Our first visit to the Clown Bar. The location is a bit out of the way near the Cirrus area. The ambiance featuring the Clowns is very intersting as is the food. The food is for those who are adventurous and eat everthing. This is not for your average Grandma. I persaonlly would recommend it only if your a foodie and have several days to explore otherwise there are more essential stops. read more

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Made a reservation for dinner and had a great meal here. My boyfriend and I ordered: + Beef cheek croquettes + Veal brain (!) + Daily catch + Beef tartare + Broccolinis + Chickpea fries + Gateaux basque While they are known for the veal brain (which was great), the highlights imo were actually the beef tartare and chickpea fries. Only negative was that the meal was super fast/felt a bit rushed - we were in and out in about an hour. Also, everyone else was American (which is to be expected, due to their robust Yelp presence). Overall a very fun spot, though! 4.5 stars. read more

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No notes. Terrible service. Arrogant bartender. Except he is a bartender in a below average restaurant, he can take a seat. Will never be coming back here. read more

Honestly one of the best meals I had in Paris. We hobbled offer to this restaurant a day after running the Paris Marathon in Oct 2021 and to were greeted with exceptionally fluffy bread, beautifully plated dishes, and exquisitely designed desserts. Standout by far was the miso-glazed pigeon, and a very memorable cow brain dish in the style of tofu with dashi broth. Service was attentive but casual, and we had lovely bistro seating outdoors. read more

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A gastronomic feast in a lively atmosphere and affordable price! Staff was English speaking and very friendly. Wine by the glass was all phenomenal from the orange to the rouge. The squid salad wasn't what I expected but was still delightful. It was calamari (breaded and fried which I would have thought too ordinary to get here had I known) but with a delightful horseradish sauce and greens. The pigeon was incredible. Anyone that complains that it is too gamey hasn't had pigeon as it was perfectly flavorful. The contrasting sauce was also amazing. Would come back again gladly! read more

Clown Bar - Pigeon - French Near Me - Paris, 75

I had a lovely meal at Le Clown Bar during my trip to Paris--it was the only place I made a reservation for, and as a solo diner I was very pleased with the service and my meal. Since I was a party of one, I sat at the bar and was happy there as a had a view of the dining areas and access to the bartender. I mainly came to try some great wines (priced very well!) and enjoy a few small plates and that's exactly what I did. The much talked about calf brain was not available during my meal, but I enjoyed a tuna crudo and potato dish. It felt like Clown Bar is a bit more relaxed than some of these reviews make it seem--a lot of people just came to sit outside and enjoy wine and conversation, but there were a handful of guests inside enjoying full meals as well. After three glasses of wine (a chilled red, a fun orange, and a crisp rose), I disappeared into the night. read more

Exactly the kind of place I'd tell visitors to steer clear of while in Paris. Was promptly sat in the very back behind the coffee machine with the rest of the tourists. The main dining room, while beautiful, remained empty until the end of our meal. Food seemed to be overcompensating for the high prices in all the wrong ways. Left the Clown Bar feeling like an uncomfortably full, much poorer clown. Wine was good! read more

We went to Clown Bar on our first night in Paris! The food was absolutely amazing. The staff was very friendly and spoke English to us and helped to accommodate to all of my allergies which was great. The bar itself is very cute and unique with quirky clowns painted on the tile around the bar. Highly recommend! read more

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***DISREGARD NEGATIVE REVIEWS*** I have been waiting 6 years to try their foie gras pie, and everything else on the menu for that matter, and the entire experience was perfect. Each dish was spectacular and we really wanted to return the next day to try all that we missed. *SERVICE was very friendly and attentive. They were happy to suggest wine for us in English. Our dessert was 30 minutes but obviously due to a huge amount of guests ordering food at the same time. Their kitchen is TINY, it's OK to wait for the super fresh, beautifully plated and wildly creative cuisine.* TIP -Go for lunch at first seating. We were a 2-top and the first to arrive and were seated at the best table (window). There wasn't a bad table to be honest, outside was heated and the bar seemed like a lot of fun to watch the action. The tables are close together, but this is an urban French restaurant! (You'll have to get used to that unless you can afford to spend double the price for 2 Michelin Star spaciousness) Thanks to the chef and Le Clown Bar staff for a wonderful memory of our time in Paris! read more

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the best of Paris!!! great service , ambience, great wine and fantastic food but you must have reservations!!!!

