$50 to $100 $100 to $150 $150 to $200 $200 and upThe Roddenbery Restaurant List
Summer 2018
$50 to $100 $100 to $150 $150 to $200 $200 and up
Near the Champs-Elysée
Chez Andrè 12 rue Marbeuf For real "cuisine de maman," go to this
popular, authentic bistro that is always busy. Offers the classic,
bourgeois French cooking you long for (pot au feu, poulet rôti, choucroute) and
friendly attentive service. A wide selection of dishes at reasonably fair
prices in an otherwise overpriced part of Paris. Update: While still a charming restaurant in a handy location,
during a recent visit Chez André seemed less of a bargain than it once was.
17th arrondissement
Not far from L’Etoile and the Champs-Elysées.
La
Brasserie Lorraine
Place des Ternes
A classic, old-line French establishment that specializes in "fruits de
mer" and good beef. A beautiful setting, exquisite linens, and good
service. The menu can be a bit expensive --but the experience of the
Parisian restaurant tradition preserved can be worth it. If the day is
sunny, at the very least enjoy a drink at the outside tables that overlook the
lovely flower market at the Place des Ternes. A ten-minute walk from
L’Etoile and the Champs-Elysées.
Bistro du 17ème
108 Avenue de Villiers
A leader in the movement to return to real bistros, this restaurant is always
busy and deserves to be so. On weekends it’s a good idea to reserve (tel.
01 47 63 32 77). The prix fixe, which includes wine, is an excellent value, and
there is an energy to the atmosphere that is enlivening. It is part of a chain of reliable
bistros in Paris.
Comme Chez Maman
5, rue des Moines, 01 42 28 89 53. Located in the charming Batignolles neighborhood, this neighborhood gem
is worth the visit. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, the
restaurant is owned by a young, enthusiastic chef who serves updated “mom food”
– French classics such as lamb stew and roast chicken that are enhanced with
creative touches such as avocado and interesting spices. The wait staff
is cordial and professional, the wine list is extensive and fairly priced, and
the desserts are to die for. A specialty of the house is dinners for two,
i.e., you can order a two-person portion of roast or plate of fish.
Le Relais de Venise
271 boulevard Pereire
Despite the reference to Venice in its name and the gorgeous murals of Venice
on its walls, the cuisine of this restaurant is neither Italian nor
seafood-oriented. Instead it serves the best steak-frites anywhere in
Paris. Indeed the only choice on the menu is its famous formula of steak,
French fries, and green salad with walnuts. The servings are copious and
the waitresses bring you seconds whether you request them or not. The
wine list is excellent and moderately priced. Those who have a sweet
tooth will be well served here because the desserts are fabulous, especially
the profiteroles. Go there either early or late because they don’t take
reservations and the line can go out the door.
Le Hide
10, rue du Général Lanrezac; 01-45-74-15-81
We went to this place because a contributor to the New York Times, an
American ex-pat living in Paris, said this is his favorite restaurant. We can
see why. Tucked on a tiny street in a residential neighborhood not far
from the Champs Elysées, this small, family-feeling restaurant has all the
right stuff. The somewhat stark, modern décor dissuaded us at first, but
the staff exuded warmth and the menu was terrific. The restaurant’s name
is that of the young Japanese chef who has traditional French cooking down
pat. The waitresses were friendly and accommodating (one of them held my
hand and smiled as we said goodbye). The ingredients are fresh, the
portions generous, and the dishes varied and interesting. Fish is a specialty,
and at lunch there was a good selection of salads. For a pleasant Parisian experience, a
friendly atmosphere and a good meal for a fair price, seek out Le Hide.
Bois de Boulogne
Le Chalet
des Iles
Porte de la Muette
Lac du Bois de Boulogne
Telephone 01-42-88-86-74
If the weather is beautiful and you would like a fairy-tale experience, make
your way to the edge of the city and dine at Le Chalet des Iles. A taxi is
probably the easiest way to get there, but we took the Metro to the 16 th
arrondissement and walked. This lovely restaurant is located on an island in
the middle of a lake in the Bois de Boulogne . The magical experience begins
when a ferry boat picks you up at the shore and transports you to the chalet.
