Changed Paris hotel decision; now need different restaurant recommendations
 

At my last posting, I was almost set on the Hotel Delambre for a "new" neighborhood and asked you all for advice. Thank you for your area suggestions.

However, I've since decided to stay at the Hotel du Pantheon (or its sister hotel). On our last trip precisely one year before the upcoming one, we took a Paris Walks tour of Hemingway's Paris. The area seemed so much fun, even though I can't remember exactly what was where.

What are your favorite restaurants--we are talking breakfast, lunch or dinner--in this Pantheon/Sorbonne district?

Hi Amelia,
We have just returned from Paris & can highly recommend " Les Fontaines" 9 rue Soufflot the Tarte Tatin is to die for. You can see the Pantheon from the restaurant. We had been recommended to go this restaurant & we read about it in " Style City Paris".
The other is "Le Procope" 13, rue de l' Ancienne Comedie in St Germain des Pres. You could walk from your Hotel or get the Metro to Odeon cross the steet & you are almost there. This is the oldest restaurant in Paris with the history as follows. "In 1686 a gentleman from Palermo, Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, opened a coffee-shop in the Rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain (today the Rue de 1’Ancienne-Comédie). The excellence of his beverages and sherbets, the agreeable surroundings, the proximity of the old Comédie-Française; all these factors contributed to the popularity of his establishment. It very soon became a meeting-place for people of sensibility, and the first literary coffee-shop was born. For more than two centuries everyone who was anyone (or who hoped to become someone) in the worlds of the arts, letters and politics, frequented the CAFE PROCOPE. Voltaire came here, and Rousseau; Beaumarchais, Balzac, Verlaine and Hugo; from La Fontaine to Anatole France the list of the habitués of the PROCOPE is a list of the great names in French literature. It was here in the 18th century that the new liberal philosophy was expounded; this was the cafe of the Encyclopedistes, of Diderot, d’Alembert and Benjamin Franklin; the history of the PROCOPE is closely linked with eighteenth century revolutionary ideas. Robespierre, Danton and Marat used the cafe as a meeting place, and the young lieutenant Napoleon Bonaparte left his hat here as a pledge. The PROCOPE of today is still faithful to the memory of its distinguished past. The table of Voltaire is still here, at once a symbol and a festimony of permanence, ready to welcome new distinctions." As part of the charm of Paris is its history this was very special. Also if you like food you must visit Fauchon 26 place de la Madeleine it is 2 shops with gourmet products they also happen to have a restaurant upstairs where we had a beautiful lunch & a wine bar where you can also eat whilst tasting wines. Hope this has helped.
Enjoy Paris it's wonderful.
Trumps

Try Isaïe (sp?), 1 rue de l'Ecole Polytechnique (I'm sure about the address). It is a restaurant run by one person who is the chef and waiter. Good food at reasonable prices. But he had problems attracting a clientele ever since he upscaled the room by painting it all white. So by now he might be out of business.

Hi amelia,

Check out the Brasserie Balzar at http://www.flobrasseries.com/brasseries/en/

You get 20% off if you book online.

Hi Ira,
That restaurant was in "Paris to the Moon" wasn't it? Thanks for bringing the name up.

Acouple of favorites:
Le Petite Prince, very near the Sorbonne. Delightful atmosphere and staff, excellent food and reasonable.

Port Salut: top of the hill beyond Pantheon. Excellent place. WE prefer the stone cellar to the main dining room upstairs.

Hi Amelia,

Yes, Balzar is mentioned in Gopnick's book.

Oh Patrick, Le Petit Prince brought back a flood of memories. It was our first meal, I believe, when I took my two girls on their first trip to Paris. We were so afraid to use our bad French and our waiter spoke zero English. We didn't understand two of the items on the menu. He acted out the parts of the pig. We're talking noises and all.

Anyway, I guess I didn't think of this area as "nearby" but you're right.

My how things change. I think every waiter at Le Petite Prince now speaks fluent English. We happened by one night without reservations and they couldn't have been more accomodating. They were filled, but set up a table for us right up front and treated us like royalty. I just love the place.

I like La Fete Gallant, 13 rue des Ecoles Polytechnique. Very reasonable, great service.