Ever since I heard about their veal brain, I wanted to come. I went on a Sunday when it opened (530p) and sat at the bar. It's a small restaurant and serves typical French cuisine. Staff were nice and the wine selection was great. French bread is so good and Clown Bar's bread helps solidify that opinion. They serve you warm fresh bread that's delicious. I got their seasonal white asparagus which melted in my mouth. Their charcoal tempura is a must get - it's warm and cooked perfectly. Their squid over squid ink and greens were also delicious. Their menu is small and every dish is well made. Dessert was great too - got the chocolate mousse which wasn't that sweet and super airy. It was delicious. Let's talk about the veal brain. Yep, it's a brain and it might make you nauseous when you're served it. Looks aside, it was pretty good. It's in a vinegar broth and the texture is really light - almost like a mousse. Glad I tried it. read more

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Good food, friendly staff. Terribly place to go if you have food allergies. Their menu is limited and not easily accommodated if you need to eat dairy free. There are so many wonderful places in Paris that can better accommodate allergies, don't waste a stop here unless you are one of those blessed with an iron stomach. read more

Clown Bar - French Near Me - Paris, 75

Definitely make a reservation if you have more than 2-4 people. We were able to make a reservation for 7 online a few weeks ahead quite easily. The space is fairly small with a small bar and a few tables inside, as well as some small round tables outside. As wines are a focus for them, both bottles we got were great. Our server suggested a Burgundy and also a Pinot from Jura, which was a first for me. Both were under €100. For food, we ordered everything family style. Before even getting to the food, we loved their bread. It was brought up from downstairs still warm, and they cut thick slices for you. It was great with butter but even better with the sauce from the mussels (below). Starters: - Cucumber, feta, wild blackberry: refreshing - Mussels with ponzu sauce and paimpol's bean: this was a favorite - we got 2 for the table and then added another. The sauce was amazing for bread - very fragrant but not too heavy. The mussels were the small kind, which I like - tender and flavorful - Squid, tomato, guanciale: interesting - smoky from the guanciale, sweet from the tomatoes (loved the de-skinned tomatoes). - Raw white tuna with raspberry and fresh cream: I never thought to combine raspberries and fresh cream with tuna - Beef tartare with burrata, mushroom, hazelnut: interesting take on a traditional dish, especially with the hazelnuts Mains: - Monkfish with zucchini, mushroom, barnacles. Yes, barnacles. I've definitely never had these before. On appearance, at first I thought it was a mushroom. Flavor/ texture-wise, it's more like a clam. The fish itself was a bit under seasoned for me - Pigeon from Mesquer: medium rare, served with beet roots, currants, and onion. This was quite gamey - Duck with foie gras pie, served with green salad - lightly dressed. The pie itself was very rich and gamey, and the salad helped to cut it. We were right in front of the open kitchen, which was nice. I appreciated the small details: their dishes, the flatware in drawers at the table, the Aesop soap in the bathroom. They put together interesting ingredients that you wouldn't necessarily combine in a dish (like blackberries / cucumber / feta... or barnacles ...). Everything was well executed, and I appreciate the creativity. We all left quite full, and pricing was very reasonable. read more

Very creative food! Decent service and a pretty varied menu. I came here mainly for the foie gras/duck breast pithivier and the veal brain in tosazu (told myself i would never eat brain as a child, but I just had to try it). The brain was OK, mostly tasted like tofu with similar texture. The pithivier is great, but quite rich - share it if you can (my girlfriend only had a bite so I had to take one for the team). Their steak tartare on burrata though is easily one of the best tartares I've ever had. It's a cool spot though, if you're willing to try new and different dishes in a bar type environment. read more

