Ma Salle à Manger

I have mixed feelings about Bistro des Augustins. On the one hand, it provided me some of the most…read morecomforting and delicious food that I enjoyed in Paris. On the other hand, it made me realize that my mother was a terrible cook. Bistro des Augustins is a small, cozy venue offering both indoor seating and terrace seating near Pont Neuf. It serves a small number of curated dishes, including a wonderfully traditional Bistro Gratin in a homey ceramic dish served piping hot with a brown crispy cheesy top, herbs, spices and chicken. You can also get it with salmon. My brothers and I only saw my mother use our gas range to light her cigarettes, sanitize needles to remove our splinters, and make s'mores during the summer months when she couldn't muster the energy to take us 'outside camping.' I mean, all she had to do was borrow a cookbook, which I'm sure were readily available from maybe a neighbor or in any local bookstore or the public library. How hard is that? I was the only kid who brought a can of tuna and his own monogrammed can opener to school every day. Every day. And mom convinced me that the tuna holster she got me for my birthday was cool and hip. I was a naive mercury-filled fool, although I did become a very fast runner in junior high school because of the tuna holster. The interior décor of Bistro des Augustins is informal and vintage bistro style - wooden tables, traditional chalkboard menus, and soft lighting - creating a relaxed and comfy ambiance. My eyes have been opened to what's possible. Thank you Bistro des Augustins for expanding my culinary horizons. Five stars.

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.

0.9 km•Châtelet/Les Halles, 1er

Inside

Assiette de saumon fumé

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Inside

Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie

4.5(1.5k reviews)

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!

This place was a huge letdown. They had a cute little artisanal market on the front left of the…read morerestaurant. They had a number of goods to choose from and I ended up buying a few things for souvenirs. As for the actual restaurant, they had a number of delicious sounding items on their menu. Our server was very attentive to us and helped us decide on our dinner orders. Similar to the other restaurants though. After our food was delivered, it was far in between when we were checked on again. And after dessert it took even longer for our server to bring the bill. Overall, the food was a letdown. I do not exaggerate when I say that the frog legs just tasted like slightly flavored water. My friend's ravioli had a fairly decent flavored sauce but the pasta was a bit chewy. My friend's duck breast was pretty tough; I had noticed the table next to us also ordered it and they seemed to have trouble finishing/cutting theirs as well. As for my steak with foie gras, well the steak was once again tough and the foie gras was weirdly stringy. It was soft for the most part but there were parts that were tough and stringy. Maybe that's a section that's generally separated in the preparation process and it was missed? In any case it was disappointing. What wasn't disappointing was dessert though; perfectly sweet and balanced.

He said was very good

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French onion soup + bread

Maison Rouge

3.7(38 reviews)

•€

Came towards the end of happy hour to grab a drink and an appetizer. The bartender was nice and…read moreattentive. He kept up casual conversation. Their happy hour prices are pretty good. Aperol Spritz was made exactly how I requested. Would definitely come back.

Traditional brasserie that we ate at for dinner since it was right across the Citadines hotel. We…read moreordered the French onion soup, croque madame, tartine savoyarde, and quiche. Our waiter did speak English and we also were able to get seated with a reservation indoors. The food was rich so we appreciated having the side salads. We had the croque madame and the tart Savoyarde leftover, and they kept well.

Interior of the restaurant

Beef bourguignon

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Aperol Spritz

Le Black Dog

4.2(119 reviews)

0.6 km•Beaubourg, 4ème

This is from our visit in March 2018…read more We didn't have reservations so we got in line early for a dinner table. We were the first two in line so when the doors opened at 8 - we were able to get a small table. The restaurant is located behind the bar and is very small - it seats only 20-30 people. However, if you're craving steak in Paris - it's probably one of the best Argentine steakhouses around. The theme is very Heavy Metal and the menu has a lot of sexual innuendos so if you're rather conservative then you might have a problem but then again you probably won't be staying on this side of the city. The service was excellent - we had one waitress for the entire room but she was on top of everything! Best service we had for our entire Paris trip! The food was decent - not the best steak but not the worst. The portions on the steak were small but the portion size for the potatoes was huge. Make sure to get the extra sauce assortment and try them all with both the steak and potatoes. I ordered a chicken salad which came a little too drenched in dressing - not sure if that was normal or they thought I'd like it that way being from the states. Creme brûlée was decent. We also ordered empanadas as an appetizer - they resembled a pair of testicles - we got a kick out of that! In summary, decent food (maybe a little $$ for the quality) but the service was excellent and the theme was entertaining - heavy metal and sex. We bought a t-shirt to remember our night.

The Black Dog may be just down the block from Paris' legendary jazz clubs, but make no mistake…read moreabout it: this is a true heavy metal bar. (I think? They apparently serve up Argentine style steakhouse specialties and run specials on empanadas) The beer selection is somewhat limited, but the prices are cheap for the area (all the more so during their happy hour from 17:00-21:00, where a pint of a local lager runs just €3). The music is a mix of old school thrash metal and newer death metal/black metal tracks, with a small bar area and dining space upstairs, smokers patio outside, and larger area in the basement. Throw on your vintage Exodus t-shirt and headbang the night away.

