I've never had authentic French food before and this was a wonderful place to have that first experience! The restaurant had a nice, classy vibe and the service was excellent. I had the duck confit and it was amazing, u absolutely have to try this place if you're looking for good French cuisine!

Fancypants X.

As much as I'd like to confidently give a two-star or four-star review either way, Bouillon Chartier falls squarely within the middle range. The intimidating line is as daunting as it looks. My party was quoted 40 minutes but our actual wait time was closer to 65. A group of regulars assured us it was worth the wait. We ordered: -- six snails (7,50 €): those who partook reported no complaints, though they've had better. -- roasted chicken & fries (10,50 €): the flavor was a hit but the toughness of the chicken was a miss. Definitely overcooked and/or was sitting under a lamp for too long. -- rosette de Lyon (3,10 €): generous portion of dry cured salami with a hint of garlic. -- Alsatian sauerkraut (11 €): did not try but this dish included a duo of sausages as well as ham. -- floating island (3 €): it was here that I figured out I am not a fan of iîe flottante, a dessert of soft meringue swimming in a pool of crème anglaise. -- chestnut puree with whipped cream (4 €): 10/10 even without the fancy presentation we experienced at other eateries on this trip. A must-get. -- camembert which we were charged 2,80 € for despite it never making it to our table. There are several Bouillons around Paris; this one, crowded for its high-energy atmosphere, gorgeous painted glass ceiling, & Parisian charm. Waiters scribble your order on your paper place mat, & upon seeing this was our cheapest dinner in town, I understand why the group ahead of us in line sang its praises. Not the very best meal you'll have but perhaps one of the most fun & entertaining.

Michelle F.

Our tour guide recommended this restaurant. We were happy to have experienced it. The decor was beautiful. The restaurant always seems to have a line. One member of our party was in a wheelchair and they moved us to the head of the line. Once inside, all the tables were full so we felt lucky to have been moved up. The food was good. We were there for the experience and weren't expecting a magical culinary affair. We did think some of the dishes lacked flavor, but we didn't try other authentic French restaurants to be able to compare. The escargot was very good. We tried dishes that weren't typically found on a US menu. We wanted to be adventurous. The beef tongue was not as chewy as I had thought it would be. The veal kidney was tasty. The fish dumpling was eh. It was very busy and the service was a bit hectic. People seated after us at other tables got their food first and a few things were forgotten. Our server finally took a picture of our order (which he wrote on the table) and finally got us everything. Overall, I'm glad we tried it.

Katherine Y.

I have heard and read so many recommendations about Chartier and I was super excited to line up for an hour!! I really wanted to love this place. I was so excited to finally be able to try it. The decoration was so charming and it was so interesting to see the waiter wrote down your orders on your table. However, it all went downhill from there. The food and drinks were not impressive. My steak frites was almost inedible. I can't cut it through. Escargot was probably the best dish of the night. My friend's duck dinner was also super dry. I like the history of this place, but it definitely doesn't worth the wait.

Dayamis H.

A bouillon, is a type of restaurant, praised for traditional, simple and hearty cuisine. They're very popular and affordable. This one's been there since 1903! I did like it, the Art Nouveau is one of my favorite architectural styles but the experience was somewhat too fast for me, I think is because they were conceived to serve the working class and they acted like the "fast food" of the time. The food was tasty but it lacked presentation.

Rivers A.

I am French and I have been to the other Bouillon at Grand Boulevard. The food here at Montparnasse is not good at all. The service was also terrible. I get it isn't anything upscale but what I had was terrible. Frankfurt sausage with fries. The vegetables soup. I did not enjoy them at all. In addition the server didn't bring us water and I had to asked twice then I actually just get the water myself from the counter. At the end he even asked for tips. In France we do not tip ever because the service surcharge (tips) is already included in the price! Dishonest! The only thing I enjoyed was the decor. I won't return again. We were seated at the backroom so I can't really enjoy the main dinning room. There were servers that were eating their lunch break and using racial languages that you don't think you wanna hear from them talking. My own server can't speak French. And the other servers keep calling him Hey China dude (in French). I had hard time understanding him. Not a very good experience overall. Yes they are cheap but they taste bad and bad ambiance.

Sepideh Z.

We decided to try out this restaurant because of all the hype and the low prices. There was a line when we first arrived around 8:15pm and weren't seated until 9pm. The entire concept of this place is to deliver fast service and pack as many tables into the space as possible. Our server came within a few seconds of being seated and we basically shared the table with 2 other strangers but that part didn't bother us too much. We ordered vegetable soup but then they ran out already. The escargot (snails) were by far the best part of the dinner. They were smothered in pesto and delicious. We got the spaghetti bolognese, mushrooms, and 2 steaks with Fries & butter. The mushrooms were decent. But everything else was honestly pretty bland. I mean I guess you get what you paid for so obviously didn't expect a top notch steak but they should at least add some salt! Plus the steaks were very tough. Fries were good though but also lacked salt. Overall, if you go somewhere else it would ultimately be the same price if not a little more but the food would be tastier and the atmosphere would be quieter, less chaotic, and just more enjoyable.

