Stopped in for lunch. Beautiful restaurant with great decor. I suggest asking to eat under the verriere (stained glass ceiling) if a table is available. I had steak tartare (prepared with capers, spices and an egg yolk on top) served with a small salad and fries. My wife had mussels, cooked in a Riesling wine sauce, served with fries. Both were very good. For dessert we ordered an " ile flottant " and baba au rhum. The creme anglaise served with the ile was delish. The baba was not bad. The cake wasn't the best I have had but the vanilla whipped cream was awesome. Bofinger has been around since 1864 and is a good choice for good food, great decor and grumpy but efficient waiters. Totally Parisien! read more

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Traditional French food with one of the best choucroutes I have tried. The setting is classical with very nice leaded glass work and turn of the century decorations. Excellent food with an impressive seafood selection and great sweets. The service, on the other hand, is marginal, with dirty stencils, missed dishes and an impolite bartender who barks at customers. Don't accept seating upstairs if the or conditioning is not operational in the Summer. I will always go there for the food and will calibrate my expectations for the service. Reservations highly recommended. read more

Great service, one of the best choucroute I had. I definitely recommend this place. Although we did not have reservations, they were able to squeeze us in (table of 5). read more

Another historic bistro. Good French bistro food. Ambience makes one know one is in old world Paris.

zero stars. worse place for service in paris. ignored for 1/2 hour before even getting menus. then no glasses for wine. then the server kept talking to his friends rather than serve us. so many other better places to go in paris. read more

Came here on a business trip with some friends on the recommendation of a colleague. We were very impressed by the outside of the building even before we walked through the door. I made reservations several weeks prior, so we were seated promptly underneath the beautiful stained glass dome ceiling. This place is a legend, but I wanted to try it in person to see if it was worth all the fuss. We all ordered the French onion soup as a starter, and it was very good. My only only complaint is that the soup was warm, but not hot, which made the cheese less melted, and the soup was not quite as tasty as it could have been. For the main course I ordered the Seafood Sauerkraut. This restaurant has many dishes from the border of Germany so I was very interested in trying them. The sauerkrat was the best I've had outside of Germany. Thin cut, not too sour, with a delicious light creamy sauce. The seafood was perfectly cooked and fresh. My colleague had the Bofinger Sauerkraut which came with many different types of meat over the kraut. I tried some of the meats, and they were all unique and amazing. The pork knuckle took the prize as my favorite, but the pork belly and sausages were delicious as well. My other colleague had the mussels, and they were perfectly cooked with a light sauce that was not too overbearing. The service was perfect, attentive, and helpful. Unfortunately, I didn't save room for the Creme Brulee, so I'll have to come back again to try it (so I can try some of the other dishes as well). read more

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Not bad, but not great. The service, however, was terrible. Our waiter was inattentive and dismissive. He barely paid attention to us and did not recommend any dishes to order - and he berated the busboy in front of the patrons. I had the French onion soup. It was not hot, and just meh. We also ordered the large seafood tower. There was ample seafood, which was good but not fabulous. I would not return to this restaurant or recommend to anyone else. read more

I would give 0 stars if it was possible. Treated poorly from the start. We had been walking for a bit & my boyfriend ordered water & I ordered a spritz. Because he wasn't immediately getting a drink, the waiter shook his head. Then it took forever to just order food. Meanwhile, the tables around us were able to order. The snails were ok - not great. My boyfriend had a seafood casserole- all the clams were filled with grit/sand. I had the veal - the breading was soaked in butter. The best part were the capers. They offer bread and pretzels - seemingly warmed in a microwave- tough as leather. The room was nice & the stained glass was pretty. I was wedged into my seat with the table. The waiters seemed to enjoy looking out the window, smoking out front & trash talking people outside. We walked to a shop a few blocks up, spent less and brought food/dessert/wine & beer back to our Airbnb. With so many choices, avoid Bofinger! read more

Scrumptious! 10/10 on the Bussin scale! Fish n chips goes crazy. Same with the chocolate ice cream!

Overall, it was disappointing. This is a highly rated restaurant and I was expecting good food and decent service. The venue has a great ambience, it is a well preserved, art nouveau building with extremely well-maintained interiors. This is all what is good about the restaurant. The food was very disappointing. The appetizers were fine, but it quickly went downhill from there. I ordered their signature dish of Alsace sausages with sauerkraut. It was mostly sauerkraut, which probably came from a supermarket jar, and very bland sausages, that you can find anywhere. The floating island, the desert, was an uncooked meringue, which I couldn't eat. It was impossible to get a waiters attention, and we left paying for food we didn't eat. read more

This was the worst meal I've had in 10 years. If you are not local, avoid at all costs. The upstairs dining room was dreadful. The service was horrendous. The food not only took 90 minutes before it arrived, it was poorly seasoned and the frites were cold. We so looked forward to a nice meal at this restaurant and could not have been more disappointed. read more

This restaurant is a gem. We loved the food and the decor. We can't wait for our next visit to Paris to return to Brasserie Bofinger.

