I'm an American who's lived in Paris for 3 years now. One thing Americans are known for is speaking in hyperbole. Let me assure you that the following review contains no exaggeration, and is my 100% honest opinion after having lived here for a while.
Les Deux Cigales is far and away my favorite restaurant in Paris. Whenever I have family or friends visiting, this is the first place I take them. Why? Well, I'm glad you asked...
1) The menu has variety, and every single thing I've tasted is delicious.
It's like listening to an album so good, you don't wanna skip a single song. I've tried Les Greg (a pasta with arugula, pesto, and bresaola), the New York (a homemade tartare with chopped pickles, mustard, and plenty of other good stuff), the bacon cheeseburger, several different salads, their sub sandwiches (not to be confused with subway, as here, they use amazing bread that cracks as you bite it, along with high quality ingredients), their sunday brunch, their homemade cheesecake, tiramisu...I've never ONCE been disappointed with a single thing I've tried. And that's rare, as there's always one subpar meal in even the best of restaurants. Get ready for some hyperbole:
-the tartare is the best I've ever had (in Paris or anywhere else). I've never been a huge tartare or raw meat guy, but the New York is just undeniably delicious.
-the tiramisu is the best I've ever had. I usually don't like tiramisu much, but there's is rich and delicious with a special twist... not your average tiramisu, to say the least
-their burgers are the best in paris, which brings me to my next point....
2) Their burgers!
After years of living here, I can safely say the one culinary thing that Americans do better than the French is make a delicious burger. In recent years, burgers are trending in Paris, but you'll find that A) it's hard to find a burger for less than 20EUR, and B) it's hard to find a burger that tastes good. Shocking, I know, but it's the truth. And of all the burgers I've eaten in Paris, Les Deux Cigales' burger is the best.
3) Their salads!
I'm a dude. Dude's aren't known to like salads. But I can eat the salads at Les Deux Cigales for dayssssss. They're all good, and so much more than just a couple leafs of lettuce with pre-made dressing. My favorite is the épautre, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any salad that you don't like.
4) Their service!
The french are usually known to have poor service. But at Les Deux Cigales, their service is a perfect blend of french and american styles. French in the sense that they let you eat your food at your leisure and don't hound you every 5 seconds asking "how is your food????" while you're still chewing it, with a huge fake smile that screams "please tip me!!" American in the sense that they value great customer service. They are sweet, regardless of whether or not you speak English or French, and are always around to help when you need it.
In fact, one time, I unknowingly overpaid. I didn't return for another month. When I returned, they not only remembered that I overpaid, they remembered the amount and returned it to me a month later. Seriously, the service is so good it should be illegal...
5) Their prices!
For a good meal and great service in France, you'd be lucky to pay less than 30EUR. Here, you can eat a well-proportioned, filling, delicious homemade meal, easily for less than 15 bucks. That's usually the shocker when I bring friends here saying it's my favorite restaurant in Paris: they expect snobby service and overpriced gourmet food, instead they get the best of both worlds!
Honestly, I can go on forever about this restaurant. My review probably sounds too good to be true, even to the point of being phony, but it's the complete truth, so do yourself a favor and drop in whenever you're in Paris! read more