This place comes in at 3.5 stars. Nothing bad... but nothing truly amazing either. Came here for lunch. We had the avocado with crab, oysters, and the veal. The oysters were good, fresh... but ive had better. I'm not used to separating the meat from the shell. But I had to poke at it with my fork to release it from the shell. Veal was tasty... Maybe slightly dry. But overall cooked well. The restaurant is huge. Probably the biggest one I've seen in Paris so far. read more

A great classic. Had nice chats with regulars who come everyday nearly. The tables are very close so you can make friends :) Food and service is great. read more

Festive and fabulous oyster feast! I love everything about this restaurant. It's the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, birthday, or holiday. The oyster and seafood feast was a delightful experience, service was top-notch, and ambience was jovial. I can't wait to return! read more

I've been here in spring 2008 - after several travel guides suggested one should have a look in here. Fortunately we believed them and walked in although there was a writing "Bar Americain" attached to it that nearly stopped us (hey - you're in Paris - you better go into a French restaurant, don't you?! :-) ) According to the guides and to the obviously great art deco-like interiour this restaurant has a long history and the walls of the (huge) guest room have heard the words of quite some famous bunch of people. Maybe this isn't the sort of thing you would expect from a restaurant in general: As I said it's huge, it's noisy and the waiters' foremost job is to manage and supervise the streams of people coming into and going out of the restaurant. It definitely is not a cozy, comfortable place to stay for two or three hours. It's more like a high class, high quality fast food restaurant from 100 years ago. This IS an experience, the food was absolutely great and you DO want to go there, too if you're up to something you won't have every day. read more

A lot of history in this lovely restaurant. I had learned that this restaurant opened in the 1920s from riding the L'Open Tour bus and that many celebrities of the time used to dine here. After reading the menu, we decided to give it a try and we were glad that we did. The wait staff was very friendly and entertaining. The food was delicious. I had a chicken breast with potatoes and a light cravy. It was light and satisfying. We shared a dessert of 3 cream puffs served with warm hot chocolate poured over it and whipped cream. The building has a historical feel to it and you can still imagine what it would have been like to eat, dine, and dance in this restaurant. There are photographs from the 20s on the wall of people dancing, eating, and conversing and you can still see many aspects of the current decor in the photographs. While we were eating, there were several tour groups that came in and toured the restaurant and the kitchen. As it was our last day and we were in a bit of a hurry, we didn't ask about tours or we would have. Lovely restaurant, good food, and friendly wait staff. If you enjoy 1920s Parisian history, check out this place. read more

This restaurant is the worst one I have ever seen before. We firstly ordered drinks and we got our beverages after we finished HALF OF UR LUNCH. Then we repeated our orders of the drinks to the waiter but he just ignored it and reply nothing. The waiters in this restaurant are not polite and irresponsible. Although the taste of the seafood is ok. Basically, this place is pretty bad that I will never come here. FOOD 5/10 SERVICE 0/10 TOTAL 2/10 read more

I can see how some folks might not like this place, but for me I enjoyed. One waits to get in and it is the only restaurant while in Paris that we found a wait. Our pass to enter was Puccini as one does not use ones own name and this makes sense to me to keep the confusion to a low level. I liked the look of the place, very eclectic with all kinds of odd art on the walls and the lighting of a period I suspect was the 20s and it is huge and noisy with crowded seating. There are a lot of service folk running all over the place and the pace is frantic. We were seated at the front next to the window and this actually worked well for us as it is less crowded and frantic but got a good view of the whole place. Now the food, it was good. There were highs and lows in the meal but overall very tasty if not a bit high in price for what one gets. I would go back, but would have to drag Gus along in doing so. It is not for everyone ;-{) read more

My daughter and her family (husband and two kids) came to visit us here in Paris. We wanted them to experience a typical french brasserie food, so we took them to La Coupole. BIG MISTAKE!!! food was horrible, tasteless and over priced. Not mentioning the terrible disregarded service. Took forever for the food to arrive. We didn't even finish our meal. I paid the enormous bill and we left to never ever be back to this place. Beware!!! read more

