Paris restaurant Chez Julien
 

NYT says good place for "classic French meal" ... Any advice, re best choices and cost without wine etc? Thanks.

"Chez" Julien? I know <b>Julien</b> which is on the rue du Faubourg Saint Denis right behind the Porte Saint Denis. It is indeed an excellent traditional restaurant, but it is more than I generally want to spend. A meal without wine would probably be about 30€ per person unless you ordered something exceptional. (Yes, I am a total cheapskate) You know what? I am a big fan of the Kurdish restaurant right next door to it ("Derya"), which has spectacular dishes and friendly service (while Julien can be snooty at times). A meal costs half the price of Julien, and it is also a great place to discover some excellent Turkish wines.

You're probably referring to the bistro near the Right Bank corner of the Pont Louis-Philippe. It was taken over a few years ago by the Costes group, which usually means it's aimed at a chic, see and be seen clientele with less interest in the food than in the 'scene'. That said, it's a very pretty place as they preserved the Belle Epoque decorations both inside and outside.

I haven't been as it seemed a bit pricey and I don't trust the Costes in terms of food, but it might be very good, who knows.

If it's a Costes place, it's all about the scene. They'll want to film SATC3 there

Didn't realize it had been taken over. It's been a few years since we were ther. The food then was very good, not exceptional but good. The interior though was lovely

Some years ago, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Chez Julien. We returned, not realizing it had new owners, and that was a really disappointing experience. The menu was pricey, and not very appealing. Food was okay, but nothing special.

It's curious that the New York Times describes the interior as having "exquisite retro-chic décor like plush banquettes and tall mirrors", as the decor is actually authentic.

To my observation, a lot of NY Times articles and reviews are not written from first hand experiences.

I find it odd that the decor is considered so important when having a meal.

Thank you for feedback. We'll be staying in St. Germain area so feel certain we will find many suitable moderate cafes, bistros etc in that area.