Sometimes the best dining experiences happen completely by accident. As we were walking past the restaurant on our way to a concert, we stopped to look at the menu. A member of the staff noticed us and asked if we'd like one of their "perfect tables for people watching." How could we say no? Located on the historic Place du Châtelet, this restaurant is rich with Parisian history. Originally opened in 1896 as the flagship location of the Zimmer tavern company, the restaurant still retains much of the elegance and charm that made it famous more than a century ago. Our table offered a front-row seat to the energy of Paris. Watching locals, tourists, and theatergoers pass by while enjoying dinner was entertainment in itself. Sometimes the atmosphere is just as memorable as the food, and this place delivers both. Whether you're heading to a concert, exploring the neighborhood, or simply looking for a classic Parisian dining experience, this is the kind of place that reminds you why Paris is one of the world's great food cities. We came for a quick meal before a show and left with a memorable experience we'll be talking about long after the trip is over. read more

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After being seated, the waiter cleared other tables, talked to other waiters and totally ignored us. We just got up and left. Ate here three years ago the food and service was excellent. The menu is a mere image of what it was. Stay away. read more

This meal was by far my favorite cuisine in all of Paris. While it is quite pricey everything we ordered on the menu was delicious. I think I might think about this meal for a long time it was that good. One of those moments in time where you always want to go back too. Our server was also one of my favorites. Talked to us much more than the average French waiter and told us all about how much he was looking forward to visiting NYC. Truly a fine dining experience. Must try. read more

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Le Zimmer offers the finest of French cuisine. We got excellent service and the food was incredibly delicious. From the cheeses we got, the salad, and pasta. You will find ingredients and flavors that aren't here in the United States States. This place is also opening fairly late for you to enjoy a late night meal. If you are in Paris looking for a fantastic dinner this is a great spot to go to. read more

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We went here for a birthday dinner after reading the ratings. Started with a Kir Royale, which tasted off. I had the steak, which was too raw for medium or medium/rare. Mom had the fish which was average. Service was very slow considering there were only a few tables. Restaurant was clean but fruit flies everywhere. Severely disappointing. read more

We had dinner there and my god, the food was delicious. Our server was friendly, helpful and courteous. We were seated quickly. Drinks were great and food was excellent. So pleased with the experience!!! read more

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Given its location and flash, this could have been a tourist trap, and certainly was not. Warm welcome, pleasant & cheerful service, impressive decor, delicious menu, all at prices significantly lower than NYC. read more

Celebrated New Year's Eve here with my wife on our second time to Paris. We found this place through The Fork, a yelp type of site in France. They had a preset menu which was €69 per person and seemed like a value compared to other restaurants. I had the Duck Fois Gras for the entree, the Rossini Beef Fillet for the starter with Truffle Purée, and the Large Macaron for desert. All but the entree were great for my palette. I found the duck flavor to be a bit unique and couldn't quite finish it. The Beef fillet was very tender and paired really well with the mashed potatoes and it was also a sizeable portion. The staff and our waiter were all very nice and gave us enough time between dishes and made the experience great. The space is a bit small and they offer outdoor seating as well with heated lamps. They have a coat closet and some restrooms downstairs and it is a close walk here to the metro as well as Notre Dame and Pont Neuf if you need to catch a river cruise. read more