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Situated next to the Cirque d'Hiver (located at 110 rue Amelot, has been a prominent venue for circuses, exhibitions of dressage, musical concerts, and other events). This establishment is a hot spot for both locals and travellers who are familiar with the Parisian food scene. It's fairly difficult to get a table on short notice, so plan ahead and make a reservation at least 3-4 days in advance. The ambiance is casual and approachable and the food, imaginative and so very delicious. Whenever I am in Paris, I go to Clown Bar at least a couple of times. Squid ink foie gras is my favourite thing there. Clown Bar's presentation of the dish is multi-layered, balanced and a great homage to both the new and old French culinary masters. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Paris. This place is tiny, even by Parisian standards...the food is prepped downstairs and cooked in a shoebox of an open kitchen upstairs. We ordered the sardines, a foie gras and smoked eel salad, and of course their famous pigeon. Nothing disappointed...all of the food was carefully and craft fully made. We loved it. read more

My wife and I were excited to come here and try something new at our 7:30 reservation on a Thursday night. Overall, it was an interesting but mixed experience. Service was fine (but expect it to be slow because the small restaurant stays very busy), and the food and drinks were interesting but underwhelming. Let's start with the food. For appetizers, we ordered the veal brain and tempura zucchini. For our main dishes, we ordered monkfish and a duck & foie gras pie. The veal brain was the most unusual thing we ate and the visual presentation was cool since you have a whole brain sitting in a bowl. The veal brain itself didn't have much flavor, but the vinegar sauce was nice. We mistakenly began eating it with a fork, but you should eat it with a spoon so you can get some of the liquid sauce with every bite. The texture of the brain was extremely soft, life extra soft tofu. The zucchini had tempura breading on one end. Inside was some bechamel and a meat that tasted like ground chorizo (I can't recall exactly what it was). It was fine, but the chorizo flavor overpowered the rest when you took a bite of it. I'd never had monkfish before so I won't comment on it because I'm not sure how it was compared to other preparations. Now on to the duck and foie gras pie. If you're looking for a meat pie, I think this will be excellent. But if you're looking for duck, or for foie gras, I think you'll be disappointed. Duck meat is excellent by itself, especially when cooked rare. And foie gras typically has lots of nice flavor. But with the way they were cooked together in the pie, both ended up missing the unique flavors that make each special. The duck just tasted like pulled poultry, and the foie gras somehow didn't have much flavor (though the texture was right). Now let's talk about the wines. They serve primarily (if not only) "natural wines" by the glass. I hadn't tried natural wines previously, but had a glass of Champagne and a glass of Syrah. My wife had a glass of Chardonnay and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The Champagne was dry and tart and not too bubbly - I'm not sure if the latter is because it was a natural wine, because it was served in a normal wine glass vs. flute, or because the bottle had been opened for a while. The Chardonnay had an interesting taste that I can't describe well and the Sauvignon Blanc was fine but nothing special. The Syrah, however, was absolutely disgusting. It had an aftertaste on the back of the tongue like mold or a musty basement. This was unfortunate because it's the wine the waiter recommended to go with my dinner, but it was so bad that I couldn't finish it. So overall, it was interesting to try something new, but the flavors were generally mediocre - nothing amazing, and nothing terrible. I don't feel the need to return. read more

I feel like I was made a clown of at Clown Bar. I got the foie gras and duck pie which wasn't horrible, but was overly salty and just overall not that impressive. Foie gras is much better on its own outside of the context of this dish. My friend got the monkfish and she felt that it had an inconsistent texture and underwhelming flavor. Both dishes were 33€ each and were not at all worth the price beyond perhaps the cost of the ingredients. Preparation was very much lacking. Summary: not "down with the clown"! read more

