We had dinner here last night and it was a fantastic experience. The food was spectacular, great tasting and pretty. Our evening was made even more enjoyable because our waiter, Sherif, who was patient with us and give us good advice. By the end of the evening he told us to trust him and let him choose the dessert. It lived up to our expectations and I would love to go back. On Saturday nights they don't take a reservations, so I would advise you to show up early and stand under the red umbrella to wait for the host to pick you up. One of the hosts seemed to lose patience with some customers who didn't follow protocol. French people work for a salary so they don't care if they take more or less tables. Service normally is fast and efficient in France, not necessarily friendly so don't get offended, is nothing personal. This place included 20% extra charge for service and in these case he deserve it. But we saw many people treated very bad just cause they come and ask questions. So now you know. My suggestion is try your best to speak french and follow their advice. Have fun!! read more

Jesus. Spectacular. Foie gras app was perfection with lemon jam elevating very mild foie to another level. Cod plate, vegetable plate and salad of heirloom tomatoes and burrata all show why Paris has the reputation it does for food. Everything showed a very deft hand with seasoning and accompaniments. My veggie plate had peas, snow peas, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini but also had slivers of roasted red pepper, garlic, pickled red onions, fried shallots and caper berries. Sounds like a bowl full of veg. A small amount of olive oil and lemon and you have a very impressive plate. All other dishes were similarly prepared. This is a serious kitchen and we were thrilled to have a meal this good in Paris. read more

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I was shocked to have gotten a table here on such short notice given how tiny and popular this place is. All throughout the night people were coming in trying to get a table and being turned down, so it made the experience feel so exclusive! Definitely call ahead the day before to make a reservation. The prix fixe menu is very well laid out and creative. The portions are perfect. What I loved most about each dish was how colorful they each were (see photos!) and how much care was put into the presentation. At the end of the meal you are presented with a cheese tray, from which you can eat your fill in some of the finest cheese I've ever tasted. I believe the menu changes daily, or at least weekly, which makes me appreciate their use of the freshest ingredients and equally fresh ideas. read more

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Mediocre place at best. It's super crowded with very tight seating. Your neighbor is basically sat next to you like you're a party of 4 and you can hear everything they say. That on top of the super hot and humid weather makes eating french food which is super heavy/creamy very uncomfortable. And not to mention the long wait to even pay your bill. Food: we are from NYC so this place hardly pleases anyone who's been around and about in terms of taste. Escargot was bland. Bone marrow was dripping with oil, octopus pasta was mushy and way too creamy with these mushy french pasta... and the list goes on. Skip if you can. read more

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We dined here on our last night in Paris and everything was great. It was a Wednesday night around 8pm and we had no reservations but asked if they can sit a party of 7; the wait staff initially said they can't as there was already reservations made for the hotel guests, but the guy inside was nice enough to make it happen (by asking a couple to move to the other side) so they can accommodate our big party, so that was appreciated. The food came on time, everything was amazing, even the wine that was recommended by our host. The hosts were very gracious and attentive. Price was fair for the great dining experience we had on our last night. read more

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The food was so good and so was the service ..the waiters went above and beyond and they were so cute too

So there is of course an amazing amount of raving for Comptoir du relais and their affiliated restaurant l'avant comptoir. I was pretty excited to give this spot a try after we had wrapped up a walk around Notre Dame and on our way to the jardin du luxemborg. Our timing was impeccable and we had arrived right before the lunch swarm and able to snag the last seat outside. This is a nice French experience with tables squashed together with people all speaking French while you enjoy your bottle of vino in the late morning/early afternoon. I certainly recommend you work your way around the meal times if you want to avoid the lines themselves. This joint does not have many servers who speak English although they certainly tried their best to articulate. Thankfully my high school level French was able to get me through the gate with all of our plates ordered. We decided to go with an order of bone marrow, the escargots, a beef stew, and the finale being the crème brulee. The bone marrow and the escargots were the two plates out first. The bone marrow was delicious without being overly greasy or fatty with a solid presentation with some veggies and a sauce to the side. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste although I felt there could have been ways to make the flavor pop more perhaps but still solid. The escargot was delicious and came in a buttery garlic sauce. The flavor just popped for these snails and they were really well prepared. Shortly after came out the beef stew which was hearty and solid. I don't think it is something everyone would appreciate given the interesting contents of macaroni pasta, hearty beef stew, chunks of tender meat and veggies. It reminds me of a favorite Korean dish I have (galbi jjim) for whatever reason and I was hooked on it. Perfect as it was a bit chilly that day so the hearty warm stew made life that much better. The final item was the coffee flavored crème brulee. This was done really well with it being light with a slight burnt airiness to it. It tasted absolutely delicious and had a mousse like consistency and leading me to think it is probably the best crème brulee I had while in paris. I think this is an authentic paris café and may not suit everyone. The dishes are traditional but really well prepared since ive had the fortunate opportunity to eat a lot of French cuisine. Yes the servers may be a bit rough and it could be challenging to communicate but that's part of the fun and joy. The dishes here were all really good and this is definitely a noteworthy place without a doubt. I will be back for sure. read more

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Used to be great. Not so much under the new ownership, with inattentive service and noticeable drop in the quality of food.

