What makes a meal memorable, particularly in Paris? Obviously, the Michelin star system will be the guiding light if you’re a tried and true ‘foodie’, but for many Paris visitors, a restaurant does not win our heart on food alone.
Chris (my husband who readily admits to only rarely remembering a meal after a lifetime of business dinners) picked this restaurant out of ALL Paris restaurants we’ve tried:
Chartier, located on Rue du Faubourg, Montmartre Metro: Grands Boulevards brims with authentic 19th-century flavor. Monday night used to be the traditional ‘bouillon’ or soup night when you could get your Chartier Bouillon for a mere 10 francs or 2 Euros. Those prices may be part of history but the flurry of waiters dashing between rows of tables set up more like a cafeteria than a restaurant still exudes the ‘good ole days’.
This may not be the cheapest restaurant in Paris, but it has to be considered the best value restaurant if you ‘re looking for a reasonably good meal where you can soak in the ambiance. You’ll note the little cubbyholes along the walls where past patrons used to keep their own ’serviettes’ or cloth napkins.
Some may find the waiters to be impatient – but it’s all part of the show. It was fun coming here as poor, hungry students – and it’s still fun coming here as hungry adults. Why do the French come here?
Il n’ya pas de chi-chi i.e. it’s not trendy. It’s just as comfortable as an old shoe.
Restaurant Chartier
7 RUE DU FAUBOURG MONTMARTRE 75009 PARIS
01 47 70 86 29
Metro: Grands Boulevards
Open Daily.
{ 2 comments }
This sounds like my kind of place. Cheap and high quality food will always be a hit with me, and I really like that neighborhood as well.
What other places do you like in the neighborhood?
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