There are several dining rooms and outside terraces. Understandably, the
restaurant is popular with families and children (as well as with
ladies-who-lunch), but the children are well behaved and the ladies are
elegant. The food is classic French with some light, inventive touches and the
menu is varied and interesting. Seafood is a specialty, as are desserts. The
wine choices are excellent. The service is discreet and professional. All of
this charm does come at a price -- lunch with wine could run $150-$200 – but
the experience is memorable and well worth the expenditure. It received a star
in the 2010 Michelin Guide. It is advisable to make reservations.
Ile Saint-Louis/Ile de la Cité [Notre Dame
neighborhood]
l'Auberge de la Reine Blanche
30 rue St.-Louis-en-l'Ile.
Small and charming, good honest food, cozy atmosphere, nice wine list.
Open every day of the week, but not for lunch on Sunday.
Brasserie de I’lle St. Louis
55, quai de Bourbon
A crowded little spot well located on the tip of the island facing Notre
Dame. Red checkered tablecloths, tiny chairs, and stuffed animal heads
make up the decor. Good spot for an omelet, steak-frites, andouillette
and fairly priced wine. Closed on Wednesday.
Restaurant Paul
75 Place Dauphine
Located in one of the most beautiful squares of Paris, Paul is a true “vieux
restaurant de Paris” [classic Parisian restaurant]. The cuisine is
traditional yet refined and includes wonderful escargots, andouillette sausage,
excellent beef, tasty soups and delicious salads. The wine list is solid
and the prices are fair. At lunch if you don’t want a full meal, order a
soup, appetizer and salad – they will be happy to accommodate you. The
clientele is largely well-dressed Parisians who have frequented Paul for
years. Diners can sit in the front of the restaurant and overlook the
square or at the back and look out at the Seine.
Opera – Grands Boulevards
More if you indulge in one of the special plateaux!
The Latin Quarter -- Left-Bank Quais -- Saint Germain --
Luxembourg Gardens
Le Volcan
10 rue Thouin (a side street near the rue Mouffetard), in the 5th arrondissement.
A cozy, friendly restaurant that is a favorite with locals. We were the
only Americans in the place. In this popular tourist area, a genuine (read: non
rip-off) place to eat is a find. Le Volcan serves good, honest food
(onion soup, suprême de volaille, lamb chops) at very fair prices. There
is a choice of menus that offer a variety of foods and prices. The wine
list is also good in its selection and price range. Lunch is served in
the bistro-like front dining area; dinner is served in a spacious dining room.
$70-$95 for two depending on menu selected.
Restaurant at the Musée d'Orsay, quai d'Orsay
You must not miss this splendid art museum, and there is a restaurant that we
visited in 2003. The building was once a glorious train station (it's
worth the visit just to see its transformation into an art museum), and the
meals are served in the former station's restaurant. The murals and
ceilings are gorgeous. The food is good, but the setting is the reason
for the visit.
Le Petit Panthéon
47 rue Monge, 5th arrondissement
This is a basic neighborhood joint where regulars congregate to enjoy the home
cooking of the friendly owner and his wife. Nothing pretentious
here: lamb chops, roast chicken, steak and French fries. The
charm can be found next door when, after enjoying a solid meal, you enter the
gates of the Arènes de Lutèce, the Roman amphitheater of the
original Paris. Quiet, ethereal and eternal, the arena where Christian
martyrs met lions and boat battles (!) were staged is now a place of repose and
contemplation. In September 2017, still same tasty, slightly tough steak and
friendly owner.
La Maison du Jardin
27 rue de Vaugirard, 6th arrondissement, Tel. 01 45 48 22 31
Located at the edge of the Luxemboug Gardens,
this small restaurant has an attractive, modern decor, pleasant,
attentive
service, and delicious food that blends tradition with innovation.
Typical dishes include baked turbot with wild-mushroom ravioli,
duck paté
with figs, and a killer chocolate mousse served with a delicate almond
cookie. At lunch there are several prix fixe options. There
are two menus: appetizer and main course or main course and
dessert, and the full menu of appetizer, main course and
dessert.