Le Zimmer - Beef Fillet with Truffle Purée - Cafes Near Me - Paris, 75

Recently on a trip to Paris my friend and I were dining all over the city and taking in the warm views of centuries old culture. Being a wonderful city to venture around, we ate at a different restaurant nightly, as any good tourist would. Now my girlfriend is a bit squeamish when it comes to some kinds of food and even more so when it comes to specific kinds of living creatures. She's not a snob, or specist toward undomesticated animals but that doesn't mean she won't scream when presented with a rodenta animalia of the fuzzy grey variety. This of course was part of my male belief system, such as it is. It's been a wonderful vacation so far and I didn't want to have it ruined for her but the quick sprint between tables by the runner in grey was undeniable. Because her back was to the dinner guest I had the advantage of not notifying her of the intruder. Keeping calm I forced my eyes back into my head and smiled when she asked, "Did hear what said"? Other diners were oblivious to the dinner guest which was amazing because it was actually running over their shoes! I wanted to watch this with helpless fascination but could not let on lest my friend freak. Trapped between "Tell her?" and "Don't do it!" I struggled with paying even closer attention to her conversational offerings than normal. After 25 minutes of multitasking I was starting to show signs of great mental disturbance which was beginning to alarm my girlfriend with thoughts that I had not liked the food. "No, the wine was very fine, and so too is the lamb." Unconvinced she wanted to know what was going on. She demanded that I come clean on what was going on. I was sure this would be a great upset for her to know there was a mouse with little whiskers and claws possibly running over our cheese plate prior to its arrival to our table, but I was stuck. I will not ruin dinner, I thought. "Look, I'm just thinking that we've had a wonderful trip to Paris." "And, you have something to ask me, " she questions with a slightly hopeful tone. "Well," I demurred. "Sure, it's been really cool. Don't you think?" "That's all? Look, Brian, I can tell you're not telling me everything. Are you seeing someone else!" I almost choked to death on olive pit and ended up spitting it across the floor where the little grey stranger took it and hustled under the table of the couple sitting a few feet away. It turned and gave a curious look at me while working it's whiskers in a wry kind of smile if one could call it that. I smiled and almost laughed out loud. Then with horror I realized I had just visibly smiled at my girlfriends assertion that I was seeing someone else! "Yes, wait, no! Of course, not. I mean what would make you think that?" But the damage was already done. I could see on her face the collapse of the warmth we had had only a few moments ago turn to icy despondence. "Sweetie," I cooed, "I could never do anything like that. I'm just. You know. Umm." "You better tell me what's going on," she said. "Now!' I was stuck there wondering how this had happened. The eyes of the wicked monster stared mockingly at me and my sweet's eyes glared impatiently, and I felt helpless. Just then a woman in the table nearby had spied the mouse as he made a dash for sliver of fallen cheese. "Oooh," she cried. Not so very loud as a wine cork leaving a bottle for the fist time, but audible enough that it brought attention to her from around the room. Suddenly several diners were watching the floor with interest. "Look," I said! "A mouse!" And turning her head she laughed at the site of what was honestly a cute looking little grey beast. Turning back to me she seemed to understand something and pulled in close toward me to say, "Did you know that was there?" "I really didn't want to say anything about it, but you know. . . " We ended our meal and had a good walk back to the metro station talking about all the things we saw. So, if there is a mouse on your trip to Le Zimmer, it just means that the food is really good. Might I even suggest giving up an olive just to be polite. read more

Met up at the Zimmer before our theater engagement next door at Theater Chatelet. Le Zimmer was the perfect place to meet and they served us very quickly -we had two beers, two wines, and a hamburger with fries just under an hour. That is a record for Paris! The waiters were charming and adorable and have a bit of attitude but it's perfect for this part of Paris. The food was good, the drinks were cold, the service was fast- it was a little expensive -it was a little touristy (after all this is central Paris), but it was great for a meet up spot in this area of town. read more

This restaurant is very touristy, though it has an interesting atmosphere and nice terasse. I cannot recommend this spot because of my negative experience there. I have a gluten allergy and the 2 dishes I picked out to question were not options due to the sauces. Finally I settled on steak and fries, which were substitutes since the steak really was accompanied with scalloped potatoes and the sauce had gluten. I thought I was in the clear and everyone was very aware of my allergy. When my dish arrived, I dipped my fries into the side of "mayo", which is pretty typical for Paris. Only it wasn't mayonnaise, it was Bernaise - and full of flour. I ended up so sick. I was furious, because we discussed so many dishes and the staff completely understood the limitations. I will never return. read more

An okay option for French cuisine. The appetizer, truffle soup, was absolutely dreamy and delicious. My friend's chestnut soup was also unique yet tasty. However, the duckling was very hard to cut and chew and the truffle macaroni was dry and bland once you got past the top. The dessert, on the other hand, chocolate moelleux, was absolutely rich and delicious! Either a hit or miss with this restaurant. read more

Nice atmosphere and deco! However waiter played smart-as, we ordered dessert and didn't want the big fork and knife, only spoon, then he went to an other table and told them "weird tourists that don't eat dessert with fork and knife" and they all laughed, made us feel uncomfortable. read more

