoy the sun but not be too cold. We didn't get the chocolate mousse this time, but we have in the past. It is definitely a must order if you have the appetite. I will keep coming back to Chez Janou anytime I'm in Paris just because it is always great and always a fun time. read more

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Great food, staff was super friendly, great atmosphere. They didn't have any vegetarian option in the menu, but the chef cooked up something really nice. read more

Very much enjoyed our meal. Neighborhood type restaurant a mixture of locals and tourist. I had the duck breast, it was excellent. Lynn had the white fish (sorry...forget which one) she also very much enjoyed her meal. Had a carafe of Cote Du Rone(sp?) wine which was fine and a reasonable price. Struck up a conversation with the people on each side of our table. A couple from Amsterdam and a young travel from the U.S. who had been traveling Europe and Asia for the last 3 months. Very enjoyable atmosphere. I very much recommend this place if you want something where you can have a conversation ad the food is good. read more

Cute, little brasserie with about 8 tables outside and dining inside as well. My family ate outside. The grilled duck breast with potatoes and mushrooms was outstanding. The friendly waiter, who spoke perfect English, paired my meal with a nice glass of Bordeaux. Great service with one of the best meals I had during my stay in Paris. Can't recommend this place enough! read more

Yum. With the affordable prices for wine and food here, I'm sad we didn't repeat a visit here during our trip to paris! Came here with a friend's recommendation, and it didnt disappoint! Must try: escargot pasta! read more

Great local bistro with a cozy atmosphere, delicious food, generous portions, and a very attentive and friendly waitstaff! If you're visiting Paris and want a good bistro experience without going bankrupt, check it out! read more

Excellent food! The wait staff were really nice and accommodating. Loved the fish and escargot tagliatelle.

The three stars are solely for the food, as this was probably the worst service I have ever received in my life. I was excited to come here as it was highly recommended by a college friend who now lives in Paris. I didn't have a reservation so I expected to wait. I was quoted a half an hour; I waited for over an hour. Others were offered olives and bread while they waited. I was not. When I was finally seated I was starving since I hadn't managed to eat all day. I asked the waiter for his recommendation from the appetizer list and he wouldn't give one, instead saying it's whatever I wanted or was in the mood for. Okay... I also asked about ordering two entrees, to save for the next day. He dismissed me and said he'd bring out the appetizer and we could decide later. I asserted myself and told him I knew what I wanted, and ordered the escargot pasta and the duck entrees and the burrata and tomato app. The burrata was delicious and the tomatoes were fresh and dressed with pesto. However, when the waiter came back he was extremely condescending about how the restaurant couldn't do a "doggy bag." He then apologized for misunderstanding. Since the restaurant doesn't allow taking anything to go, I ordered the pasta only. The waiter had never even *put* the order in so I had to wait another 20-30 minutes for the entree. It was tasty, with a creamy light sauce. I had never had escargot before but they were earthy, and kind of like mushrooms. I wouldn't order again because it was too weird for me to see their little antennae, but glad I tried while in Paris! That being said, I was after another long wait brought my bill without being asked if I wanted dessert. I told the waiter I wanted to try the chocolate mousse (highly recommended by my friend); and it arrived over an hour from when the entrée was brought to me. While it was very delicious and rich, it was very thick, almost like you were eating chocolate frosting. I could see enjoying this more in a group, on a day you're desperately craving chocolate. When I finally received my new bill, I was so tired and couldn't wait to get out of there. I paid cash and didn't even bother with the change. Service was inefficient and rude, and while the food was pretty good, you could not pay me to go back. read more

The place went from empty at around 5 pm to entirely packed at 7pm on a week night. Food was great! Service was a bit small and frazzled because they were so busy. We got the steak and fish of the day, and both plates were delicious. read more

