La Fontaine Gaillon is a beautiful restaurant in a 17th-Century mansion in the Opéra district. We went on the recommendation of our hotel concierge, who also helped us secure the reservation, an early Sunday dinner for a large party. We were given the choice between the main dining area and a private room, and as the private room cost an extra €300, we decided to try our luck out on the floor. To our surprise, we were led to a private room when we checked in. I guess there was a vacancy, and they saw us coming with a two-year-old and three-year-old. The private room was comfortable and attractive, with an opulent, overstuffed French aesthetic. White tablecloths, bold wallpaper, upholstered seats with a profusion of pillows. We were tucked away--never even saw the main dining room--so service was a bit intermittent, but friendly and well paced. We were okay on our own for the most part, drinking wine and dealing with wiggly children. The food was quite good, if not the best we had on this trip. There was bread with butter and crunchy radishes to start, and we ordered a hefty spread of appetizers. My favorite of these was the king crab salad with avocado and grapefruit. The marinated tomatoes were lovely too, with sherry, yogurt sauce, and basil, as were the mushroom tart and foie gras terrine with apple and port chutney. I was less into the sea bass carpaccio, which tasted oddly fishy in a way I wasn't expecting. It came with olive oil, lemon, and salmon roe. I had the hand-cut beef tartare with fries for my main course, and this was really satisfying, silky and meaty with a fresh egg yolk and herbs. My husband had the lamb chops with eggplant and reduced jus and this was great, too. The kids ate butter pasta and plenty of the fries, which were excellent. This was a fun family dinner in a glamorous venue unlike any available to us in California. I'd recommend it if you'd like a nice French dinner in a historic mansion. Bring enough kids and they might even give you your own room. read more

Good food, but unfortunately some of the worst service we experienced in Paris. I rarely leave negative reviews, but this was meant to be a special birthday dinner and the level of service simply did not match the restaurant or the price. Throughout the evening, we repeatedly felt forgotten while watching the tables around us receive attentive service. I asked our waiter for help choosing a white wine, only to then be served champagne. We asked for bread, were forgotten, reminded him, and eventually had to ask a manager to bring it to us while the surrounding tables were being looked after. The most disappointing moment came at the end of the evening. My date had arranged a small birthday surprise for me with our waiter. He completely forgot about it, yet during our dinner we watched him help another table celebrate their birthday. Any one of these things on its own would have been easy to overlook. Together, they made us feel like an afterthought for the entire evening. The food was genuinely good, which makes the experience even more disappointing. At this price point, you are paying for more than what arrives on the plate. You are paying to be taken care of. We simply weren't. read more

The quality of the food and the service was impeccable! Loved the amazing restaurant decor, both inside and out. The experience all in all was exactly what we wanted, French and delicious! read more

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The food and service was impeccable. To start, we had the herring and escargot, both of which were incredible. The herring was not what I expected, but it proved all doubt wrong as it was delectable. The escargot was more tender than what I've had before. For our mains, my friend, probably had the most tender and delicious feel that was crispy on the outside. I had a superb beef tartare which exceeded my expectations. My waiter Antoine was knowledgeable and lively and gave excellent wine suggestions. Excellent ambiance. read more

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Fantastic for lunch. Their outdoor soace is unbelievable on a sumny day. And Chef Marc Veyrat delivers. Great service, impeccable setting. Lunch pricing is very fair for the quality of the cuisine. Not to be missed! read more

My wife and I had our "honeymoon dinner" here July 12, 2011. This is definitely a five star establishment. It's actually very famous in Paris and is owned by French actor and filmmaker Gerard Depardieu. The service here is amazing. Most servers speak French but we were lucky enough to have a server that spoke English. He was very pleasant and informative. He introduced me to the finest cognac I've ever had! Believe it or not, all the so said "French Cognac's" we drink in the states like Hennessy and Courvoisier are frowned upon at this establishment. I can't remember the name of the cognac but it was aged 30 years... delightful! For appetizers we had the Ravioles aux langoustines et persil plat (Ravioli) which were amazing. Main course we had Merlan de ligne de Saint-Gilles (Whiting) very fresh but a little bland and to top our meal off we had the Mille-feuille au praliné for dessert that was mouthwatering good. Very pricey but a GOTTA-GO if you are celebrating a special occasion. Definitely not a tourist spot and great for people watching if seated outside. I would have given this place five stars if the fish had some more flavor; however, the presentation of the fish was great (see picture I added) and I'm sure if I had ordered a different entree, it would have been just as delicious as their starters and dessert. read more

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Amazing dinner. We had truffle ravioli and artichokes with foie gras for appetizers. For main course a baby veal with white truffle sauce and roasted lamp with a basil sauce. Chocolate Fondant rounded up an amazing meal. We sat outside, the restaurant is located in a very small square with 3-4 other restaurants, and while it's within the Opera triangle, there were no tourists to be seen - all the diners were locals, of the hip/elegant variety. Definitely a great people watching spot on top of the amazing food. Highly recommended! read more

