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    Le Voltaire

    4.0 (65 reviews)
    ModerateFrench
    Open • 12:30 pm - 2:30 PM, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM

    Le Voltaire Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Le Voltaire

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    Private U.

    The highlight of my fourth trip to Paris and I'm reviewing this restaurant while drinking a glass of port in the restaurant! I find Voltaire's books highly entertaining, especially when he starts making fun of authority figures and institutions - no one is immune. Not the monarchy, nor the church, nor government institutions. This restaurant was once a horse stable below Voltaire's apartment, where he put his own life in great danger with his wit and satire (in his writings). Sometime between World War I and II, the stable was converted into this restaurant. All I got over here was a glass of port. It was worth every drop! To Voltaire! P.S. The service was amazing here.

    Bread
    Mel P.

    Location and recommendation from a friend sold us on Le Voltaire. It was recommended for dinner but we didn't have the time. Couldn't get them to answer phone for a reservation so we decided to hedge our bets and miss the last couple rooms of the Musee D'Orsay to be there for 12 pm when they opened. We probably could have waited another 30 minutes because we obviously caught them still getting ready for service. Bread service and radishes to start. We did take a little time deciding what to have because my husband wanted everything. Opted for escargot again because we wanted to compare to our last restaurant and they didn't disappoint. They had a problem with the wild boar pate so we upgraded to the foie gras it was considerably more expensive but the snails were so much less than other starters we figured it all even out. Get the pâté, it was really very good. Husband ordered the filet au poivre medium rare and I had the sole meunière. Both excellent choices, we didn't realize all the sides that would be coming along, three kinds of potato plus haricot verts which were one of the highlights to the meal. Bottle of wine and a tarte tatin to finish it off. It was heavy and buttery but my last opportunity to have one in Paris. We asked the server about lunch versus dinner and she said the ambience is completely different at night. Most people we saw seemed like couples meeting for work lunch or larger groups. It was all very old school but we were happy we went, even if it was lunch time.

    Heirloom tomatoes with burrata

    It's almost doubled priced than the other restaurants in the vicinity, but well worth it.If you don't mind paying for an awesome food then I would really recommend this iconic restaurant.

    David S.

    I almost completely forgot about the restaurant in my attempt to finish off all of my reviews of Paris before the year was up. Anyway, I ended up coming here namely because of the name, and also because we were looking for a place to have something to eat, and the Louvre wasn't an option on the grounds that it was closed. Anyway, despite the fact that this place happens to be on the Sienne (well, not quite because it is across the road), it isn't as pricey as I would've expected. The staff were also quite nice, and the steak went down really, really well. Certainly worth checking out, especially for the steak.

    Jinel G.

    Great experience here. This a very classy venue. The service was top notch. The bread was excellent. We had lunch here. I got the French onion soup. My husband got the salmon plate. The food was delicious!

    Fantastic meal, excellent frites!

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    Ordered the sole. It was like rubber. Left over half on the plate. On the positive side, the waitstaff were lovely and we were in Paris!

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    8 years ago

    The food was delicious and the the staff was outstanding. I will definitely return on my next trip to Paris. Formidable!!!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Le Voltaire Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Le Voltaire

    “This is near both the Orsay and the Louvre and makes for a decadent lunch at the end of a long museum haul.”

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie - An amazing French onion soup...

    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie

    4.5(1.5k reviews)
    1.3 km•Châtelet/Les Halles, 1er
    •€€

    The most life- changing experience with French cuisine. This is what French culinary dreams are…read moremade of. Get the appetizer grilled foie gras with side of greens, you won't regret it. The richness of the flavor and the texture which is not reminiscent of the traditional roasted duck or foie gras, but rather a much more like a luxurious and indulgent version. We enjoyed our dinner on the outside of the restaurant after about a 20-30 minute wait. The bone marrow had the best flavor I've experienced for the dish. However, it is definitely overshadowed by the rich flavor of the foie gras. This experience was unforgettable, with our view of Parisian streets on a brisk, April night. We even came back on our last night, but didn't realize the hours on Google maps was for the deli. The restaurant closes earlier, before 9:00 PM. This meal got us thinking about Paris in a positive light, and we hope to be able to come back to eat the amazing dishes again!