This is the classic Parisian experience...if your expectation of Paris are that Parisians are undeservedly arrogant and rude. Food was overly expensive and gimmicky without being tasty. I love "weird" when it's also tasty...this was unapproachable just to be unapproachable. And that, as I said, is very Parisian...but only if you think of Paris in terms of unflattering stereotypes. The oysters were muddy tasting and the veal tartar was just....extremely raw tasting. Not a lot of flavor or textural contrast in any of it. Re: service - I asked two different people three times for a glass of wine - and the place was half empty, so I know it wasn't a bandwidth issue. Most obnoxiously, when the server asked me if I was finished with my dishes (half eaten) and I said, "yes," and she said "SERIOUSLY?" Seriously? Who says that to a customer. And if you were going to be a b*tch about it, why did you even ask me if I was done? I of course tried to explain myself, "oh I'm full, merci, merci..." but now I wish I had said, "uh....yeah....food wasn't GOOD! Why don't you look inward instead of judging me!" read more

Everything we ordered was perfectly fine the way I want my pigeon, sardines, lobsters and even the veal brain! Talented chef! read more

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We all love Clown Bar don't we? The great addition to last year's hot new openings. As soon as they (re)opened it with the chef Atsumi , it was talked about among friends in Paris and also in Tokyo. So I had to check it out. Great Parisian neo-bistro vibe with Belle Époque décor + Japanese speaking French staff ( I mean fluent ) friendly service... already can't go wrong.. Great true to the taste dishes with bio-natural wines. There is a bit of twist of fusion in it of course but all done deliciously. Oh that pithivier - pie ! so rich and is a must! I can just come back for that. Scallops were nice too. The potion is pretty generous. For me dessert is always an important factor and yes I liked it a lot, subtle and refreshing. This place will never disappoint you - what they serve you are all $$$$ restaurant quality or could be better ;) , outstanding. Better to book in advance as it is already a popular place. Good that they open on Sundays. read more

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Come here for: small plates, friendly people, and unique clown decor Food: we went for the who's who combo of apps and desserts. Particular highlights were the squid, foie gras, and artichoke and the creme brulee. Very innovative and well prepared! Tender squid with well seasoned squid ink sauce Service: incredibly accomodating! We had made a reservation for Feb instead of jan, but the staff made space for us at the bar and welcomed us with sparkling conversation. The place was very quickly filled up but service level was still high Decor: so cool! Small spot but tiled with unique clowns, bar is cute and cozy read more

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Wow..we had a wonderful interesting meal here. Nothing fancy with tiles from 20's. In the 11th arrondissement in a cool funky area.

This was the most notably the best meal in Paris. Chef Sota Is the bomb. Too bad he left to pursue his own dream. Great wine list. I can seat there and eat and drink all day. I love this place. read more

Clown Bar - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Deep in Le Marais there is the Clown Bar that can easily missed as you walk around the beautiful neighborhood. But pay attention to your surroundings or you'll miss this gem in this part of Paris. The Clown Bar is all that you want in a Parisian bar and more. Step in, grab a seat (if you can) and enjoy all the wonderful things that this restaurant can offer you. As you should at any establishment in Paris, grab yourself a bold red. Something strong and powerful that will prep your tastebuds for what's to come. We had a beet/burrata salad that was divine. Tis the season for beets so all around town, people were serving up beets in all their special ways. As you know burrata is a soft almost liquid mozzarella cheese that they mix with fresh beets which not only highlighted both ingredients but ushered in a blast of umami. We went onto a beef tartar and a scallop (or Saint Jacques) crudo. As an American, I don't usually get to eat beef tartar or raw scallops but it's all over town here so I indulged. For those who are squeamish, if you can just look past the fact that you're eating raw food, you'll be incredibly amazed at the freshness of the food that is being served you. You'll be surprised at how much you'll be craving more and more. If you're looking for a spot where all the Parisians go and are wanting to try some truly great food, Clown Bar is the way to go. Try to go during the off hours then you don't have to be hanging around a small space with a lot of people! Loved it. Would definitely come back here read more