My sister and her husband went to Paris in 2007 and they were recommended this restaurant by their hotel. They said it was their best food they had eaten in Paris. So when my friends and I decided to travel to Paris/Rome this past week, they kept reminding me that I should check out this restaurant. Because I was traveling with 4 other people and we all spoke either very limited to no french, I researched this place here on Yelp, Tripadvisor, and other sites who pretty much stated the same things: 1) The menu is only in French, 2) It gets crowded and it would take a long time to get seated but first have to get the attention of the staff, 3) The staff is rude, and 4) the food is so-so. So my biggest advice for this place ESPECIALLY if you speak very little to no French, do your homework before because it's worth it (and this homework takes at most 5 min.. if anything get your hotel concierge to do it)!!! Sounds like a lot of work buuut believe me.. we ate here on our last day in Europe and it was the best meal we had!! To combat #1, I simply downloaded the menu online and then had google translate it. There are a few words that didn't translate but you'll pretty much get the gist of the plat. To combat#2, MAKE RESERVATIONS IN ADVANCE. When we first arrived in Paris I called them and with my limited french, was able to make reservations for that day because we were unable to make it that night, my hotel called to reschedule my reservation. A note, you can make reservations in France 30 minutes before (if there's still space on the list), the day of or even weeks before. Sooo, when we got to the restaurant I marched straight up to the lady at the bar and let her know I had a reservation. Because all of our party was there, she was able to seat us right away. This place gets packed really fast, we were there at 8:00pm for the first seating and by 8:15 all the tables were bustling with people. So make sure everyone in your party is there or will be there in 5 minutes by the time you get there, or they won't seat you. And once they finally get there, you might not get a table for another hour or so even if you had reservations because it depends on how fast all the tables cleared up. This is also another reason why it's important to be on time and make reservations in advance, because you could wait for a long time because this place gets packed!!! And especially highly different from the fast paced American culture, Europeans encourage the enjoyment of food and just taking your time eating and relishing in the company of those you're with. To combat #3, there is the whole idea that the French dislike the Americans or are rude to us. But I've come to realize it's because they want us to attempt to try speaking there language. Imagine how we would feel if there were visitors from another country ordering food or asking us questions in their own native language that's not English. We would feel frustrated too. So yes, granted, the staff does speak English (or could even be limited), they were so nice when we attempted to speak French. They were prompt with our ordering, very attentive, and our food came out right away. We were never forgotten. Soo I know this is loong.. but on to #4.. THE FOOD!! SOOOO GOOOD!! I still look at my pictures and wish there was something remotely like this were I live. But honestly all of the food that we ordered were perfect! There was nothing that we had that we would call subpar. The entrees we had were the Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce (eat that with the bread they provide.. MMMMMM), Mussels (very tasty and not fishy taste at all), Chez Janou Salade (prosciutto, melon, tomato, lettuce, and mozarella- very fresh, made me think why i never tried this at home), and the Assiette De Ratatouille Froide (a bit of a saltier dish but delicious nonetheless). On to the Plats (Main dishes).. If you had to get one thing on the Plat menu get the RISOTTO!! Sooo sooo good and this is the same dish my sister and her husband recommended to try. Oh my gosh, the combination of the scallops and the creamy risotto.. sigh.. I dream about it at night. We also tried the Veal (not the one on the menu but the special of the day), the duck, and the lamb.. all were cooked perfectly. Very very tender! I would highly recommend any of them, but that's after you order the Risotto. THEN, for dessert we got the mousse and the creme blanc. The mousse they give you a HUGE bowl and you scoop out as much as you want. The creme blanc is served on a little plate with raspberries. If you eat these two separately they're both delicious, but combine the two flavors since the mousse is chocolatey sweet and the creme blanc is a bit tarty.. OMG.. it's like a creamy chocolate covered raspberry. So heavenly!!!! Our experience here was so pleasant, the staff was wonderful, and the food was the best part!! MMM.. i'm still thinking of it.. read more

i love this restaurant primarily because it is SO FRENCH i also like that they feed you lots of olives as you wait ;) ( and you will wait !) in summer there is a beautiful terrasse with seafood salad (crevisse i believe - a bit salty but oh so good and citrusy) in winter the interior is comfy cozy and just the right setting for an order of grilled bar and ratatouille . Here i will also mention the irresistible chocolate mousse be careful it is ''a volonté '' a.k.a. ''all you can eat'' i don't like mousse yet i assure you you must try this mousse for the experience alone. this perfectly textured chocolate mousse comes in a thick porcelain bowl which is placed on your table. inside it a BIG heavy metal spoon awaits. with this spoon you are to ''serve yourself'!' in a country were portions are taken so seriously so as to seem pre ordained, it is almost terrifying to pick up a huge bowl, gigantic spoon and just through a big blob of something on your plate ... that this is a big sweet delicious something is what makes you feel a little naughty do keep in mind that service here is extremely nice so the will never scold you no matter how naughty you are ( although the might try to take the bowl back after a few servings!!) read more

As we were staying around the corner we decided to try this neighborhood restaurant. It was great. Not only were the main courses really good. But for dessert we ordered a chocolate mousse and they gave us a whole terrine and asked us to help ourselves to as much as we wanted. For the main courses I had a tuna with ratatouille and my companion had the risotto with scallops. Both excellent. read more

Chez Janou delivered on both great food and attitude. Either the server was haughty or just plain lazy. It seemed like she was doing us a favor whenever we asked her for stuff. I loved the prime-rib style steak w/ garlic butter sauce and a huge, soft baked potato (the size of a softball). Also had scallops (only 2 pcs.) with artichoke hearts in a light broth, which was delicious. Adding one more scallop wouldn't have killed you, Janou! read more