I came to Le Comptoir fairly early in my Paris residence, long before it got the Bourdain stamp - even before that lines were long and prices were aggressive. It's certainly a worthwhile place to eat, but no place is worth the lines. There's always someplace at least as good in Paris without the line, and I don't have any mythical "best places in..." autograph book I need to get signed :-) read more

Now this is how I want to eat in Paris! Squeezed into a tiny table, in a small restaurant, with all French people and no English menus, with ridiculously authentic and delicious food. As all the other reviews say, 'order from the mirror' - seriously, do it! I didn't even know exactly what I was getting... Some sort of veal. Boy, was it delicious! Tender and lean in a red wine sauce with brussel's sprouts, parsnips, carrots and potatoes. We also started with the lobster ravioli. It was good in a pegord cream sauce, but I wouldn't order it again. I also tasted the leg of lamb. Again good, but really stick to the mirror and you will have an incredible meal at a great price. The plats were aroung 15 euros. Really quite the deal for the quality of the food. For dessert we had the cheese plate and the chocolate pot de creme. The cheese was of excellent quality and it was a standard but very good pot de creme. When I am in Paris again, I will most definitely return here! read more

My favorite meal in Paris!! Paris is like a drop dead gorgeous girl with no depth! Call me a food snob but all the Michelin stars can't wow me in this gorgeous city. There's nothing Chefs in America can't copy or remake the meals in Paris. I've been lucky enough to dine at Thomas Keller's French Laundry twice!!. Balthazar in NY, Per Se in Hell's Kitchen NY! ( A must if you can get reservation) They were the best of the best. I wasn't expecting too much from Le Comptoir du Relais but turned out fantastic!!! Loveee :) Came here during a week day in September after walking around town! I know the place gets very busy so I made sure I get here right before they open. At 11:45 am, we managed to get the last table in the place. In a typical Parisian style: we sat outside with our neighbor's hands on my lap. It was so cozy, I could have easily sat on someone else's lap. The waiters are so busy and so very french. To our left were all tourists and to our right was all french. That was fun. The menu is all french!! Luckily italian and french words are somewhat similar. I sort of guessed and ordered a few dishes. Escargot Octopus soup in truffle oil Stuffed calamari with risotto cooked in squid ink Beef Veal Foie Gras A bottle of Rose! Escargot was perfect.. swooooon! I cracked a huge smileeee after being pouty all day from crappy food. Thanks little snails. You made my stomach smile too. Octopus soup in truffle oil * lentils~ wow! I love this dish. So refreshing, so light and so tasty. I wish I can have this super sized! I can still taste it in my mouth..mmmmm Stuffed calamari with risotto in squid ink~ Meh! It was ok. It's a very confused risotto inside a giant squid vehicle. I wish they stuffed it with liver or some offal instead of that risotto. Squid ink sauce was fantastic. Just not the stuffing. Beef stew~ it was a ok too. Somewhat heavy, somewhat not. Meh Veal ~ tender and flavorful. That's all I have. Foie Gras~ now that as a food porn and moan worthy foie. Eating this in a very hot and humid Parisian heat was an adventure of its own. I can't help but picture a cool beach side or a giant ice tub as I take in every bite. Someone ice me so I can take my time foodporning in my mouth. A bottle of rose turns into 2! I can always count on my Rose' to be consistent. Thank god for that. Over all, we took our time dining. The food took it's time, the server took their time and we took our damn sweet time eating it all. It was light, fluffy and delicious meal. So good, I went back twice during my week long stay here. And they were directly across from my beautiful apartment. Score! I've waited no more than 5 minutes for our all visits while I watch some people wait over an hour for the same meal. Suckers!!! ;) I gave it 4 stars because even-though it is my favorite meal in Paris,it isn't the one I'd die over for. That being said, I love this place. And I'll definitely go back if I'm in Paris and in Saint Germain again. read more

Le Comptoir - Escargot & rose! Nom - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

