Difference between a bistro, cafe and brassiere
 

Can anyone tell me the difference between these 3 places to eat?

Also, my husband and I will be in Paris for 5 nights the first week of October. We are looking forward to cafes and wine bars (that is our favorite kind of eating). We would like to eat at least one time in an interesting french restaurant. By interesting I mean - wonderful atmosphere (romantic) good food, nice wine. The price can be $150.00 for two. We are not looking for Eiffel Tower dining or anything so glitzy. Casual with great atmosphere and food.

Thanks

Karen

I think you mean "Brasserie" not "brassiere." ;-)

hi Karen, please don't ask anyone in France where the brassière is, they will laugh at you ;-) it is a undershirt! say brasserie instead.
the differences are so subtil for me to explain, that I leave it to a fodorite here will explain it properly.

Now everybody uses those words for almost the same thing.
In my youth, a bistrot was in a village, or a small town or a popular Paris area. it was very cheap and not very nice (not that clean) with men sitting near the bar or playing cards around a table. a café was almost the same but I would say it was more "chic" (though it could be full of students playing pin ball machine while smoking lots of cigarettes..) a brasserie was more like a restaurant but cheaper, for a quick lunch. (all that in the 70's and 80's).
now restaurants are also called bistrot (bistrot des halles in Dijon) brasseries named cafés (cafés des Ducs)
and cafés called bars...
oh my head! 8-}

Good spotting, Caravaggista. LOL

I'm not answering the question, because I think it's a no win situation. The lines between these three have become more and more unclear over the years. Although I think it is still safe to say that a cafe's primary purpose is for coffee and is likely to have much lighter food or fewer options that either a bistro or brasserie.

Regarding a specific choice. Where are you going to be? Is there an area that would suit best? There are about a zillion choices for this.

I'm not sure why you'd need to know the technical differences between the three categories to pick a nice place to have a meal. Also when you ask us for recommendations in Paris, well it's a huge city and for a casual meal I can't see trouping half way across town for a restaurant. Simply keep your eyes open when you're out touring during the day time. Look at the posted menus for ones that appear interesting. Maybe check some guidebooks, travel magazines, or posts here for suggestions that are near your hotel.

How do you define a romantic restaurant?

Underhill

Romantic would be candlelight not flourescent lighting. Possibly cozy table for two.

Patrick

We are staying in the 7th.

Thanks

Karen

A couple of thoughts:
Ami Jean, atmospheric and rustic Basque at 27 Rue Malar in the 7th.

Ferme St. Simon, see website www.fermestsimon.com

La Marlotte, see website
www.lamarlotte.com

But overall I agree that my best successes come from wandering the streets perhaps seeing a busy place one night and liking the posted menu so making a reservation for the next night.

Thank you Patrick.

I will take your advise and wander the streets of Paris. Thanks for the suggestions I will look them up.

Karen

You know, I can't actually remember the lighting at most restaurants we've liked! However, fluoresent lights don't come to mind right away; so there must be incandescent lights (lovely old fixtures, of course) and/or candles.
So two suggestions: Au Petit Marguery, in the 13th, and the Bistro de Breteuil, in the 7th. Both have fixed-price menus at moderate rates, the atmosphere is quietly upbeat, and the food is excellent.

Thanks everyone

One thing I was always told about brasseries is that during lunch hour, you can't just sit at any table and order only drinks...you have to eat (however, many brasseries do have a cafe section where you can drink without ordering food).
Cafes don't have to serve food. I can think of a few cafes in the 16th where they only serve snack foods at most.

This is my take:

<>Cafe - very casual, snack food, sandwich, salad, omelette, drinks, coffee; no reservations, no 'seatings'

<>Cafe/Brasserie - casual or nicer, large menu, may have area w/uncovered tables for drinks only and separate area w/covered tables for meals; no 'seatings' but might need a reservation if famous/popular; often serves seafood or Alsation cuisine
(Cafe de Flore, le Select, L'Alsace ...)

<>Bistro - small restaurant, usually one owner, might be husband/wife doing the cooking and table service; often has a regional menu, ie. Auvergne (sp?); may be open for lunch seating, then closes and reopens for dinner seating; reservations appreciated and often necessary
(Natacha, Le Petit Marguery...)

<>Restaurant - more upscale, more 'known', similar to bistro but more 'serious'(gastronomique); famous chefs, Michelin stars,historic location
(Taillevent, La Tour d'Argent...)

It doesn't really matter what the differences are because there aren't any technical ones, nor any rules about what a place can call itself. For that reason, places may pick a name because they like the sound of it, not because the place fits the typical or expected definition of a certain establishment. The term "bistro" seems popular now, and lots of places are calling themselves that because it sounds hipper than just restaurant or cafe. If you are looking at a place and its menu, it doesn't matter what it calls itself or what it is if you like it. The only reason to know might be if you are trying to book a place by name that you don't know anything about or haven't read anything about.

Well, there are some differences in that you can't expect to walk into just any place at 2 or 3:00 for a late lunch, and you can't expect to drop into a bistro at 9:00 for just 'coffee and dessert'... but you <i>could</i> do these at most cafes and brasseries, but not usually at bistros and restaurants. It's true the 'lines' do blur quite a bit.

So I'd say, if you're looking for recommendations for nice dinners within a price range, those designations don't matter. If you're looking for meals or snacks at 'off' times of day, then it will matter.

Les Fetes Galantes, on rue de l'Ecole Polytechnique near the Pantheon, has many brassieres hanging on the wall. Does that count? (Great cooking, too.)

We very much enjoyed Le P'tit Troquet, 28 rue de l'Exposition.

It is in the 7th and is probably more moderate in price than what you suggested but we liked the food and the atmosphere so much that we returned more than once.

It is small and quite intimate, (I don't think it has candles though) and it is totally non-smoking!

For Seetheworld.