Our experience was great here. The cuisine was some of the most inventive I've ever had - and all of it worked. Dishes that sounded a little odd on the menu - they all were inspired and delicious. They took very good care of us. The sommelier (and owner, I believe) listened intently to our wine interests and then went off to select a bottle from the cellar that fit exactly what we were looking for. Voila, a wonderful and intriguing natural red that went perfectly with our meal! This is a hip, beat kind of place, so if you are looking for an elegant Parisian dining room, this is not it. However, it's a fun place to be with some history. It was a little hard to find on foot, so give yourself time because you might get lost on the way. Next time I'm in Paris, it would be hard not to beat a path back to Clown Bar tout de suite. If I can get a reservation, that is: it's very popular. It was our best meal in Paris. read more

For sure need a reservation even for one person. I was lucky came in at 7pm set down without a reservation, but I witness they turn away few others. Food, drink, dessert, and service were all satisfied. I normally don't trust touristy place for eat, I got the info from local shop owner. It was the best meal during the trip. read more

Clown Bar - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Such a disappointment! I've wanted to try Clown Bar for years and finally made it this trip. What a wasted meal in Paris. The menu was very small with a focus on meats. We ordered the beef carpaccio to start. A huge plate of raw beef came thickly sliced with very little flavor. It was piled high on a bit of burrata with pine nuts. We asked for olive oil and salt but this didn't even help much. Bread was served without olive oil or butter. Service seemed careless. Monk fish was better but still not great. I would not eat here again. read more

Top selection of wines !!! For me one of the best restaurants - bistrot - style - cuisine in paris historic place share every dish for two 2- 3 entrees 2- 3 main dishes ( for 2 persons ) fantastic ............. read more

I was kinda disappointed with my experience at Clown Bar. Service was as someone else said, both inattentive and pretty passive aggressive. The food was just meh, most everything was under salted and needed some acidity. As the meal went on, it became quite clear that the Chef that got Clown Bar all of it's accolades is no longer there. One dish that they had been known for the Veal Brains with Yuzu was a bloody disaster. The flavor was all off and the smell was absolutely repulsive. The vibe was the only endearing quality about this place. I won't be back and I won't be recommending this spot to even my worst enemy. read more

Feel free to skip this restaurant. Nothing was actually memorable or particularly outstanding. I made a reservation on the fork and was offered a bar table. The lighting was harsh and the atmosphere was bright and garish. Service was poor. The food wasn't bad but nothing stood out to me. Overall it bordered a bad experience. So many amazing restaurants in Paris - you don't need to go here. read more

A very unique and fun dining experience! Reading negative reviews on here seem to be mostly issues with service, which seem to be cultural misunderstandings, or that the food was too peculiar. To the service point - we had lovely servers. I feel badly about the tip we left - we are down to our last few euros in cash and we didn't have much to leave. We were very happy, though and felt compelled to leave something. Don't expect to be checked in on constantly, to be asked how everything was with each mouthful. That is just not how service works here! Maybe read a few internet articles before coming? Saltiness about other tourists aside - the food was very tasty, unlike anything we have had so far. Flavours were wonderful, and the presentation was wonderfully unusual. The wine list is gigantic, so feel free to lean on the expertise of the staff to help with a choice. Expect something out of the ordinary, and make time for a long meal. This place was on our list and we are so glad we got to it! read more

Very cute interior. But an acquired taste. This is FRENCH FOOD. AKA brains, duck, pigeon etc. not for me. The burrata was nice. Good natural wine. You just have to be into classic french stuff. The modern-ish tempura halibut was... not great. read more

The beautiful Belle Epoque space is (tastefully) decorated with clowns. The menu has been revived by Sota Atsumi's intriguing small plates. Wines are heavily natural, with good options by the glass as well as the bottle. Don't expect to get a table without calling a couple of weeks in advance. read more

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One of my favorite dinners in Paris. Very creative and delicious food without the ridiculous prices. The service was good and it was super busy. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time- especially for outside. The foiegras and duck pie was to die for as well as the brain and head cold cuts. Can't wait to come back here. read more