Great Place! Great location, awesome interior!! When we got to the place it was packed! the hostes handed us a card with a name of a famous writer on it, that was our "number". We sat at the bar and had an aperitif with delicious finger food. Shortly after our table was ready. I ATE SNAILS; PRAWNS; AND MUSSELS I can highly recommend that plate! DONT BE AFRAID of the SNAILS! they taste delicious! softer and nicer than the mussels. Overall it was a great experience and I recommend to EMBRACE your dining experience by ordering out of the box, "unusual" , french cuisine - order a bottle of wine - and later take a romantic walk! After all it's Pairs, so enjoy! read more

To round out our Christmas and birthday celebrations (my companion's birthday is the 26 th), I chose La Coupole. Again, I did some research on the location (less than 5 minutes from our hotel since the 27th we had a 7am metro to catch) and the menu, as well as having contacted them via email for reservations (they contacted me in good time and set them for 7pm :-)). I am giving it a 5 because it comes as close to such as it can in light of food quality, service and overall ambiance. I have to say, when I saw it from the outside, all lit up, I was happy to have selected it as it looked so pretty at night. As well, during the day, it is styled in the Art Deco tradition, with personality. When we walked in, reservation in order, I was quite surprised at how large a place it is. As we were escorted to our table, I started to worry that perhaps we would be disappointed given the size of the room and number of tables and diners. However, my nerves were eased once our waiter came to greet us and leave the menu. Once he left, I followed him with my eyes to a section of the restaurant where it looked like the whole squad of the wait staff gathered with the maître d' speaking with gestures as though indicating directions. They were there for about 5-7 minutes and once done each person was off to his/ her area. The other observation I made is that the wait staff wear a jacket whereas the apprentice staff wear a vest. It seemed so based on our service as our waiter attended to us for certain things vs. asking the apprentice for others. As I think about, the Coupole reminds me of the restaurants that you see in the old (1940s-1950s) movies where some scenes are at tables of 6-8 and it is a large place with a big band playing ( the first movie that comes to mind is "The Women"). On to our meal. Our waiter gave us the menu and we noticed the fixed menu selection that sounded quite good. They have different ones. We chose the "Prestge" menu which included a glass of champagne, starter, appetizer, main course and dessert (59 Euros). We added to this a bottle of white wine suggested by our waiter. Initially, we were going to order the wine suggested by the chef (as per the given menu selections) but our waiter told us the one he indicated he felt was better (no, it wasn't more expensive, but you'd think...). We took his suggestion happily and were not disappointed. For the starter we had a very nice sweet pea mousse topped with whipped creme fraiche. It was smooth and with the creme fraiche was absolutely delicious. Yes, we had bread also served and it was good considering my appetizer was, yep, you guessed it, the foie gras. And yes, I needed more bread to finish my appetizer properly :-) My companion had the mussels which he enjoyed (we saw some tables with the seafood tiers go by...if you enjoy seafood and you are in Paris, the city is well known for some of the best and freshest seafood in Europe-- just the presentation alone is convincing :-9 ). Onward and forward...my main was the Chateubriand, medium rare with the seasonal vegetables and yes, potato fries :-) . I savoured every bite of everything. My meat was tender and well seasoned and our waiters were attentive to us at a reasonable rate and at one point our waiter thought I was done with the bread and before I could say anything off he went...however, his apprentice noticed and quickly brought it back with a smile :-) for dessert I had the white and milk chocolate praline with apple sorbet. I enjoyed it as the apples didn't overwhelm the whole dessert, always a risk. In this case, the apple was very delicate and complemented the chocolate well. In all, between the people watching and noting the range of people there and the size which initially may seem unnerving, you don't feel at all in a large restaurant where you are not attended. If anything, I had, anyway, a very comfortable feeling with the buzz of conversations ( and it never felt loud) , that I was really seeing an authentic, non touristy part of Paris society. I know it sounds hokey, but all around, it was a really, really good food , service, and ambiance experience. A wonderful evening to finish off our Christmas time in Paris :-) read more