There is an excellent list of moderately priced wines. Visited in
January 2017, and is still good.
Le
Bouillon Racine
3, rue Racine, 6th arrondissement, 01 44 32 15 60. To dine in
the Bouillon Racine is to return to Belle Epoque Paris. Founded in 1906,
the restaurant’s décor is graced with high ceilings, beautiful grill work and
iris-design stained glass. The cuisine is traditional classics such as
beef tartare, confit de canard, and filet mignon of pork, with an emphasis on
the cooking of southwestern France. The wine list is very good and fairly
priced, and there is a lively bar. The youthful wait staff is friendly
and efficient. The restaurant is very popular – there is often a line out
the door – so it is prudent to reserve a table in advance. The upstairs
dining room is especially beautiful. The restaurant offers the appealing
advantage of being open seven days a week.
Lilane
8 rue
Gracieuse, Tel. 01 45 87 90
68
An unassuming, contemporary setting in which
French classics are served with a little modern twist. Young, friendly servers. A prixe-fixe menu around 35 euros, good wine
list. Reservations advised.
La Closerie des Lilas,
171 Blvd. du Montparnasse, Tel. O1 40 51 34 50
A beautiful,
classic restaurant and bar favored by artists, musicians and writers (including
Hemingway and Fitzgerald, who may have actually eaten there), now frequented by other regulars. There are three options for dining, and the
brasserie is the best one: fairly
reasonable prices for high-quality traditional dishes in an attractive setting.
Before (or after) you visit the Louvre
Chez Georges
1, rue du Mail, 2nd arrondissement
For some unknown reason, finding a good place to eat near the Louvre can be a
challenge. This excellent bistro solves the problem. A true French
bistro, this restaurant has a solid menu with choices ranging from “barnyard”
andouillette sausage to refined monk fish in wine sauce, with a variety of
steaks in between. The owners are friendly and the desserts are
excellent. Ask to be seated at the front of the dining room, where there
is a pretty view.
Le Marais -- the Jewish Quarter
Sadly, there are only a few good restaurants and delis left in the Jewish
Quarter. Two good places for take away are:
Florence Kahn
24 rue des Ecouffes
Sacha Finkelsztajn
27 rue des Ecouffes
Excellent delicatessens/bakeries. Be sure to keep an eye on the amounts
of food the nice ladies behind the counter want to give you! A source for
picnics and meals to take on the train. Closed Saturday, open Sunday.
Bastille/Gare de Lyon
A la Biche au Bois
45 av. Ledru-Rollin
tel: 01 43 43 34 38
Specializing in game, this ultra-friendly tiny restaurant is worth seeking
out. Filled with regulars, you must reserve a table. The owners,
Céline and Bertrand, knock themselves out to make sure everyone has a great
time. Very friendly towards Americans. Céline’s late uncle, Georges Zidi, was a
chef in the New York area. A four-course lunch costs $80 for two. Closed
weekends.
After a stroll through the Buttes Chaumont:
If
you crave open spaces, fresh air, running streams and a hilltop view of Paris,
make the journey to the wonderful Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19
arrondissement. You will be rewarded with a meal in two excellent
restaurants located just outside the park near the Metro station.
Que du bon
22, rue due Plateau, 01 42 38 18 65. This contemporary bistro,
with its large chalkboard covered with the names of exceptional wines, serves
excellent food in a casual and convivial atmosphere. The menu offers both
traditional and updated dishes, and the prices are very reasonable. The
real star here is the amazing wine list with its broad selection of vintages at
an equally board range of prices. The restaurant is open for lunch only
on Friday, but serves dinner every night except Sunday.
Le Bar Fleuri
1, rue du Plateau. Walk through the door of this neighborhood
resto and you will travel back in time to the Paris of the 1930s-1950s.
The unchanged décor is so authentic that scenes from numerous period
movies have been filmed here. The cuisine is very simple – roast chicken,
steak frites, andouillettes and homemade pies – and the wine is unpretentious
and mostly served in carafes. The reason to go is the ambiance, enhanced
by the presence of the owners: a glamorously dressed and coiffed “dame
d’un certain age” who is the hostess/waitress, and her large, cheery husband
who is the host/bartender.