Had heard great things about this place so we decided to book a table. Obviously they are popular as the earliest they could give us was 10pm. When we arrived, they didn't seat us until 10.30pm. What was the point in booking?! When we had a look at the menu, it was very simple, with not much explanation of each dish. For example, there was "beef and anchovie". It was lucky we were told by the waitress that it was a tartare, as our English taste buds would not have been forgiving enough to eat raw meat! They could definitely do with more explanation of their dishes to cater for their non-French customers. On top of this, they only had enough food to make up about 4 of the dishes. They had run out of so much stuff that it really limited our choice. I cannot blame them for my party being fussy eaters, but there was no choice. They gave us wine without showing us a wine list so we had no idea that the bottle we had bought was about 40 EUR. Shouldn't it have been the house wine? We felt like we had been slightly ripped off as tourists and because we complained about there being nothing on the menu. They did bring us over a free plate of scallops which tasted of nothing. Great. Will definitely not be returning and will tell everyone visiting Paris not to go there either as the service was relatively unfriendly, we felt cheated and the food that did come was not great. The only thing that prevented this from being one star is that the pigeon dish was quite good and they did give us a free dish to make up for their lack of choice. read more

Disappointed. This was very well reviewed but all around a bummer of a meal and an experience. Firstly, the service is both inattentive and passive aggressive. My husband and I are both friendly, well-dressed but accommodating people and were treated like garbage here. Ok... who cares if the food is good, right? We were sat by the door (but really my husband was essentially IN the doorway itself, tasked with closing the door all evening). That should not be a table; that's greedy and tacky of the restaurant. I joked it should be called 'Clown Car'. We had to pull teeth for recommendations from our waitress; we were mislead. Waited 15 minutes for wine that was forgotten. Out of 5 dishes, we only enjoyed the veal brains (this should not come out first though! -- a dish this visually jarring should come after at least one other course.) And we enjoyed the pot pie too. The tempura was a big 'meh'-- it's black; Cool, to guess? The endive & foie gras was bland and a poorly designed dish. The desert of sorbet was not at all what we ordered but the waitress said it was. Ok... we just paid and left. Honestly, I'm sad we wasted an evening here while in Paris. And, if it was around the corner from my house, I would still regret my time there. read more

I love their trout sashimi with microgreens and mango, their fresh hot bread, and their chocolate creme dessert with vanilla creme, hazelnuts, chocolate cookie crumbs, and honey creme! One of the folks who works here is great too - many thanks to her for jumping in after we were left for dead by the rest of the crew! read more

We had a near-perfect dining experience at Clown Bar when we went for dinner on Saturday evening. We hadn't made a reservation--OUR FAULT admittedly--and so got sat at the worst table in the house, which was outside at the end, downwind from the annoying smokers who were just drinking there. We made the best of it because our buddy from Dallas highly recommended this place, and his choices are almost always solid. We started with two glasses of some crazy orange wine that was absolutely delicious and unlike anything we had ever tried before. The menu is limited, so we couldn't be too adventurous with our toddler (i.e. no veal brains for us), and settled on their lemongrass & ginger mussels and a goat cheese brick that was served with a small side salad. AMAZING. The mussels were so tender and the flavors were delicate yet really shined through. The cheese was also superb, and our daughter ate everything along with their impressive bread. For a main we got the monkfish, and holy Notre Dame, it was to die for. Put it this way: it was better than any fish course that we had at Le Bernardin when we dined there in March. The sides on the plate were also impeccable, but we can't even remember what they were since the fish is still looming in our memories. Dessert was some melted chocolate mousse ice cream thing that was a bit weird but good and some berry thing that was also quite good. Service was mostly fine, likely because our waitress was Canadian and on top of it. We really wish that we could have sat inside as that would have made this a 5 star review. In whichever case: surely one of our best meals in France. read more

Some of the worst service I have had. The food was good, but the staff was unprofessional. We ordered a bottle of wine and without telling us what we ordered was unavailable, they substituted another bottle. Unethical and if you enjoy wine, just unacceptable. I wish I had spent my money elsewhere. read more

Clown Bar - French Near Me - Paris, 75