Cafe Le Zimmer is right outside the Chatelet metro station and is a great spot to stop for coffee or lunch before sightseeing. I ordered the chicken which was amazing and my girlfriend ordered tuna which she loved. We got a giant creme brulee for dessert! You can't dislike creme brulee! There was a mix of locals and tourists at the cafe the day I visited, and the wait staff was friendly and attentive. The food was very good and reasonably priced. read more

We happened upon it as we were hungry and it did not disappoint. Lovely, classy interior, delicious food and very good service. Had the pumpkin soup to start, which was amazing, and roasted chicken with squash purée - delicious! read more

I visited in July. I am only giving it a 3 because we only went in for drinks. I ordered the Edelweiss and loved it. Being my first visit to Paris, I wanted to try new things. I will say that if I have opportunity, I would go back as the food smelled delicious and I would love to try it. It is near Notre Dame, so if you are near there, I would suggest you visit. read more

Unlike previous posters, I did see the interior (it was raining) and , wow, it is worth seeing! We dived in for lunch during a rainstorm and were warmly greeted by the staff. A 'must' in Paris is to have the famous Soupe à l'onion, a hearty dish topped with a slice of toasted bread and melted cheese. Zimmer's version was every bit as delicious as I had hoped. Their bean and mushroom salad was served with olives on a concasse of fresh tomatoes and drizzled with a balsamic oil reduction. The main course breast of chicken with sauce diable was delicious, and the bacon cheeseburger was sublime! (Beware though that this is served rare in the French way, so if you like your meat well done (why would you?) then avoid it). Cafe gourmand is a selection of miniature desserts with an espresso - perfect to end the meal. If you want a wonderful meal in peaceful surroundings, I do recommend the interior dining room of Le Zimmer. read more

This was definitely one of the best meals we've had in Paris so far. The duck confit was exceptional. The preparation on the cod was unlike anything you'd find in the US and it was delicious. The Dahl starter was superb. The molten chocolate cake (moellaux au chocolat) was to die for. read more

Food was good, ordered their stake. For the price I was expecting a lot more but it was average. Not blown away by anything,. Good costumer service. It was a nice restaurant, but I don't think I will go again read more

My wife and I made Le Zimmer our fall back restaurant after our first time there. It was consistently delicious, and the wait staff were consistently friendly (and spoke english too boot!) Anything you get will be delicious, but i recommend the onion soup and "one beautiful profiterol". read more

A great meal. Perfect French surroundings. Perfect surroundings, great service. Food was magnificent. I had the Chicken coco-curry. Excellent read more

Very good place for breakfast. They have eggs sunny side up with ham or salmon. They have crepes ( which they call pancakes for some reason) everything come with a croissant and orange juice and coffee or tea... Only problem tables too small. But breakfast keeps you full all day read more

Great service for this American! Great food, ambiance, and people watching! Ending with the creme brulee is a must!

This place was recommended by a friend who lives in the city for a quick lunch prior to catching the metro for airport. Duck confit, foie gras, creme brulee...AMAZING! Friendly staff and very accomodating. I'm probably ruined for life on creme brulee because none will be able to compare to what I had here. A little pricey, but it's Paris so what can you say... read more

Little pricey, but prime location near Notre Dame. Quality service. Drinks are as expected.

My girlfriend and I wandered into Le Zimmer on a late Monday night after a long day in Paris. Immediately, Julien, our attentive and uber-friendly server put together a cozy table and made our perfect Paris day even more perfect. He recommeded fabulous wine, and meals to match. So good was he (as was the food), we hated to leave. So, when the time came the following evening to decide where to dine - naturally in all of Paris we could have gone anywhere - we chose to return to Le Zimmer. Julien took fantastic care of us again - and the meal on Tuesday evening was even better! We felt like locals, rather than American tourists, and cannot recommend Le Zimmer highly enough. A wonderful restaurant is so much more than the food - it is the service, the atmosphere (which Le Zimmer has in spades) and the way the place makes you feel. I felt at home there - but in someone's fancier, more spectacular home. C'est Bon. read more

Great food great decor very friendly wait staff duck confit to die for.

Very unimpressive service. They make a game out of seeing how long they can delay bringing the sugar after bringing your coffee. I pulled out my stopwatch on one occasion. Locals just borrow from another table before their coffee goes stone cold. Good people watching here, though. read more