Special Occasion - Memorable Restaurants
These are not your everyday places, but restaurants whose ambiance, service and
cuisine are the stuff of dreams and the basis of fond memories. Lunch
costs around $250 and dinner $450 (for two, that is), but it will be worth
every Euro. Lunch is usually less expensive than dinner, but not
always. Also, at lunch your dining companions will tend to be French,
whereas your evening experience might be marred by nouveau riche Americans who
don't behave properly. Note: We are finding that there has been a
general decay of civility on the part of the clientele at the best
restaurants. Sadly, we are now inclined to avoid the most famous
restaurants.
Jules Verne, on the second platform of the
Eiffel Tower.
The food is very good, and the view unforgettable. BUT, the place has
become overrun with tourists. Rather than a fine dining destination,
it has now teeming with ill-behaved, poorly-dressed, photo-snapping, lurching,
gawking rubes. Not necessarily reccomended, but not it can be a great
experience if unpopulated by an unruly crowd. Lunch is less expensive. You must reserve 2-3 weeks in
advance for lunch, three or more months in advance for dinner. Everyone
who visits Paris should dine there at least once. Tel. 00-11-33-1-45-55-61-44;
Fax: 00-11-33-1-47-05-94-40.
Le Pré
Catelan, route de Suresnes in the Bois de Boulogne.
Janice Roddenbery's all-time favorite restaurant anywhere. Beloved of
Marcel Proust and other luminaries. Crowned with three Michelin
stars. A gorgeous building in a spectacular setting. Beautiful at
lunch because of the gardens, stunning at night because of the candlelight [but
beware of the boorish tourists]. Marvelous food, outstanding wine,
perfect service. Not easy to get to by public transportation.
During the day you could take the bus to Neuilly and walk through the park, or
take the Metro to the Porte Dauphine and pick up the route de Suresnes at the
entrance to the park and walk along the lake. Tel. 01-44-14-41-14.
Le Meurice
In the Hôtel Meurice, 228 rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement
Dining in this restaurant is like dining at Versailles. The décor
is all
marble, gold and mirrors accented with beautiful floral
arrangements. The
service is like a ballet, highly professional yet seemingly effortless,
and the
tables are well spaced. The Roddenberys enjoyed a 10-course,
four-hour
lunch here with friends on New Year’s Day 2004, and the experience was
unforgettable. The cost of the lunch is unmentionable, yet not
surprising
given the quality of the food and the fact that it was a major
holiday. The cuisine can best be described as traditional with
modern
touches, i.e., classic French food with a lighter more innovative
touch, but
not nouvelle cuisine. Note: the restaurant has not gotten good reviews lately!
Le Grand Véfour
17, rue de Beaujolais, 1st arrondissement
tel: 01 42 96 56 27
Located in the Palais Royal, the Grand Véfour is a small 18th century
gem. It
was frequented by Victor Hugo, Colette and Jean Cocteau. Three
Michelin
stars. Once you get past the maître d’hôtel’s hauteur, sit back
and enjoy
the exquisite setting (considered the most beautiful dining room in
Paris),
excellent food and attentive service. Afterwards, you can stroll
around the Palais Royal and enjoy
window shopping in the antique shops there. Reservations are a
must.
Unless you’re in a large group, ask for Victor Hugo’s table – it’s the
best
seat in the house. We looked at the the menu recently and found
that while the dishes have remained the same, the prices have
increased. The 115 euro prix-fixe lunch is the way to go.
Lapérouse
51 quai des Grands Augustins.
Established in 1766, this restaurant was one of Charles de Gaulle's
favorites. Marcel Proust also dined there. The decor is very attractive,
as is the view of the Seine. There are still several private dining rooms
including one that accommodates only two people (ask to see them).
Refined cuisine, attentive service. $200 - $260. Update: there have been changes in the kitchen, so we need to check to take another taste.
Good sources of restaurant listings: