Hello,

My mom and I will be in Paris next week and am looking for a great, typically Parisian bistro. Where can you get great, local, bistro fare? What's your favourite?

Thanks!

Au Petit Marguery, in the 13th. Wonderful food (especially the sautéed wood mushrooms) and ambience. Very "old Paris" in feel.

m

My personal favorite is Aux Lyonnais.32, rue St-Marc in the second arrondisement. Started a few years ago by Alaine Ducasse it has a classic decor and a great selection of well prepared dishes. Try the quenelles. Reserve early though it does attract a large crowd, particularly at lunch.

Thanks for your feedback. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about Aux Lyonnais. But, I am tempted to try. Any other thoughts on it from other diners?

We probably enjoyed the decor at Aux Lyonnais more than the food and interestingly enough, the one dish that we found least appealing was the quennelles. Perhaps it was on off night. As I recall our other dishes were fine just not super-duper. That said, I would go again.

Finally got to enjoy Underhill's Petit Marguery on a recent trip and found it all that she claims it to be. A fine place that would fulfill your expectations.

Unfortunately my favorite place, Chez Clovis in the Les Halles area, has had a recent renovation--a very bad decision by the owners. The place lost all its charm and history. Why can't folks recognize a gem and leave well enough alone?!!

As a local, I think that the "typical French bistro" is more a fantasy of foreign visitors dreaming of an imaginary 1940's Paris than a reality of the city of today. The "typical bistro", if it has ever existed, has vanished with the working-class that used to live in Paris.

Today you'll find, at best, "reinvented", aka yuppified forms of bistros, (the word itself is falling out of use), and at worst, especially in the central neighbourdhoods, tourist traps giving the visitor his money's worth (or less than his money's worth) of what he imagines a "French bistro" to be.

Sorry to hear about Chez Clovis..that was on my list for the future. Thank you for the update, Julie. You were very helpful to me before my last few recent trips to Paris!

But what about Chez Denise nearby? (Les Halles area) How much more typical can you get? I thought the food, and the place, was terrific! I suppose it would be considered a bistro, no?

My favourite (whether it's the best is debatable) is Le Bariole on Rue de Belleville in the 19th.

Well priced, good food, great staff, clientele of all stripes and right on a corner so you can watch the world go by at the same time.

It's also walk-off-that-enormous-lunch strolling distance from les buttes chaumont.

As Trudaine mentioned it's a slightly 'reinvented' version of the bistro, but still serves as a proper meeting places for the locals.

Wonderful.

Define what you think a 'bistro' is... I think Americans have a misconception that it means something more 'chic' than is the true definition. Most of the above are restaurants.

I would guess that there is substantial overlap between the two. Aux Lyonnais, which began long before Ducasse if I am not mistaken, is certainly not a bistro. But are there any true bistros left in the original sense, which was a coal shop run by men from the Auvergne who sold wine to their customers?

Chez Denise around the corner from my beloved Chez Clovis is probably the best substitute available. Denise is more famous and so, difficult to get into which Clovis never was.

More on the typical Parisian bistro--Zygomates in the 12th is adorable and has wonderful food. Zagat considers it a bistro. A bit hard to find but worth it. Also in the 12th is Square Trousseau, which is a visual delight in the true old-fashioned sense. I could just sit and look at the ceilings. Perfect old bentwood chairs, all the right stuff. P'tit Troquet not far from the Eifel Tower would seem to fit most bistro expectations. Tiny, cute, itty bitty zinc bar and a wonderfully welcoming husband wife team. A bit more modern but designed to look like the typical Parisian bistro is Louis Vin in the 5th. It serves all the standard dishes and well. It's probably out of print now but the book Bistros of Paris by the Hamburgers (husband/wife team also) is my bible of Paris Bistros. I've been more or less eating my way through it for several trips.

Julie you are always so helpful. Much appreciated.

Hi N,

Where will you be staying?

There is little sense in traveling across town to eat at a local resto.

A 'bistro' is open all day and evening, and customers can just have a coffee or a drink; at lunch and dinner hours, meals are served, usually traditional fare - no grand cuisine or high-priced chefs - a simple 'neighorhood' atmosphere and clientele.

A restaurant is open for set meal times only - you don't drop in to have a beer and read the paper.

Here's a link to an interesting discussion on E-gullet about bistros.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=112505

NicaZ - I have just come across this website (Blog) which suggested L'Entredgeu, 83 Rue Laugier, 17eme/Metro Porte de Champeret -Ph: 01 40 54 97 24.

She writes: " My Heart In Paris - There are still a few places I visited during my last stay in Paris that I have not reviewed yet. One of those was my very favourite bistro of the moment. L'Entredgeu! It's the kind of restaurant that makes one feel so grounded, so connected to the place, to Paris."

Another lovely place recently suggested is La Table de Lucullas -
out of the way enough not to become the next destination for American Gastro tourists. Oh well, the cats out of the bag now.
Worth a try wouldn't ya think?

L'Entregdeu is an adorable place!! It would certainly fit many people's notions of a typical Parisian bistro.

We especially liked this one but it has been a while since we have visited it - did not make it on our last trip so do not know current status.

http://www.au-chien-qui-fume.com/index-gb.htm

Once you have arrived in Paris, if you are still in doubt about where to go, keep in mind that the word 'bistro' means 'café' to the French and what you are really looking for is a 'petit restaurant.'