I live like three minutes away so I know how busy this place gets. I've been here twice, once for lunch and another time for dinner and drinks. The service is awful and the food is good but nothing to write home about. Both times I sat outside which is manageable with the heat lamps and the fleece blankets that you have to ask for. Menus are also only in French. For lunch, I ordered a salad, a hot chocolate, and a dessert. Service was attentive but server was snobby when I spoke in English. This is in a very tourist heavy area so that shouldn't be the case. Bread was refilled constantly. Tap water is a given. The hot chocolate is good!!! It comes with a pot of chocolate and a cup of steamed milk. Our dinner service was awful. My boyfriend and I met our friend from New York for drinks around 6pm. We were seated outside in late February even though the place was completely empty inside. Again, thank god they have 20 heat lamps. We started off with wine and beers. Every 10 min the girl would ask if we were ready for food. Hold it, hold on. The manager lady then comes outside and yells at our server who was actually friendly to tie her hair properly. It was actually painfully awkward to see this exchange going on. Then the manager lady comes and moves my friend. There are two ways this could have been done-the polite way and her way. Her way was tapping my friend to get up and then pushing her aside while yelling in French. How does this lady live being so awful?? My friend left and we ordered food around 8 pm. At this point we had been asked to order food five times. Aren't the French notorious for taking forever to dine? We got the grilled chicken salad and a steak cooked well. For dessert we got the chocolate mousse. The salad was good but the lettuce were in huge chunks. Steak was average, undercooked, with tons of fat around the edges. It was almost impossible to cut and I ended up knocking down the tub or salt they bring you. Oops. The chocolate mousse was light and creamy but presentation was sloppy. Then the best part of the meal happened. These two men who had been dining inside the restaurant come out, obviously drunk. One of the men starts leaning on the awful manager lady and then he crosses the street, drunk as a skunk, pulls his pants down screaming and pisses on the wall. So as we are eating, all of this is happening in front of us. Manager lady chases after him and embraces him. What the hell? So unprofessional and kind of disgusting. Our dinner came out to 100+ €. As I pass by this place everyday, it looks like a warm and fun place to be but after this dinner service, I'll only go to the bar next door maybe and the crepe/waffle window always because the food is cheap and fast but I will not be coming back here. read more

Le Comptoir - 6 drinks and a meal for 109€ lol - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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Le Comptoir. "The Counter." You may know it from such shows as No Reservations, in which Eric Ripert called it "the perfect bistro." As Anthony Bourdain would say, the food is good. Damn good. It's five-star food for five-star price points, and if you can forgive the mediocre service, it's a steal of a meal. First, some background. Oft noted as one of the hardest reservations to get in all of Paris, that applies only to the prix fixe dinner service on weekdays. My understanding is that menu is a set, no-choice dinner for an insanely reasonable cost--somewhere around 50 Euro. Breakfast, I believe, is reserved for hotel patrons only. At all other times, seating is first come, No reservations needed, or accepted. Armed with this knowledge, we went sometime after 2pm to avoid the lunch crowd and faced a small line and a short wait--about 15 minutes. Around 4 to 5 pm, when we left, the line was nonexistent. Le Comptoir is small (though not nearly as minute as next door wine bar L'Avant Comptoir). You sit practically arm to arm with your neighbor, whether it's fellow diner or foreign patron. Outdoor seating comes highly recommended. Even in December, the heaters blared fine and the ambiance is top-notch. The brasserie menu is daunting. Page after page; first the wines; then the food. If you're not fluent in French, bring the translation book. You'll need it. We forgot it, and thus had to get by on my mediocre French. Portions are huge. Massive. The very reasonable prices belie just how filling dishes turned out to be. For example, I knew we wanted to start with Oeufs Mayonnaise (discussed on the show). It priced at approx 5 Euro, so I thought it'd be two pieces, something small. We placed two orders. Turned out to be five pieces per plate, doused in delicious devilishness. One plate alone could've constituted a meal. Still, fantastic. Consequently, our "let's order small plates" idea turned out to be tragically mistaken and deliciously filling. In any case, the menu had its full share of "classic" French dishes. My eyes knowing those terms, and our stomachs yearning for great French food, we went down that path. Foie gras. Rich. Melt in your mouth good. Atop crispy toast slathered in butter, to a gluttony of excess. Escargot. Beautiful pesto butter garlic sauce. Both easily the best I've had. As we waited for our entree round, we eyed the table next to us. Thank the maker for the two Frenchmen that started with an amazing-looking bone marrow (os a moelle). Seriously, check the picture. I don't often brag about my foodie pictures, but that one is simply stellar. We pointed at that to our waitress. She obliged. Succulent bone marrow, drenched in its own juices. It came draped with caviar, complemented with roasted chestnuts. It was unreal. And arguably the best thing I ate the entire trip. By that point, we were stuffed, and had yet to sample the plats we ordered. It seemed almost criminal to indulge more, but that we did. The beef cheeks "en daube", akin to beef bourguignon (one of my favorite French dishes), was a wonderfully delightful stew. The macaroni pasta was a nice touch. And one of Le Comptoir's signature dishes, the Cochon au Lait, was so divine it made me rethink my stance of generally avoiding pork. In retrospect, perhaps the wife had a good idea. Not a beef/pork eater, she went with a couple light chicken dishes. First came a play on Poule Au Pot, with the homey appetizer wrapped spring roll style. That was followed by a very refreshing chicken salad heavy on haricots verts and splashed with a fine vinaigrette. But if you're going to eat at Le Comptoir, I cannot stress this enough: Go. All. Out. I only wish that I had known how to read more of the menu. The aforementioned Frenchmen went with two pieces of amazing, simplistic, drool-worthy strip steak. And the cheese! We were too stuffed for cheese. Oh, the humanity! Even so, it was my favorite dining experience in Paris and one of the best meals I've ever had. Mr. Ripert, you were right. And Mr. Camdeborde, I salute you. read more