Julie D.

No disrespect because this place is an institution, but what the actual toots. Let me tell you something. The only reason we dropped in for a meal is because my friend who currently lives in Tokyo was told by her French friend that we should eat here. We came in late on a Friday night. There was an actual line. People were there to celebrate birthdays and I spotted lots of couples on dates. Let me tell you something else. The food here is wildly unseasoned. Like they don't care at all about seasoning. I took one bite of everything. I forced myself to eat the order of shrimp I got myself. We shockingly could not finish the bottle of red wine we got. Not even drunk me could disrespect my munchies. S/O to the locals who were doing the most. There was a group of about 10 people celebrating a birthday out front who got rowdy. I wanted some of that energy. We walked out of this establishment still hungry.

Eddie D.

Went to another bouillon in Paris. Service is blazingly fast, I may say the real fast food in all bouillon of Paris. Food was tasty and price for authentic French food here is amazing. Servers can speak English so never worry going to the restaurants in France. Decor is well decorated. Definitely recommended.

Victoria T.

I really wanted to try this place because they advertise French cuisine at affordable prices. However, sometimes you get what you pay for and my experience here felt cheap. I will say that the dining room was nice, but the service was questionable and the food quality disappointing. I was sat at one table and given a menu, and when I was ready to order, they moved me to another table for unknown reasons. I ordered the terrine, 6 escargots, and steak frites, as well as a carafe of sangria. The terrine and escargots were fairly tasty, served with bread. I especially liked the escargots; they weren't the best I've ever had, but they hit the spot. The sangria tasted like juice, but it was refreshing for a hot day. However, the steak frites "piece du boucher" was just abysmal. I'm not a picky eater, but I really couldn't eat it. The meat was tough and hard to cut, and I tried a piece from the end first. It was rubbery and devoid of flavor other than salt. I spat it out and cut a piece from the center instead. I chewed it and it was tough and tasteless. I didn't think I could swallow it so I spit that out too. You can probably tell in the picture, the frites were overdone and dry. I wasn't going to force myself to eat any of it. Food here comes out quickly and I've heard that they prepare a lot of things in advance and just keep them under a heater. That probably works better for some dishes, but definitely not my steak, which was cooked through and rubbery. The herb butter placed on top couldn't fully melt, which didn't help. I sat with my barely touched plate (it had my used napkin and silverware on top) for a while, until my waiter finally cleared it and only asked if I wanted dessert. I declined, just wanting to leave at that point. I finished my sangria and kept trying to get someone's attention so that I could pay the bill, but I was unsuccessful at best and ignored at worst. Finally I got up and asked the man in the suit at the door if I could pay, and he got my waiter to return to my table. He didn't ask any questions about my experience, and I paid full price and left. I was definitely regretful that my meal was so unpleasant. This is Paris, after all. There is much better food out there. I wouldn't come back, but it started filling up after I left, so clearly there are people who like it. I would suggest being careful about what you order, or skip it entirely. A low price doesn't always mean good value.

Ernie H.

They don't take reservations, it's almost 10pm on a Thursday and I'm stoked that the line is only 15 deep. Why ? Have you seen this place? It's right out of Belle Epoque. And the prices-Holy mother of God-the prices. It's almost too good to be true. The escargot was fine but the shrimp with mayo was more interesting. The main course is mainly comfort food. We had the beff bourguignon, fish with crustacean sauce and steak au poivre. All were good but not great - I'm not complaining Standouts for dessert was the rice pudding its superior - fresh not too sweet . Otherwise the peach with ice cream and profiteroles was ok. Skip the mont blanc. Because it's busy dining here service takes time. Listen if you want to feel like a local and be able to dine at this gorgeous room with prices you can't beat - this is it. We left around midnight and the place was still lit AF.

Edward M.

On one of the not so touristic parts of Paris, this is one of the few locations they have, nothing fancy about it, lots of locals dining here, not sure if this is the everyday Parisian food not bad at all, the only thing that took me by surprise was the beef cheeks that were served with elbow pasta

Jordon E.

Enjoyed our meal here. The menu was straight forward with an array of selections and reasonable prices. I had the steak & fries, my fiancé had the braised beef tongue with mashed potatoes and we ordered a side of escargot and a pitcher of sangria. The steak I ordered was a bit tough and the food didn't come out hot, but we still enjoyed the meal. Great ambiance, quick service, recommended checking it out for yourself!