degas

AJPEABODY inspired me to start this thread.

Common on now, come clean and admit to the times and places where you thought the food was awful or walked away thinking "All those darn Euros for that?"

indytravel

Easy for me. Chartier in the 9th. Beautiful Belle Epoque decor. Lousy service and mediocre food to go with it.

Won't ever bother to return except maybe stand in the doorway and look at the brass. Then turn around and walk out.

adrienne

Agree with Indy..Chartier was the worst. I'd saved it for the last night based on Pauline Frommer's excellent review and was extremely disappointed.

I loved the interior and the bustling waiters and met some delightful ladies from Finland. We all laughed about how you were served hearts of palm for a first course, no matter what was ordered.

But the food, even the dessert, was not at all tasty.

degas

Interesting observations about Chartier. I would like to see the interior - would I get thrown out if I went in early and ordered just a glass of wine and soup?

mr_go

Semi-pedestrianized area of the Latin Quarter, can't remember which street. Can't remember the name of the restaurant, either...it was one of a dozen or more, practically on top of each other.

But I sure remember the steak. It was an insult to dog food.

P_M

I can't remember the name of the place, but they served the worst chicken and cheese crepe on this planet. The chicken must have been frozen for about a year before it was served, and the cheese was so chewy that it took about 20 chomps before I could swallow. After only 5 bites, and my jaws were sore with exaustion.

The good news is that I had plenty of room for dessert. The chocolate/banana crepe more than made up for the bad meal.

adrienne

Degas - I doubt there would be a problem. The resto is very large and the turnover is quick and the waiters indifferent.

If you only want soup this would probably be a good bet for lunch.

I would go back just for the interior. Note the luggage racks over the tables for the original transient workers.

StCirq

One of those horrid places in the Latin Quarter where the waiters stand in the doorway luring you in. The food and service were atrocious and there was a dead pigeon under our table. Yuck.

Gekko

I've had many mediocre-to-bad meals in Paris, at any number of cafes (including some known for their "better" cuisine).

I realize that, as a New Yorker, I'm spoiled, but <i>in general</i> the &quot;average&quot; places in Paris dish up below-average food.

degas

&quot;The food and service were atrocious and there was a dead pigeon under our table. Yuck.&quot;

OMG, I thought it was a &quot;cutting edge&quot; freebie and applied the one hour rule!
No wonder I was extra gassy that afternoon.

Indygirl2

I was pretty unimpressed with Chez Rene at 14 Blvd Saint Germaine.
I met some fellow Fodorites for dinner this past September and we ended up there when our first choice turned out to be closed. Admittedly, it was on the list of restaurants that I'd read about on Fodor's and/or it various guidebooks so I feel responsible (sorry Jules, Nina and Frank!). In my opinion, neither the food nor the service was very good, and it did not have an inviting atmosphere. I can't even remember what I ate so that can't be good. While it's not terribly expensive for that price (around 30-40 Euro w/o wine), I think you can do better.

Kate

ira

There is a difference between my worst meal in Paris and a bad meal.

I think my worst meal was at a small place in the 6th where the Rognons de Veau were overcooked and the Orange duck was fatty.

I might have been there on a bad night.

Frostyev

Not a restaurant as such, but I remember ordering a Croque Monsieur from those little cafes on the roadside that have only a window display cabinet and a sales counter... nowhere to actually sit down. It was the most disappointing culinary experience of my life. As a child growing up in New Zealand, my Swiss mother often made the tasty toasted sandwiches for us and I was looking forward to trying the true French version... as it was, all I got was a sore tummy!

sfowler

A place in that pedestrian area -- La Parchmenterie or something ... it was the only time that trip that we just walked in off the street. BIG mistake.

Chartier's food is so-so -- but worth the visit once for the decor and those grumpy waiters.

Catbert

I was trying to think of a meal that I would remember as bad and couldn't until I read Mr_Go's. On that pedestrian street with the Greek restaurants. I had a meal that was inedible.

Now worse meal in all of France; I had a boullibase (sp?) in Marseilles that was just a horror!

degas

ira, okay good point. Let's open it up to bad meals and over-priced meals just to get the digestive juices flowing so to speak.

dabodin

I have to agree with Frostyev about ordering Croque Monsieur in Paris. Everytime I did, I was extremely disappointed. I can made a much better one at home!

And our worst meal in France was a dinner on Mont St. Michel. I don't remember what I ordered for the main, but the Crudities starter was a dish with canned corn, canned beets, and some sort of canned vegie mixed with a ton of mayonnaise. I took one look and handed it to my DH, who will eat anything. His meal was awful, also.

111op

Like StCirq, I also had a horrible meal in the Latin Quarter in 1996. I think this was my second trip ever to Paris, and probably my longest. My mom and I spent nearly a week there, I think. On that trip we went to Versailles, and I've never been back there again (no time).

I remember a really gross onion soup and some lamb chops that were not really edible.

I didn't speak a word of French, and I had no concept that I had to do some travel research prior to traveling. We had a Jet Vacations package, I think. We left shortly after the TWA bombing of Flight 800 (when we were in Paris, the Olympic bombings occurred, I think).

crefloors

My very first meal in Paris. Ordered crepes from a stand. Totally dry and gaggie, horrible.

londonengland

Controversial one this but I ate at Angelinas which I felt was a major tourist trap. Surroundings were beautiful but service was surly and the whole experience felt like being on a Japanese bus tour.

The chocolat africain was excellent but almost undrinkably rich and the house specialty meringue overpowering

Sorry to all those sweet-toothed people