    Get the tasting menu and bone marrow (they're famous for duck and foie gras). Good overall if not…read moreexceptional French food. However, the portions were more than expected considering it was gourmet. We couldn't finish our entrees. Good spot for French brunch as it is a top fine-food grocer and deli. Sit outside on the sidewalk. There is an awning/umbrella to block out the sun which was great on a hot day. Note founded in 1894!

    Photos
    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie
    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie - He said was very good

    He said was very good

    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie - Bread and pate with foie gras.

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    Bread and pate with foie gras.

    Brasserie Bellanger - Couldn't decide between the Bernaise sauce or garlic herb butter so got both!

    Brasserie Bellanger

    4.7(93 reviews)
    2.8 km•Gare du Nord/La Chapelle, Strasbourg-St Denis/Bonne Nouvelle, 10ème

    How was flying out Charles de Gaulle Airport the next day and I just arrived from Frankfurt Germany…read moreby train when I looked up a French restaurant near the Gard du Nords train station and found BB. Luca was my server and he was very welcoming in hospitable to this weary traveler. I sat on the patio towards the end of the row so I could take in the atmosphere and people watch a bit. Luca Recommended a meal with a mashed potatoes and sausage with French bread and salad and it sounded tasty so I gave it a go! All the flavors went well together; mashed potatoes were well seasoned the sausage had a good flavor, and the salad with the vinaigrette added a crunch in an extra flavor as well. I drank a French hard cider while I gobbled up my meal, which also was new for me and tasted great after I was done my meal. Luke brought me a shot with rum and some other ingredients, including lemon that definitely hit the spot after a good meal.I recommend Brasserie Belanger for anyone near GDN Train Station that enjoys great food and patio dining. Cheers!

    Had dinner here this evening after scoring a last minute reservation for four. Seated quickly after…read morearrival at 1900, with our server greeting us shortly thereafter. The restaurant itself isn't small, but really not big, so it's definitely worthwhile to make a reservation at least a week or so on advance, otherwise you're pushing your luck. Everyone ordered steak frites (2 rump steak, 2 flank) and no one was disappointed. Steaks were cooked to order, although medium here in France is more like medium rare in the States, just be advised. The restaurant itself is lively and fun with lots of chatting, laughing and good times being shared. Desserts were Crème Brûlée and Apple Crumble, neither of which were disappointing. We definitely enjoyed our dinner and would likely return again. This time with a reservation made well in advance.

    Photos
    Brasserie Bellanger - Kitchen

    Kitchen

    Brasserie Bellanger
    Brasserie Bellanger - Une parfaite latte (OK it was a cappuccino but still gorgeous)

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    Une parfaite latte (OK it was a cappuccino but still gorgeous)

    Bistro des Augustins - Fermier

    Bistro des Augustins

    4.4(567 reviews)
    1.0 km•Saint-Michel/Odéon, 6ème
    •€€

    Found the Bistro on Yelp and made reservations for 8:30pm for dinner with my son while we were in…read moreParis on our way to Germany. Just finished a long bike ride to the Eiffel Tower and worked up an appetite. Decided to go straight to the main course. They are known for Au Gratins. My son is not a cheese fan so he opted for the norvigene (smoked salmon in dill lemon and EVOO. I decided to stick with the house specialty; Landais Au Gratin (cream potatoes, duck breast and emmental cheese). The 2 German girls beside me ordered a cider with both their meals so I followed their lead. When in Paris...... Considering the temperature, I almost second-guess myself and ordered something other than their house specialty of au gratin potatoes. In the end, I was very glad I overruled that thought. Brody enjoyed his meal. He just appeared to still be hungry when it was done and a 16 year-old boy that normally has a high caloric intake, I can understand why he wanted a second meal after eating his first! The restaurant in the patio were quite crowded even though we had reservations. They still sat us within five minutes of arrival. Not that five minutes is a long time to wait, but it was still worth the wait as good as the food tasted. We both enjoyed our meals.

