Anyone Been to Flunch in Paris?
 

DH and I leave next week for our sixth Paris vacation; can anyone give us info on Flunch? Would like to know kind of menus they offer, approx cost, and locations, if possible. Merci beaucoup!

Never heard of it! Is it a restaurant? Sounds funny! Bonne chance!

Flunch, a chain of buffet cafeterias are a favorite of me in France but i don't think will fulfill the rather expensive food tastes i pick up in Fodorites. A recenet post to wit: Can i eat in Paris for under $100! At Flunch you'll probably spend about $10 for your choice of meats and then unlimited helpings from the buffet of vegetables, pasta dishes, salads, etc. Yes unlimited, unheard of in France, with cheap carafes of wine, etc. But it's real French food, like the normal people eat, sort of like our Country Buffet, now re-named Hometown Buffets across America. There are Flunches all over Paris and France - on the road look for Auchan hypermarches, many of which have Flunches on their premises. Best of all - no dealing with surly waiters or figuring out whether to tip or not (in France only tourists tip in normal restaurants as a 15% or so fee is added on to the bill automatically, though some may tip in fancy places or leave a few sous anyone. I've found the Flunch food excellent and unlike restaurants i've been to costing several times as much i don't leave feeling hungry!

What a Godsend!! Are they right in Paris? Henry(Henrietta, my companion) will love it.

I don't think I ever spent more than $12 on a Flunch lunch. That included salad, soup, main plate, dessert, cheese, wine and coffee.

I have been to lunch many times in Paris. There are many fine places to go! They offer menus that are written in french. They usually offer soups, assorted fromage plates, canard, steak and frites, mussels, quiche, jambon (sandwiches), etc. The resturants are located everywhere By the way, I thnk you made a a typo -you added an extra "F" on lunch. Give my regards to Mr. Lawrence and hope his next novel is his best!

I have been to two Flunch restaurants in Toulouse, France, and they both were revolting. Too much money for the quality and taste you get. You would be much happier eating some bread and cheese for half the price.
They give you "all you can eat" overcooked vegetables, which is their gimmick. For some reason, the French like that.

I was thinking of going to one near the Pompidou Center, but when I got close to the entrance I smelled some deep-fried grease that I thought was just revolting. Maybe that has nothing to do with the food, but the smell really got to me and I gave up that idea.

amazing how you could visit france and not have heard of flunch. my favourite is the post that thought it was a joke??? they are EVERYWHERE.

I've been to France 9 times that I can count offhand, most recently 2 weeks ago, & I've never heard of Flunch.

It's a decent place to grab lunch, nothing 'gourmet' but better than McD's. You get ice at the soda dispenser, too, if you're missing that. Flunch is especially useful if you need to feed a family. Last time I was there, they had a salad bar w/fruit, the hot bar (good frites) and wine/beer in the cold case. We ate at the Les Halles location; there's one other but don't recall where.

I give Flunch a try when I'm there in January. It might not be the best of French cuisine, but with the dollar being so weak, I say Flunch it.

Oops, I meant to say I WILL give Flunch a try....sorry...

There is a TV commecial of Flunch on French TV but if some people have never heard about it, it's not a big loss to them.

I ate at Flunch only once, located next to Nice Railway station a few years ago, mainly because of convenience (was Sunday, many restaurants were closed, was in the neibourhood). That one was a sort of cheapy self-service place, the quality of the food likewise, a bit less than decent. Nothing to complain about because I had expected very little. I would not look for one in Paris or anywhere but why not try once if it's convenient for you. I've seen better self-service places but they are a bit more expensive too.

I've been to France a number of times myself, and I'd never heard of these places until I read about it here once before. Here in New York a lot of delis and markets have cooked foods and salads that you load into plastic containers and take home, aka, 'food by the pound.'
This sounds similar in quantity and perhaps in quality as well, except you can eat it there. But sometimes with any of us, convenience wins out.