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After my trip to Paris, I realized, my palette and french food just does not match up. I must admit, I did not dine at any of the michelin starred restaurants in town, so maybe fancy french might be more of my style, but random places just did not do it for me. I figured, if I didn't absolutely love the food here, it wasn't the places I visited, it would be more of a genre of food that just isn't my thing. This place was placed in high regards by a few friends, especially Jeffrey C, which has been a blessing with his recommendations. It was also featured on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, as high end taste without the attached price tag. Sold. We were going to be coming here during after lunch before dinner time. I had read that during lunch the line could be really long and at dinner it is reservations only. We had a light breakfast and had planned to arrive around 3 for a late lunch. When we showed up, there was only 3 tables inside occupied and 2 outside, perfect! The place is tiny, about maybe 12 tables total inside available and another 12 or so outside, so I could see why there would be a wait. The entire menu is in french, even though the waiters speak english, you are kind on your own to pick your dishes. The menu starts off with the wine, and I had a small understanding of french and armed with a smart phone I was ready to attempt to order. We started the meal off with 12 of the escargots, the best I had in town, but still not the best way I enjoy snails. I recently went to california, and like the flavors of the vietnamese style snails over the french, the butter was just way too rich for my liking. We wanted to try the deviled eggs but wanted to save our stomachs for the entrees, since I hear the serving sizes were big for french standards, this was probably my only regret. As far as entrees, we got the beef stew and the rack of lamb chops over beans. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly, the gaminess was not strong. The beef stew was my favorite though. The beef was so tender and the broth was perfect! And the best part, the meal was about 65 euros. For me the service was not a problem, as other reviewers had mentioned. It was actually much better than many of my other experiences in Paris. read more

Very cool restaurant with indoor and outdoor sitting. This restaurant was stuck to our hotel. The service is great as they were attentive to us and treated us well. The food was delicious. I had the bone marrow and my wife the escargot. The bone marrow was served with some type of sauce (maybe bbq) . It was cooked perfectly and melted when in contact with my mouth. My wife had the escargot which is enjoyed as well. It was her first escargot in France. She liked it and said it was prepared better than most us restaurants. read more

Le Comptoir was buzzing on a Sunday night in both the outdoor and indoor sections. This is a typical French brasserie with close seating and an EXTENSIVE menu. Unfortunately, we made it here about ten minutes before the kitchen's last call, so service was rushed, but quality was not at all diminished. PROS: 1) Excellent food: -Escargots: Delectable little morsels swimming in herb, garlic & butter sauce. -Foie Gras on Toast: Really? Need I say more? -Braised Beef Shoulder: Tender cubes of beef shoulder and vegetables in red wine sauce -Demi-Poulet: The roasted half chicken with mashed potatoes was simple & good. -Creme Brulee au Cafe: The custard of the creme brulee was coffee-flavored instead of the traditional vanilla. The sugar crust was, of course, perfect. 2) Portions are LARGE-- even by this American's standards. CONS: 1) French menu only: Be prepared to whip out your Google Translate app, dig deep into your memory of high school French, or take notes as your waitress frantically describes options to you while she's in the middle of doing 100 other things. 2) Super-rushed service: Again, it was probably our fault for coming so late, but they started to stack chairs on tables before we even ordered dessert. I understand wanting to close, but making patrons feel unwelcomed is not okay. We ended up taking our dessert outside so they could finish cleaning up inside. Overall, still highly recommended for brasserie style French-fare-- just make sure you make a reservation & don't show up too late! read more

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Here's what we ordered : Escargot: Solid Steak with an achovy on top which was a special of the day (think it was called Oude de Beouff) : Flavors were good but the steak was a bit chewy. Also, it didn't help that their knives sucked. Whole Chicken: This came out raw. When my wife cut into it, it was bloody red. We requested to the server to have it cooked longer and he reluctantly obliged like we were the one in the wrong. The dish came back a few minutes later...which obviously meant that it was microwaved. But the worse part, even after microwaving the dish, the chicken was still pink! Also this dish wasn't cheap at 28 euros a pop. The only good thing I have to say about this restaurant is that the mustard they offered with the steak was pretty dang great. Also note that they charge 6 euros for tap water. Ridiculous! Avoid this place, it's definitely a tourist trap with pretentious service (which was expected anyway) and terribly executed food. read more

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So here's the thing about Le Comptoir in August. You get in line. The lady manager looks at your party of 4 (or 2 or 3 or whatever) and says, "One hour." She's either lying or, I think, measuring your commitment to eating at a really incredible restaurant. Stand your ground and you will be rewarded with a table in less than 20 minutes because the manager will make a party of 2 switch tables in order to get you a 4 top. If you are an American, the urge to leave will be strong after you wait 15 or more minutes for a waiter to notice you. So leave. I want your table and I know the waiter will make it over in the fullness of time, take your order (everyone's entrees, then plats, then drinks and wine) and the food will roll out beautifully. We love this place. The ouefs mayonnaise, the snails, the boudin noir, the pate, the salads and soups. We love the lobster pasta, the pork in milk and lentils, the pigs feet, the steak with mashed potatoes, the beef cheeks. We love the crazy rose in the bag. We love the creme brûlée and the apple tart. We love the terrible 80's music playing on a Saturday night and the waiters dancing to the beat. We love you, Le Comptoir and we'll be back sometime when it's not August and have the fancy tasting menu like Bourdain ate. Especially the cheese. read more