    THE FOOD ------------------…read more= Fermier - Cheese gratin with chicken was good. Didn't blow me away, but was solid with the creaminess of the sliced potatoes and emmental cheese combined together with mixed vegetables. The cheese was very strong though, so anything else was unfortunately pretty much overpowered by it. Arrived with bread, but it DEFINITELY could use other carb options to sop it all up (e.g., rice???)! = Landais - Cheese gratin with duck. Same comment as the above, except the Landais had egg and goat cheese also mixed in with almost the same ingredients as the Fermier. THE SERVICE ----------------------- + The lone waitress, who also worked the role as greeter, cashier and bartender was friendly. + Food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. THE SURROUNDINGS ------------------------------------ = Small, tight restaurant. = Not many tables inside - 6 in total. + Located a few blocks away from the more touristy restaurants, towards the East, on a much quieter street. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Nada.

    Photos
    Bistro des Augustins - Sunday dinner @ The Bistro!

    Sunday dinner @ The Bistro!

    Bistro des Augustins - Assiette de saumon fumé

    Assiette de saumon fumé

    Bistro des Augustins - Inside

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    Inside

    Chez Janou - prawns in wine sauce

    Chez Janou

    4.1(710 reviews)
    2.7 km•Bastille, Marais, 3ème
    •€€

    my favorite restaurant in Paris they got the four of us in with no reservation tight spacing i had…read morea watermelon salad and we all loved everything yes, we got the mousse this is a well-run restaurant

    Friday lunch was an absolute beauty…read more The food? Fantastic. The wait times? Let's just say we're in Paris, not a Formula 1 pit lane. We'll leave it at that. We headed to Chez Janou, a Paris institution. I hadn't been in years, but my son insisted we go back because, according to him, they have the best chocolate mousse in Paris. Judging by the lineup, half the city; and every tourist with an Instagram account showed up. Thankfully we had a 2pm reso. Here's the thing, though. Everyone talks about the mousse, but the food deserves just as much attention. I'd also forgotten how much I love the 3rd arrondissement. Wander a few minutes from the restaurant and you'll find beautiful art galleries, a gorgeous little park, and some of the best boutique shopping in Paris. It's one of those neighbourhoods where you accidentally walk 15,000 steps without realizing it. Now, here's your game plan. Start with the escargots or the gambas to share. For your main, order the farci provençal or the foie de veau. The farci is like a French version of a stuffed pepper: yummy comfort food with a southern coast twist. As for the foie de veau... I actually ordered it by mistake. I thought I was getting regular veal. Out came veal liver. Best mistake of the day. I love liver. My mom makes an incredible liver and onions, so I'm a tough judge. This was outstanding. Rich, buttery, perfectly cooked and perfectly salted. It was so good I immediately texted my mom and told her she's coming here the next time she's in Paris. Drum roll, please... The chocolate mousse. Was it worth all the hype? Yep. There are no fancy swirls or little artistic desserts here. A server simply walks over carrying what looks like a white industrial-sized bowl of chocolate mousse and casually drops a mountain of it onto your plate. Everyone grabs a spoon and starts digging in. It's wonderfully French. Simple. Unpretentious. Ridiculously good. So yes, Chez Janou lives up to the hype. But don't just come for the mousse. Come for the lunch, stay for the neighbourhood, and spend the afternoon getting happily lost in one of the best corners of Paris. That's a Friday well spent.

    Photos
    Chez Janou - Bar vibe

    Bar vibe

    Chez Janou - Escargot

    Escargot

    Chez Janou - Bread with Chocolate Mousse

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    Bread with Chocolate Mousse

    Chez Fernand - Roquefort

    Chez Fernand

    4.3(299 reviews)
    0.8 km•Saint-Michel/Odéon, Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, 6ème
    •€€€