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Carpe Diem Café

4.2(173 reviews)

I was a little incredulous about how good this could be based on what I saw from the outside. It…read moredoesn't look like much from out there. But go inside. I promise, it's worth it. I tried speaking my little bit of French when I went in but our host immediately switched to English, not in a judgmental way, but the kind of what that projects "relax, enjoy yourself here, and let me make sure you're comfortable". The food, the wine, the ambiance... all superb! I would definitely go back.

This restaurant was right across from my hotel so an easy walk. It was very popular and full every…read morenight when we walked by. We stopped by toward the beginning of happy hour. Aperol Spritz were standard but a good price during happy hour. The the steak was overcooked so I sent it back. The refire came back weirdly sliced down the middle but through the thin edge, somewhat hard to explain. It was slightly better. The bread here was the hardest bread I had during my whole trip. Also the creme brulee was not fully bruleed so there was raw sugar at the top. This is a place I would come to for drinks but don't think I would get food here again.

Steak

Steak frites

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Duck

Grand Bay Café

4.0(6 reviews)

Visiting Paris from California. Stopped for a drink with my wife and met Chris, the wonderful and…read moreinsightful owner who not only helped us with drinks, but recommended a few spots in the city to make our stay more enjoyable. Chris was incredibly helpful, inviting, and his location was directly outside of the metro. Would recommend for anyone and will definitely be back when we visit again! Cheers!

Chris is amazing really helped our Paris trip feel complete and friendly! The ginger rum is…read moreincredible and the location is perfect right next to the metro. We will definitely return once we're back in Paris. Cheers from California !

0.8 km•Châtelet/Les Halles, 1er

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Au Pied de Cochon

3.3(446 reviews)

•€€€

Great place to try French dishes with pork as the main protein. Bring a translation tool because…read morethe menu is only in French. However, our waiter was able to explain and recommend items. We had the pork ribs and it was pretty good. It's pretty fatty too. Also, this is in a tourist area, so it was pretty busy even though it seemed it was off the beaten path. Definitely worth a try!

Not to be missed. True Paris experience with fantastic food . Truly amazing ambience and superb…read moreservice. "Jo"el" Do yourself a favor visit this place.

Inside of restaurant

Crispy trotter

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Moules (mussels)

L'Amazonial

3.8(44 reviews)

Delicious. This onion soup was to die for but I was embarrassed because I could not control this…read morecheese!!! It got all over my face. I'm not complaining though. The tartar was amazing. The portion was gigantic so sadly I didn't finish it all and now I'm regretting it because it was STUPID GOOD. Put some on a slice of baguette and damn, heavenly. The fries were super good too-- reminded me of a slightly crispier version of bill millers fries (don't get mad at me for comparing French fries to bill millers lol)

Nice classic French dishes executed well. The waiters speak good English too. It might change your…read morelife but you will have a pleasant meal.

0.7 km•Châtelet/Les Halles, 1er

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Pedestrian street

Le Bon Pêcheur

4.0(18 reviews)

•€€€

Just made it to France and we decided to stop by a local cafe for breakfast ! First of all I will…read morebe back when the weather is warmer to sit outside ! So cute - I enjoyed the breakfast special with orange juice, cappuccino , chocolate croissant with a regular croissant and omelet ! I was able to share and the croissants are sooooo fresh ! Cappuccino was delicious and omelet perfect ! I'll be back - great, quick service ! I wish they had more of a breakfast menu.

Note globale: 3 étoiles, comme ci, comme ça service client…read more Nourriture: cuisine française classique Texture: le croissant était croustillant et délicieux Prix: les croissants étaient à 5 € alors que les repas étaient entre 13 € et 15 € Ambiance: belles décorations florales Places assises et parking: pas de parking mais il y a de magnifiques places assises à l'extérieur et à l'intérieur Service: comme ci, comme ça Musique: jazz Salles de bains: hommes et femmes Derniers commentaires: un bel endroit pour les photos

Enjoying fresh juice and coffee

Chocolate croissant and regular croissant

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Afternoon lunch

La Parisienne

4.3(24 reviews)

•€

La Parisienne is indicative of the deterioration of French food in Paris. Even worse, it shows what…read morebad taste in food, Parisians have developed. We went to the Jardin de Luxembourg branch. Everything looked good and we decided to wait in the obscenely long line. The croissant and pistachio vienoiserie were greasy and underbaked. The insides were raw and slimy; same for the cookies. The lamination on the pain au chocolate was around 990 layers short of a millefeuille. We tried something at the St. Germaine branch. It was much better, but still barely edible.

Great bakery with delicious treats and snacks. Price is fair and service is good for Franceread more