Came here for the first time few years ago, knowing the fact, that it's owned by the French actor and producer Gerard Depardieu (and I'm a fan of his early comedies). There is another his restaurant called "L'ecaille de la Fontaine" right in the front overlooking the same small square. Both are situated in the very heart of the Paris, close to Opera. La Fontaine is located in magnificent historic building which was constructed back in the year 1672. During summer time they open a beautiful patio outside and you can have a table next to a lovely fountain. Inside there are few dining rooms on the two floors beautifully decorated. I've never been on the second though. Local businessmen meet there for lunch during the week and in general most of the guests are native. No wonder, it's a high quality restaurant providing traditional French cuisine with some contemporary touch. The menu is in French of course (although it's pretty clear, but the waiter will explain to you if you don't understand some dishes) and they change it seasonally. Also there are menu variations as the specials of the day, they alter it depending on what is fresh at the market in the morning. Some dishes a la cart are pretty typical for all places, for instance "Melon et jambon de Parme", but not without a French hint of course. This time we had as appetizers "Bar et Saumon Fraise en Tartare" and "Salade d'Artichaut et Fois Gras", both very rich. As for the main courses you can go for Fish or Meat options. There are more fish variations. Turbot of course is my personal choice again, it's the best for me, like a creamy taste. But there are also Sole, Saumon, Cabillaud and more. As for meat - try Pigeon. It's typical French, very delicious, mouthwatering, and just superb. The usual entrecote "black angus" is good too, perfectly cooked there, but you can find it anywhere on earth. Of course cheese plate after if you're up to this. Or a lot of wonderful desserts to choose from: Crème Brule a la Vanille, Cheesecake, Milefeulle aux Gariguettes (strawberries) - they all are simply amazing! If you're lazy - there is a three course menu for 47 Euros. You can choose one of three appetizers, as well as main course and dessert. The wine selection is not vast enough, but nevertheless all the main regions of France are represented here. So you can easily choose the right wine for every taste and budget. As for the unusual wines you can find there some too, like from Morocco and Algeria for 64 € and 68 € respectively, but since I haven't tried those there is nothing I can say. May be some other day. The service is really remarkable. The waiters are very pleasant and informative. Reservations are highly recommended. For your information - it's open Monday through Friday only. And closed for Christmas holidays, like a lot of restaurants in France. Not pricey compared to Michelin star restaurants, but a little bit more than a usual brasserie. Highly recommended place. I go there all the time when in Paris - city of love! read more

La Fontaine Gaillon - Lovely patio opened spring and summer - French Near Me - Paris, 75

My husband & I and two friends had lunch there June 11, 2010. This was highly recommended by another friend who was there a couple of yrs ago & raved about it. Prior to our departure from LAX (we stayed in Paris from 6/4 to 6/18/10), I made the lunch reservation via concierge of our hotel JW Marriott Champs Elysees (that's another review I have to do) well in advance. It is in the heart of Paris - about 8 minutes by cab from Champs Elysees. For starters - ordered smoked salmon on top of pie shaped crisp tart, foie gras, a french salame on top of crisp/tart like a pie crust, I ordered the fresh cantaloupe(very very orange/sweetest I've tasted) & on top a mound of thinly slided prosciutto (best yet I've tasted even compared to one I had in Italy), hubby ordered the caprese (French style of course)-beautifully presented-looks like the large tomato was blanched, peeled and chilled, then cut thick prior to serving, drizzled with virgin olive oil,fresh burrata/mozzarella & of course fresh basil. Main dishes - we all had fish dishes (this place is famous for their wonderful way of cooking their fish). I had John Dory fish (perfectly cooked) crisp on the skin but moist, tender, light flavorful broth & perfectly cooked asparagus, hubby and our two friends also had fish-I will update this note(since I have taken photos but I cannot remember what type of fish)--we were happy with our food! Desserts - the pic shown were the two we ordered to share - see how beutiful they are?and tasted good too. Now, for the con part--our two friends came in shorts (it was lunch & we sat on the front patio). A couple of guests who were having lunch right beside us and one in back kept staring at them (hubby & I were not wearing shorts) - that was uncool. But the restaurant maitre'd was gracious and accomodating. So, if you go there for lunch, do not wear shorts even if they say casual. Casual in Europe is not the same as our casual in US --not your version of California casual.. Casual in Europe means slacks or decent jeans-not your greased up variety :) and absolutely no sandals in restaurants, no t-shirt! Remember, you are in their country - respect their customs & etiquettes. Hubby and I returned there by ourselves on June 17 for dinner. This time, we were seated inside & it was really well decorated; again wonderful meal, wine and service was impeccable. We will go back there again when we visit. We went to Paris 10/07 and was not able to go to this restaurant at that time. Glad we did this time. We highly recommend this place. This restaurant was formerly a mansion (built in the 1600's) - location is so ideal - by the opera triangle area. - read more

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We knew it would likely be your last trip to Paris. You planned the trip in excruciating detail, because it's a lot more fun to plan a trip to Paris than it is to think about impending death. Reserve a table at this restaurant. Pack your bags and get on the next flight to CDG. The French air is easier to breathe. Long lost friends were remembered and reunited with. Conversations lasted well into the night. Cherished memories were brought back to life...and new memories created with your family by your side ....singing French folk songs in cafes and strolling arm in arm as you showed your wife, children, and grandchildren the best places in Paris....with this beautiful restaurant being one of them.... And The Food....the Fruit de Mar........everyone knows the food tastes better in France...... May you find peace in the French part of heaven, PapaDoc......Paris is always a good idea.......Le temps se coule.....NDV read more

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Wonderful local spot with excellent food, service, wine and ambiance. We were seated inside since the patio (by the fountain) was full, and though it was a different feel, it was still a wonderful experience. Very classy, with excellently prepared dishes and ingredients. Everything we ordered was tasty. Highly recommend for a non-touristy and authentically French experience. read more

Great place.French bourgeois cuisine,modern touch and hype surrounding.