Now I know where all the leftover seafood from other restaurants in Paris goes to be resold to tourists. We went there because we saw Anthony Bourdain there years ago. How far this classic restaurant has fallen. Don't go unless you want to be sad. read more

In Montparnasse, you will find this art deco Parisian treasure of a lively brasserie. La Coupole is a classic brasserie popular with artists (Derain, Picasso, Matisse), celebrities, and Parisian elite and has been a cornerstone of art and socializing for plenty of historical celebrations and gatherings for decades. There is beautiful artwork prominently displayed all around the restaurant and a beautiful sculpture in the center. La Coupole is often crowded and if you are lucky to be able to make a reservation (they don't always take reservations so do not be surprised if you have a wait at the bar), I would suggest making a reservation if you can. They are famed for their oysters and their lamb curry dish just to name a few and would be obvious choices for our order. I chose the fixed carte 29 euros/pp for an entre+main dish (or main course and dessert) (you can add on a dessert for only 36.50euros/pp). I started with a half dozen of their oysters (+3 euros) which were tasty treasures of the sea accompanied by butter bread and pickled onions and lemon. I also chose their Griddled Norwegian salmon with "shepherd's-pie-style" potatoes. Salmon was perfectly cooked in a creamy lemon butter sauce with baby clams and a side of mashed shepherd style potatoes over cabbage and veggies which was quite good. Manfriend got the special boeuf (steak) which he enjoyed. Of course mama friend ordered their famed lamb curry dish. Check it, there is a famed lamb curry dish notoriously served to François Mitterrand which happened to be his last meal and if you should order, there is a specific man whose job is to serve his cooking dressed in traditional indian garb. Dish is quite fragrant, spicy, and delicious if you are a fan of Indian food. For birthdays, there is an uproar of servers parading and signing with lights and sparklers and just something happening everywhere. We even saw a woman eating with her dog sitting so politely IN THE RESTAURANT! Made me miss my dog and love La Coupole that much more. Amazing chocolat au chaud like liquid chocolate. Great stop to drink, have a bite and admire the surrounding art and imagine what history happened there. read more

It used to be the it- place in Paris, but it has now greatly lost its class. The waiters were slow and inattentive, though we sat right next to the central waiters station. First row ticket to see exactly what they were up to, which wasn't great. The menu wasn't helpful though in English. The waiters often used their hands when placing break on places/baskets and then if they were uneaten they would promptly be placed back in the general basked by the waiter station- with their hands. The prongs were lying IN the basket, clearly visible, so what the excuse not to use it? The waiters were slow, disengaging, and even rude, both verbally and physically. Verbally when we asked about an item on the menu, physically when one in our company got hit on the shoulder and was forced to lean away without any apology as another waiter was to take a photo of a group of people next to us. The backrooms aren't as nice as they should be for a 4 star restaurant, the famous coupole ruined by two different styles of drawing with two extremely different motives- a naked woman and an array of random things. I won't go back and I will not recommend the place to anyone, you can get better food, service, atmosphere and general visit in places with the same prices, or even cheaper. read more

Horrible service. Inattentive waiters. We spoke French as native so that was not the issue. However, waiters were rude, brought the wrong entree, upon asking to correct the mistake there was no apology but instead a snarky comment "you will have to wait now". The two entrecotes we ordered were not eatable due to horrendous quality of meat, again rude comments and even the manager was rude and condescending. The only good thing about this "glamorous diner" was profiteroles. read more

a Paris watering hole when Montparnasse was the center of intellectual and artistic life in the early 1900s. where Hemingway, Picasso, Sarte, Miró, Matisse, Modigliani, Chagal and other legends gathered. the art deco murals and sculptures is quite a sight. the ambiance jolly, service unapologetically french. the cuisine of classic brasserie fare isn't gourmet but affordably good. i first went here as a kid with my parents. still do, tourists in tow. read more