I've eaten meals in Paris a number of times and I have not had to deal with surly waiters nor have I been concerned with figuring out a tip, so that wouldn't be a factor for me.

It's just a cafeteria with inexpensive entrées - crayons and silly placemats for kids, that sort of thing.

We've been to one in Paris and one in Bordeaux - years ago, when the kids were little and were going through a I-want-spaghetti-bolognese phase.

I believe there are two of them in Paris:

FLUNCH CAULAINCOURT
1-3, rue de Caulaincourt 75018 PARIS
Place de Clichy
+33 (1).45.22.39.52
FLUNCH LES HALLES
Forum des Halles - 5-7, rue Pierre Lescot
75001 PARIS
Les Halles
+33 (1).42.33.52.35 - Fax : +33 (1).42.33.52.35

I wouldn't go out of my way to find one.

I think the quality of the food in the Flunch is sub-standart, and I don't usually eat in fancy restaurants. I wouldn't recommand them, personnally.

No,but I've been to Flinner. (sorry,the devil made me do it.)

Well it looks like Flunch has entered into Italian airspace. There is a website (flunch.it)
But just like the flunch.fr site, other than the main page, I couldn't pull up any other info re: locations, menu offerings, etc.

Is this an "all you can eat" for one price place?

Me and some of my big-boned cousins could do some real damage - maybe run them out of business if we had gone a few hours without some decent chow!

Degas, are you related to my in-laws?
Seriously, though, I don't recall ever visiting a Flunch (not that I'm a Gold Elite Status Fluncherite)and getting an "all you can eat" buffet.
BTW, my 5 brothers-in-law, in their younger days, put many Pancho's Mexican Buffets out-of-business.

Just returned from Paris, saw a Flunch, decided not to eat there--it looked like a cafeteria DOWNSTAIRS from the street level. No mention of 'all you can eat' on the display cards, just pretty boring looking food. Found a cool cafe instead! I also got addicted to the hot dogs covered in cheese sold everywhere at the emportier stands--please don't tell me what was in them, as it will truly spoil my appetite for them in the future...

Yep, like you say, it's just a cafeteria....usually I see large groups of American kids (on a school tour?) in front of or in them, so I guess it's a cheap fast way to feed them and sort of introduce them to French(?) food.

Unfortunately, I've been to Flunch <i>twice.</i> Once with my sister Burta, who was told by a friend that they serve &quot;authentic&quot; French food. The second time I went with my brother, PakePorkChop, who wanted to be in on the joke.

If it is a French-owned establishment with French staff, doesn't that make it &quot;authentic&quot; French food? ;)

I ate at the one next to the Pompidou Center. I assume that's the Les Halles location.

It was pretty good for the money- they had a GREAT selection for Vegetarians. Pizzas, salads, etc. Main dishes were very basic- Roast chicken, Steak Hache (Hamburger), Merguez sausage, Lamb kebabs.

Not fine dining, but fun. You pick your meat portion up at the grill, then you can add &quot;all you can eat&quot; sides. Sides were rice, frites, veggies, etc.

Good frites. Wide (cold!) drink selection.

It was kind of like the dining hall in college, but better quality.

Good for you if any of these apply:

1. You have small kids.
2. Want to spend very little. (I spent about EUR10 for a huge plate of food)
3. In a rush.
4. Want something VERY simple but don't want McDonalds or a Hot Dog.
5. Want to eat with actual French people on their lunch hour. (Everyone on line with me paid with those little free lunch coupons French workers get)
6. Want bigger portion sizes than typically found in Europe.

As far as chain food, I LOVED Pomme de Pain, a sandwich chain- thought it was some of the best fast food I ever had. They are all over Paris, can't throw a rock without hitting one.

For buffet, the Louvre had an amazing one with outrageous desserts and make-your-own salad. You don't need to pay museum admission to eat there.

Quick Burger, on the other hand, looked nasty but they were all crowded and busy.