This Le Comptoir (it means counter), one of so many le comptoirs in Paris, is by far the best comptoir. What makes it the best is the neighborhood and quality of food. Are the waiters a bit uppity by entitled American standards, sure. But if that's a problem Paris does have a nice Hard Rock cafe. Go get your glutton on over there. Le Comptoir du Relais is nearly identical to many other cafes in Paris: cramped seating that spills onto the sidewalk, an elegant bar with a militant Tender, and a well dressed staff. What sets this comptoir apart is the attention to detail in the food. The seared tuna was fresh and perfectly cooked, the wine sweet with notes of lilac and peach (truthfully i have no idea what the wine tasted like as I'm not a sommelier nor a pretentious prick, but it was good. AND it was the cheap stuff. Just goes to show you, in Paris even the cheap wine is good). Keep in mind that my viewpoint is from that of a non-local. Perhaps my experience was a good one because it was a beautiful sunny summer afternoon in Paris, and no matter where I ate that day I would have viewed it as pleasurable...four-star pleasurable. If i lived in Paris, I could envision myself failing prey to a jaded perspective where a cafe is just a cafe and it isn't 'good' unless it's got three Michelin Stars or costs $200/plate. Luckily for me and probably most of you, I am not yet that type of jaded, so I reveled in the experience. I hope you'll do the same. read more

Le Comptoir - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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Few phrases give me more joy than the phrase, "when I returned to Paris." But indeed, when I returned to Paris back in August, it was approximately a year after I first ate at the much celebrated Le Comptoir du Relais. I'm happy to report that not much has changed. Some minor tweaks to the menu -- the Steak Tartare, for example, is slightly different, but no less delicious -- but it's still one of my favorite places in Paris to have lunch. So much in fact, that I ate here twice. On my most recent visit, when I returned to Paris, I tried the Oeuf Mayonnaise (€5), Os a Moelle (Bone Marrow) (€14), Escargot (€9), and the Carre d'Agneau (Lamb Chops) (€26). The eggs were decent, nothing too extraordinary and probably could have been skipped. But everything else was spectacular. And even though I'm not an escargot fan, these were the best I have ever had. What I especially love about this place is that it retains, almost to a fault, its Frenchness. Despite the hoards of awkward and unfashionable tourists who blunder their way around town and into this place, guidebook in hand, Le Comptoir does little to accommodate them. While it could come across as stereotypically rude, I say good for them. Stay French, mes amis! So should you decide to come here when you go Paris, try to learn how to read the menu and order in French. It will be much appreciated. And not just by the staff, but also by the rest of us who come to Le Comptoir to dine on some of the best brasserie food in Paris. read more

Yummy plat du jour. Not touristy. Overall we really enjoyed this dinner. Everything was fresh and well prepared. read more

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This beautiful sidewalk cafe was the last restaurant my husband and I ate at during our Paris trip and it was perfection. The street is beautiful and the open cafe allowed us to take it all in. We ordered the Charcuterie Plate to start, it was delicious but huge! It could easily serve as an entree on its own. Escargot was fantastic and is a must for our Parisian experience. Squid Stuffed with Risotto was amazing! I loved the squid ink sauce, and the squid was cooked perfectly. Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream was the perfect way to end the night. Not too sweet, but just sweet enough to satiate my desire for dessert. read more

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This place came highly recommended by both Anthony Bourdain and our hotel concierge, who said reservations should have been made 6 months in advance, unless staying at the boutique hotel next door. The restaurant gets so packed that they opened a stand up tapas and wine bar with some of the freshest and best french tapas you have ever had, including foie "pinchos" with red pepper, anchovies, beef carpaccio with pine nuts and arugula, and some of the best house wines ever. I recommend getting to this restaurant for the second service, since most restaurants in paris only take reservations for the first service from 7-830. We were thrilled to get a table for 5 just before 11, which is really a fine time for dining in paris. When you go, you should get the blue crab bisque to start, maybe a house salad lightly dressed in an exquisite Dijon vinagrette, the Cochon with lentils as your main, and the tart tartine to finish up. This was easily the most incredible meal I have had in paris, and the cost was approximately 40 euros a person. If I were you, I would skip out on the expensive Joel rubuchons or Alain ducasses of paris and head to le comptoir.. You will not regret it. Be advised you will likely have to sit outside, but isn't that what paris is about? Excellent dining, friendly staff, and an absolute must if you are in paris! The restaurant also offers a three course meal for 50 euros. It wasn't available at the time we ate, but I would still go back for the Cochon. It melted in your mouth and was the best piece of pork I have ever consumed. read more

I was skeptical of this place because it seemed to be mostly Americans, but multiple people had recommended it. The line for 3 of us was about 45 minutes on a Sunday night at 9:30 pm. When you sit down, you'll notice the menu is all in French despite how many Americans there are, and I like that they don't have an English menu. There are also specials on the board inside. Many of the servers do speak English and can help you navigate the menu. Sadly, they were out of the steak tartare already by the time we sat down. We ended up sharing the food between the 3 of us - To start: - Scallops with endives: served in their shells. This was a seasonal / daily special. The scallops were super buttery, fresh, and sweet. I haven't had cooked endives before (usually just in a salad), and these were really good - Croque monsieur with smoked chicken: traditional bechamel inside. Rich. Good to share Mains: - Bavette steak: this was a special of the day, as well. It was a pretty big piece, but it was a bit tough when we got it medium rare. The cut of meat didn't seem to be that great - Pied de porc: fried, very fatty and rich but good in flavor - Legumes: I needed the vegetables - it had Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, broccoli, and a bunch of other steamed vegetables Desserts: - Apple tart tatine: thin, like an Apple pizza, great with vanilla ice cream - Pot de creme: good but super rich, a huge portion Bathrooms are clean, and service is friendly. No reservations, and the seating is generally smaller tables, so it's best to come with 2-4 people at most. Expect to wait for a table for dinner. Overall, food was solid, but I think I had high expectations given how many people recommended this place. I'm not sure I would wait for it again, but it's worth trying. read more

We were strolling around the neighborhood looking for places to eat. We passed by plenty of little cafes and restaurants but passed them by. It was getting colder, darker and I was getting hungrier. None of this makes for a good combo. So what do we do? We decide to pick the place with a line outside the door. We stood in the line for almost an hour, people came and went, drank wine and smoked and we just stood there...freezing and hungry. But it was well worth the wait. It's a tiny space and most of the seating is outside. You'll literally be elbow to elbow with the people next to you. All around people ordered course after course but we kept it fairly simple and shared an entree but had separate main courses and desserts. I'd recommend going all out and having a multi-course meal though. Everything looked so good! For an entree we had the escargot. It comes in 6 or 12. The snails are in the shell and lightly sauced with a savory garlic, herb and butter mix. Texture wise, the snails weren't too chewy but there was a little grit in there. A friendly French couple next to us made sure we knew exactly what we were ordering. After confirming with them, I ordered beef cheek for a main course. I was really surprised by how big the portion was. I guess it was like a stew? I wasn't sure how it would be prepared but this was perfect for the chilly night. The bowl was filled with a beefy broth, large chunks of tender beef cheek, elbow pasta, carrots, and topped with crispy fried onion. It reminded me of beef stew and also slightly of Vietnamese beef and noodle soup (not pho but the one with carrots.) My companion ordered chicken with green peas and lettuce. The menu stated the chicken was fresh from the farm and from the bite I had it might have been the best chicken ever. I'm not a huge chicken fan but this was delicious. It was so tender I couldn't believe it! The texture wasn't at all like what I expect a chicken breast to be. It was moist and smooth. The golden brown skin was caramelized and crisp. While standing in line we were staring down people who had the apple tart but when we ordered dessert we forgot about it. We had a chocolate mousse with really sour fruit on the bottom and cocoa crumble on top and the panna cotta, also covered in a sour fruit mix. I didn't like the sour fruit one either but everything else was good. Whenever I'm back in Paris this is the first place I'm going. read more

Le Comptoir - Beef cheek! - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

A lovely restaurant. All the trappings (in a good way) of a typical moderate price point Parisian eating establishment. Great bread to chew on while we waited for our meal. The escargots were memorable and I made a point of sopping up all the drippings with my bread. Then came the foie gras (froid) with buttered and toasted bread. Mon Dieu! Magnifique! Our server was bi-lingual and able to quickly fill in the gaps in my somewhat rusty French. Your typical French "Garson" with the right touch of attitude. Sat outside under the heaters and enjoyed the nip in the air. read more

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Excellent place to make a break if you are around Notre Dame. Le comptoir du Relais it's a french restaurant where you will be able to try real and tasty french food. The quality of the food its very high, and reflected in the prices as well, but it really worth to make a pause here and order something. I had some spectacular foie gras, it melted like butter inside my mouth! The bread they offer is a ciabatta grayish color, Irresistible. As a good tourist, of course i asked for some french cheese, asparagus and fresh white wine :) read more

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Le Comptoir du Relais provides tourists with a "typical" Parisian meal (all those stereotypes came alive here). An ass hole waiter, perfectly Parisian escargot and an official popping of your Creme Brûlée cherry. 1) Ass hole waiter. For reals. This should not be underscored. Eye rolling, contempt and all. It was our first encounter with this on this trip - but an Americain in Paris shall expect this. 2) A good bottle of red that did not break the bank (recommended by ass hole waiter). But we were also concerned since we felt nothing after gulping it in 30 min. Nothing, no warmth in our bodies, no extra, melty gazes at each other after a few glasses... No wine buzz. That was strange. 3) Delightful escargot. The oil and sauce were fantastic. These were light yet decadent. A must try. 4) Cheese plate. The Brie was very tasty, but the other fromages were all mild and did not stand out. I wish there were funk (i.e Roquefort) on that plate. We packed most of it for a future picnic. 5) Creme Brûlée: Wow. Just wow. I have never had the real deal before, clearly. The Creme had a light, airy (yet burnt in a good way since it was a coffee creme brûlée) pudding texture. It was Almost like a mousse. The top was not torched and completely hard, but perfectly crisp and breakable. I have never had a brûlée with this perfectly light, decadent texture and flavor. Outside of France they remind me of a more gelatinous flan with an overly hardened crust. This was NOT that. Spouse said that despite ass hole waiter he would return in the future to delve into the menu since the cooked items were nuanced and tasty. (Please realize it was our second dinner, so we didn't order a ton.) I, on the other hand, am not so sure about that. read more

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I don't get all the hype. I've been here twice and have no plans of returning. First, I am certain the maitre'd must have grown up watching European vacation or other American movies that stereotype French snobbery and fashioned himself off them, not realizing they were making fun the French. Seriously, he is the worst of the worst I have experienced in all my trips to trips to France. It's a joke watching him a shirt and French people while telling Americans with a smirk on his face that it's going to be a 45 minute wait. Food is good, but nothing special all the trouble. I'll take the cooking of Christian Constant just down the street over this any day. read more

Must visit! Great food Great desert Excellent ambience It's the restaurant you cannot miss when in Paris. Just sit outside and watch people. You will just enjoy the wine and view. Be creative on your choice! You will be surprised! read more

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If you're in Paris and looking for some outstanding traditional French cuisine. THIS is your place. It's owned by world renown Yves Cambeborde, and boy, he doesnt disappoint. My party was a total of 3 people that happened to be in the area and decided to eat at 9:30pm. Even so, we still had to wait for a table. Apparently, they don't take reservations, but if you're debating coming here, I'd take my chances and wait whatever amount of time they need me to wait. We only waited 20 minutes which was perfectly fine, considering the out of body experience I was about to embark on. We were pretty hungry and did not hold back on ordering. To start, we ordered the foie gras a la maison de paris, carpaccio and half a dozen of the escargot. There's about 10 different foie gras' on the menu and I'm pretty sure none will disappoint. The Maison de Paris foie gras was recommended to us by the waiter. The Carpaccio was aaaammmmaaazing! Seriously, blew my mind. The escargot was also good, do keep in mind that its served in the shell, which is pretty rare to see nowadays so it demands a bit of work. For our main courses, I had the tuna rouge and seasonal vegetables, my friends both had the filet. Although, I do love me some great meat, I wouldnt have traded in my tuna for the world. It was perfectly cooked and the seasonal grilled veggies were cooked to perfection. The boys had no complaints about their meat, and even raved about the mash potatoes. For dessert, we ordered 2 creme brulees. Considering 2 of us were huge creme brulee lovers and we hadn't been let down thus far, we had to go big or go home. It was probably my least favorite item of the meal but compared to what it was up against, it was above average compared to most creme brulees. If it was socially acceptable I honestly probably would have licked the plate for all of the food we ate. It was just so so so good. There's a huge variety of items to choose and a great wine list too! I saw a few complaints about the service and wanted to mention YOU'RE IN PARIS. If you do ever find outstanding service, please let me know. Waiters here tend not to be the friendliest of people, and if you're gonna complain about it, then maybe you shouldn't come to Paris, it's part of the experience! But seriously, if you want try some authentic deliciously made French meals, then Le Comptoir is your place but know you're also paying for it. Our meal and a bottle of wine came out to about 200 euros for 3 people. Also, bring a french friend or have your french translation app ready because they dont have an English menu! read more

Le Comptoir - Carpaccio and small lettuce heads. The plate on the top is the foie gras de la maison Paris. Or some name like that. - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

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Last night in Paris on this trip and the weather was perfect but it was the food (& company) that made it The pacing was a touch slow to start, but the staff was courteous, helped us with our broken French and we had the best meal of the trip. Escargot, then the tuna, cod and pigs feet finishing with two wonderful desserts. The falling petals of the flower from up above us only added to the ambience, and the flavors of the delicious dishes were truly the stars of this evening for us. We hope to be back soon. read more

Le Comptoir - Flower boxes abovel, petals below! - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

Careful folks, it's easy to confuse this place with the place next door, L'Avant Comptoir. L'Avant Comptoir (Before the Counter) is an appetizer/tapas/wine bar where customers stand while eating. Le Comptoir du Relais (The Counter of Relais) is a full service restaurant where customers sit down among tables and chairs. Both places are located next to each other and both are owned by famed Master Chef TV judge/restauranter Yves Camdeborde. I opted for this full service restaurant one Sunday afternoon. After waiting in line for thirty minutes I eventually got seated at a nice table outside on the sidewalk. It was perfect for people watching. I didn't experience any bad service like some other folks. However my advice is to have a French translator installed on your phone if you don't know any French. Because if you're like me you might have some trouble interpreting the French menu. So I picked items I could understand and asked my server for her best soup recommendation. The lobster bisque she recommended was OK but oddly it didn't contain one piece of lobster. Weird. My sausage platter was OK, but it also was not mind blowing. The best part of my meal was probably my chocolate mousse. But at $9 Euros it didn't come cheap. One word of advice, don't get the full dinner plates for lunch. I noticed many tourists were ordering full dinner meals for lunch. That's a little too heavy and too expensive for lunch IMO. I recommend doing what I did and just order a soup and small plate for lunch. With wine and bread it can actually be filling. I'm not sure if I would return again. The food didn't blow me away, the service was average, and the whole atmosphere felt a little too hectic and rushed. Some of the other brasseries I visited in Paris were more slow paced, relaxing, and of better value. If I did return again, it would be for just a late night dessert and wine. read more