I was so disappointed in the whole experience!! After telling us there would be about a 20 minute wait (since we arrived without a reservation) we waited for over an hour in the bar. That would have been fine except that after we were seated, we were virtually ignored for the rest of the evening. We had to flag down someone to take our order who looked annoyed with the obligation of having to wait on us. We had to ask for bread which arrived alone, without butter. We asked for butter that never came. Waited forever for the meal which was just ok, nothing exceptional. From reading about their history and reputation, we couldn't have felt more disappointed. A wasted evening in a city of amazing opportunity for exceptional dining!! read more

This is a popular place. It is well deserved. The atmosphere is really cool. The food didn't disappoint. Escargot, ousters, smoked salmon, duck, etc. All very good. read more

La Coupole is mentioned in all tourist books however with mixed review. I had decided I was going to splash out on my last night in Paris and decided to test my luck. The struggle began when they did not have an English menu, however, I had managed to work out the seafood platter and picked exactly to my likings. The quality of the seafood and wine was superb. The decor was charming. I enjoyed it very much and certainly would recommend it! Dessert was heaven - I had the sorbet + fruit - not cheap though!! read more

Awesome Brasserie / Bistro on Blvd. Monparnasse near the Luxenbourg Gardens. Great Food, Great Service, Great 1920's Paris Ambiance. Had my Birthday Dinner here one year, was great. I Love iT !!!! read more

We had a lunch of fish and ships along with a bottle of wine. The fish was "ok". It was basically glorified fish sticks. The fish had no real flavor. The French fries were cold and bland. The endive salad was good. The wine was also very good. The atmosphere is nice and it seems to stay busy. Someone said the movie was featured in a French film so it is fairly well known. I don't know that I would go again though. read more

I had heard great things about this restaurant and finally gave it a try... Let's just say I was VERY disappointed. I expected the food to be batter, especially based on the reviews I had read and been told. The appetizer tasted like soap, the escargot was burnt and crunch, the entree was scallops/black rice/butternut squash with about a tablespoon serving of rice, for desert I took the fromage plate and the server cut the BOTTOMS of the cheese off and put them on a plate. I am sorry to say that I will never return and I was also Sooo hungry after a 61€ meal.... read more

We went here on the recommendations of our cousins from Paris and it was very disappointing. There were six of us and our waiter was quite unfriendly and even brought us out the wrong order. The only time our waiter was friendly was when we asked for the check. The food was mediocre... The ambiance was quite nice. The meal with drinks came out to be 60Euros per person. For that price, I would have expected much much better service. read more

Stay away from this place unless you like central station ambience. Noisy, bad service and regular food

Wonderful service from a very professional gentleman and excellent food. This is a historic venue and has been frequented by many famous people over the years. A great value! read more

What can I write about La Coupole? Always a good time, great staff ( how do the waiters slide around like that?) Food always good. Always. And it's fun when there is a birthday or five! read more

One of my old favorites. I don't think I could write an analytical review, as it is an experience well worth experiencing for yourself.

A lovely dinner my first night in Paris. Had wonderful service. They were patient with my inability to speak French. Started with foi gras (not my thing, but it was decent), then had the chicken with risotto, and finished with creme brûlée. Yum! While nothing about the meal itself stood out as phenomenal, I enjoyed the service and ambience of the restaurant and would go back again. read more

The only place you need to go to in Paris for seafood. Went here twice and will definitely be back.

Highly recommended by someone I trust, but it's been years since he was here and things change. Service was ruder than needed to be and the food was flat out terrible. Maybe my expectations were too high, possible but not likely, but really everything about the place felt like it was resting on its laurels and trading on its reputation formed decades ago but clearly no longer that place. Save your money read more

My daughter and I went for dinner there,we had a great meal I had the house signature dish, lamb curry, served table side with waiter in traditional costume very good . The Art Deco decor its unique and had become an iconic venue, the foie gras was superb.we went up the Montparnasse tower after to catch the sunset and the Paris skylights.food taste great , service courteousI, I will go back to this restaurant.one of the best in Paris!!! read more

First time was a great experience! The food is delicious and the service is great and super friendly. The escargot is a must!