    We did not have a good visit to Chez Fernand. From start to finish, our waiter was terribly…read moreunpleasant and incredibly rude to us, for no reason. We have gone into every place being polite and kind and were met with such hostility. He got even more snippy and rude when we declined to have wine or dessert, when we tried to ask any questions about the menu, even walking away from us while we were in the middle of speaking or asking a question. When he brought us food or drinks he nearly dropped it on the table and quickly sped off. Some other servers seemed nice to other guests, so maybe we got one on a bad day but still we felt really upset and uncomfortable with how we were treated, there is no reason for anyone in the service industry to be so rude especially when we were being so polite. You also get blocked into your seat, and are very close to other guests which is fine but you have to call the waiter to pull your table back out to get up or to go to your seat- to which they begrudgingly do so. The beef bourguignon was tasty, but we did not like how both my and my friend's order were brought in the same pot. This resulted in us having maybe 3 tiny potatoes each and not near as much meat as we hoped for. We were expecting to each have our own dish. This was certainly not worth the 36€ per person price point (nearly $80 USD for the one pot of food), and we left the restaurant still hungry and extremely upset and disappointed by the service. Overall I would not return or recommend.

    May 2026. Popular with tourists. Charming stone wall interiors that is very lively when fully…read moreoccupied. We sat in the back (not the very back), but the front area looks very cozy --mostly reserved for French speakers, it appeared. We ate here twice in one week. Once on our own, and once with friends visiting Paris the same week as us. Two VERY different experiences. The first experience was lovely, friendly, and absolutely delicious. 4.5 stars. Simple classic French cuisine. We shared the mini raviolis stuffed with mushroom and a foie gras sauce. Wow. And shared their famous beef bourguignon. The tender beef, the sauce! I love the way they plate it too. Delicious. And a bottle of Cabernet Franc from Bourgueil (Loire Valley). The second visit (3 star) was very different from the first visit. Less friendly, borderline rude, took a long while for table service even though it was not busy, rolled their eyes about us sharing and at our wine bottle selection. We didn't feel welcomed. Food remains good, but not outstanding. Roll of the dice on service. I'd say if you're in the area and you don't have to wait it'd be worthwhile, otherwise seek a less touristy spot.

    Photos
    Chez Fernand - Interior

    Interior

    Chez Fernand - Le légendaire bœuf Bourguignon aux joues de bœuf Black Angus, pommes vapeur.

    Le légendaire bœuf Bourguignon aux joues de bœuf Black Angus, pommes vapeur.

    Chez Fernand - Beef bourguignon

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    Beef bourguignon

    La Jacobine

    La Jacobine

    4.5(422 reviews)
    0.9 km•Saint-Michel/Odéon, Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, 6ème
    •€€€

    IMPORTANT- make sure you have a reservation (made online) however, it's also important that you get…read morea confirmation email. I made one and did not receive a confirmation email so there must have been a glitch in the system and it did not go through. However, we put our name down on a Saturday evening and only had to wait 20 minutes. The place is very small and charming- we set less than a foot away from another couple which made the experience more fun. We were greeted by a great server and he accommodated to our language- we ordered a glass of champagne and a beer then 6 escargot to start. It was fun diving into the culture as well as delicious. The meals were perfect size for us and had so much flavor! We dipped the potatoes from the beef with the ravioli cheese and it was the most delicious combination. I get the buzz about this place, we had such a lovely time as a traveling couple and would go again for the whole meal anymore!

    First of all... I took a chance. It was bitter cold and Saint Germaine passage was crowded. I knew…read moreI'd never get a reservation for after 7pm, but as it was only 4, I decided to take a chance. I really wanted to try the duck. I went inside and in my horrible French asked if I could have "a place port un." The server was so sweet. He sat me at a very warm table and helped me understand the menu. The food was superb. Warning: the duck tajine is very rich. The vegetables were cooked perfectly. The almonds atop the sauce add the perfect touch. More than anything, I was grateful for the kindness and attention to detail and courtesy. People like this server make the world a better place.

    Photos
    La Jacobine
    La Jacobine - Escargot

    Escargot

    La Jacobine - The entrance to the passage from Rue André des Arts (6eme arr) 11/1/23

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    The entrance to the passage from Rue André des Arts (6eme arr) 11/1/23

    Le Voltaire - french - Updated September 2026

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