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Food is excellent and the service from Generro was superb. We had the duck foie gras which was like butter. Rack of lamb was well cooked. Extensive wine list from all regions of France. The bottle of red Beaujolais was excellent. Our server Gennero could not take payment which was the only hiccup. read more

Heaven in my mouth! We came around 12 on a Sunday and got a table for 2 right away. I was glad we came early because there was a queue outside the door by 1. I ordered the rack of lamb over beans, which came in the zestiest, tastiest stew I've ever had. It was so beautiful, I'm salivating looking at my pictures. My friend ordered the pork which was so silky and tender I was tempted to order her dish as dessert. We instead ordered the cafe creme brulee which was beautifully creamy, but I had serious diner's envy looking at the scallops everyone was ordering. They don't have an English menu, however the waiters are super helpful in explaining it. read more

Le Comptoir - Rack of lamb - Bistros Near Me - Paris, 75

I came here again this past December to relive one of the best palette experiences of my life... I was slightly disappointed, but still was amazed at the same time.. let me explain... I had the life changing bone marrow that I previously reviewed about. This was the one item I was truly looking forward to! But, it was slightly different.. a bit more dull on the flavors, still tasty and not as fatty as most bone marrows, but pea puree was missing :( The Pork belly was huge.. essentially two thick slices of huge bacon. Meaty, dense, and huge in portion. Delicious to share, but too much to have on your own. Beef Cheek was a nice pleasant surprise, served as a stew-like form, with macaroni noodles.. tasty, filling, and comforting for a chilly Winter day. Foie Gras (served on toast) was definitely the highlight of this meal! Light, delicate, and tasteful! Unlike any other foie gras I tried before! This is not to be missed! Overall, this place is still guaranteed to serve you a great meal. But a few things to note now that I've been here more than once: + Come in the summer.. seasonal flavors are definitely represented.. and in the December my meal was heavy and too hearty for me. Summer was light, pleasant, and a great way to showcase fresh flavors. I would imagine Spring would be a treat too! + Come for lunch. Although I haven't had dinner here, the reviews seem to be quite mixed.. but lunch is the time to go.. not heavy on the wallet, a way to sample plenty of dishes, and no need for reservation.. just come 20 mins before opening. read more

Great food Good price actually - great great beef carpaccio ... maybe best I ever had read more

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Make reservations. BeBe was our server, shout out to her as I'm sure she hated us hahaha. This was recommended by our hotel. After yelping it we decided to go here. It's also close to our hotel. It was packed. We got a table for 2 in 5 minutes. We got a lot of food. Tomato salad (ask to hold off the clam), foie gras, cheese plate, calamari with some black risotto like stuff and green foam (amazing), cantaloupe w prosciutto, chocolate mousse, and some cake thing w lots of rum (I would ask them to pour the rum in a separate glass and pour it urself, it was a bit too much), cappuccino, and a carafe of wine. It was 110 euro. I say that was pretty damn good. Btw we went back the next week but they change their menu every week. This day they had a set menu of mostly seafood for 60€ each so we didn't go because we wanted to try different things. read more

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The best French brasserie ever (by day, on the weekend. By night, reservations required months in advance). Unpretentious, no reservations required on Saturdays or Sundays, but you have to queue up at or just before opening in order to get a quick seat, otherwise it's a wait. The food just rocks ... rich rich rich flavors ... the best cod I've ever tasted ... escargot and foie gras are historic ... beef cheeks in a stew pot are epic, and more in tune with a cold winter's day lunch after milking the cows for the past 8 hours than just walking the streets of Paris, but an even better treat for tourists without the work ... ... just filling and delicious and everything that makes you thank God for your taste buds ... you can't go wrong here for lunch in Paris. read more

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Absolutely the best meal I've had in Paris. We took everyone's advice and queued up at 11:40 am. We were first in line, but it quickly grew to twenty or more people down the sidewalk. I felt bad for the people who didn't get in on the first round, because once the seats are filled, you know everyone is going to take their time to savor the meal, and you'll likely have to wait an hour for a table to free up. We had decent service, contrary to other reviews of curt waiters. Ours spoke English, though I had prepared by looking up the dishes we wanted in French. He checked on us a few times, and was prompt with everything so that our food was still warm when it came out to us. The two of us shared the seasonal vegetable soup with foie gras (sounds simple, but outstandingly fresh), the braised beef cheek stew (so tender it fell apart in my mouth), and the seared scallop salad (the first scallop I had was the best bite of food I've had in Paris). After the first taste of each dish, we had to sit back and marvel at how good it was! It came out to be 23 euros each (didn't order wine), which is more than I like to spend on lunch, but actually was well worth it when I think about the high quality of the food. It's quite dangerous that I live so close, they may bankrupt me.. read more