One of the worst experience ever at an upscale restuarant. I should have read some of the reviews before we decided to try to eat at this awful place. Similar to M.Z, the service was extremely slow. In my opinion, the service was very disrespectful. Like M.Z. They knew we were English speaking tourist and the hostess gave us the French menu. While waiting for about 10 minutes or so since no server acknowleged us, I went and flagged down the hostess, requesting if they had an English menu. She said yes. My wife and I then waited, and waited, just for the English menu. From our vantage point, we could see the hostess was just chatting away with her colleagues and made us wait for the menu. At this moment, we were a bit ticked off but thought we would be a little bit more patient. The hostess finally came over with the menu. It was probably 20 minutes later from the time we sat, the server for our table acknoledged us. My wife and I had some question about the menu regarding the specials. He went off on us in French, knowingly we would not understand. Addind moe insults, he didn't even explain the specials fully. He spoke in French and waled away while ecplaining it. That was the last straw for us so we just left. If i could, i would complain to the owner but something teslls me he/she would not care. If you are not French or French speaking, do not go to this place. read more

We should have known not to go since it seems to be a perfect place for tourists. I was still surprised how the poor food was. Never again.

Excellent service, food was equally great. It deepened our love for France.

Another classic Paris venue, visited by the intellectual elite of its day. It's an attractive spot for its history and interior alone, but fortunately the food is good enough to live up to the hype too. It can be crowded and can take a half hour to be seated, but it's worth the wait. The portions are huge and the Crêpe Suzette very enjoyable. I loved the vibe there and the mix of noisy crowd and hints of art. read more

Terrible food-bread that had already been biten by another person and cold veal... Don't go!

Fine Art nouvau decor. Food only okay The charm of the restaurant lies more in its decor that its food. While the Choucroute Garni and seafood platters are quite acceptable, even good, much of the menu is often lackluster, as chain restaurants often are. Service is quite good, and the fact that it is open early, late and Sundays is a plus. read more

I have been coming here for years, it is such an institution in the old school Mega Brasserie. I recently took my wife there as she had never been to Paris. The food is so good, the waiter was so funny and polite, my wife had a new insight on Parisian humor. So if you find yourself in the Beautiful City of Paris, stop by and see where it all began. You will find this special place a fun experience, oh and the food is great. read more

I went here on a Saturday night, first night in Paris. There was a mixup with our reservation. The restaurant couldn't find our reservation, but were very accommodating and sat us down quickly. I think this is a great restaurant for people watching and soaking up the Parisian atmosphere. The interiors alone are fascinating, along with the history of the place. There were so many birthday parties happening, I lost count. I enjoyed my food and savored the atmosphere. The food was solid, but not awe inspiring. I had a goat cheese and beet appetizer, monkfish 2 ways and profiteroles with ice cream and melted chocolate. All delicious! read more

AVOID this place! The food there was completely blah and quite expensive for it too. The service is very slow, just to get a menu we had to wait 15 minutes, and they brought a French one even though they knew we spoke English and were tourists. Then we waited another 10 minutes for them to bring an English one. I ordered the so-called famous lamb curry that was the last meal of President Mitterrand according to the menu and then I felt very sorry for him because it was terrible. I can make a better lamb curry than that in my kitchen at home, it was cold and had no salt, no spice, no flavor,and the lamb itself was undercooked because even with my knife I had to work hard to cut a piece of it. It was served by some Indian waiters, who unlike the French waiters, had to wear a full Indian outfit and turban, which struck me as more racist than colorful. They tried to make a production out of the fact that they served the lamb from a big trolley, but instead of looking fancy, it just struck me that I was paying for basically a cheap buffet of cold lamb that had been rolling around the restaurant for ages and they were overcharging by a mile and fleecing people. They don't even bother giving you a fresh, hot meal. My husband's steak was raw on the inside and completely burnt black on the outside, I don't even know how they did that, it was awful. At least the art inside is interesting and some of it is pretty. Take a photo, but don't bother eating here. read more