We heard BOFINGER had gone back to the top, big disappointment. Our Maître d'O was so rude and answered very insolently when we asked him very gently when our first course would come, 45 minutes after we ordered. Plates finally were served, but the quantities were so small we thought that was a doll dinner. One of us had ordered shrimps, there were only three of them! That is not what you expect when eating in a traditional brasserie. All that for more than 50 Euros,per person, properly ridiculous. We have been customers there for more than 30 years,and have so good memories of the place, but we had to stop going when the quality deteriorated. All the press campaign saying the place had come back to the top is just fake news. That is a pity! read more

One of our families favorite restaurants in Paris. The duck breast was the best I've ever had. The french onion soup was delicious. My wife had the pork knuckle and sauerkraut and it was fantastic. read more

Brasserie Bofinger - French onion soup - Brasseries Near Me - Paris, 75

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Just got home from a week in Paris. Most of my meals were planned out, but there was a few nights we didn't make any reservations. Decided to take a look at the restaurant group that Bofinger is part of as on our last trip we visited both Brasserie Flo & Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit, which were excellent! Unfortunately we were unable to get into the two restaurants we previously went to without a reservation. When calling Bofinger whomever answered the phone said if we arrived by 8:45pm we would not have a wait time. After running a little late, we arrived at 9pm and had to wait until 9:30pm to be seated. We didn't mind the wait as we didn't have a reservation, but the restaurant was extremely large & packed. Once seated in an upstairs room off to the side, which was a bit quieter, we didn't receive menus for the first few minutes. Once we received menus, we decided what we wanted pretty quickly as it was late/we were hungry, but our server didn't come back to the table for another 15 minutes. After placing our orders, we each got an onion soup to start, which was probably the best part of the meal really delicious. I had the steak frites and my mom ordered the calves liver. We both were unimpressed by our meals and really thought they were nothing special. The steak and liver were both very fatty. We originally wanted dessert, but could not get the attention of our server and were so disappointed by our meals that we just got the check and left. Every other meal on my trip to Paris was better than this one. Really disappointed as we loved the other restaurants within this group. Would recommend visiting Brasserie Flo & Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit and make a reservation in advance! read more

Inviting atmosphere with exceptional service and a friendly staff. My party was consistently tended to and we felt like our experience was a priority. However, the food was merely satisfactory and for the price tag I felt it was steep. We ordered from the three course menu, the wine was excellent. The pate was underwhelming and frankly tasteless, the whiting and chips was tasty, and the chocolate cake dessert was edible. For the all in costs including food, a bottle of wine, and extra charge for water, the value wasn't great. Tl;Dr great ambiance and service, questionable value for what my party ordered. read more

My favourite brasserie in Paris!!! The interior and the service feels like your thrown back in time (far far). Very nice staff, always there for the guests and very quick and efficient. It's so hard to choose from all the classics and seafood on the menu. We had to go here two days in a row because it was so good. The first night we had the oyster taster (with traditional sides) which was great. As main course we chose the entrecôte (fries and green beans on the side) and the choucroute royal (pork nuckle, sausages, belly, sauerkraut, potatoes). Delicious! And huge! The second night we had snails and the onion soup as starters. Followed by the lamb with truffles and the seafood monger. The lamb was tender and perfectly done (polenta and some vegetables on the side). The seafood platter came with half a lobster, hals a crab, 3 kinds of shrimp and snails. I loved the food. Highly recommend it!!! Check out the pictures! read more

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Beautiful traditional Parisian Brasserie with an Alsatian flair. Apparently this restaurant has been here since 1864, and was remodeled in the golden age in 1919. I was swept off my feet when I entered the main dining room and saw the beautiful Tiffany ceiling, flowering tree and gilded mirrors all around. Neither the food nor the ambience disappointed. We were able to have a delicious dinner of steamed and smoked seafood served on a platter of sauerkraut. I had never had seafood served this way before and it was absolutely delicious. I'm not exactly sure what the yellow butter sauce was that came with it but it was amazing and decadent and delicious as well. I highly recommend this restaurant. The waiters were very nice and spoke several different languages and were very attentive -just a lovely evening in Paris. You couldn't ask for a better dinner experience. read more

Brasserie Bofinger - Enjoying traditional sauerkraut and seafood platter! - Brasseries Near Me - Paris, 75

Four of us were able to get in at 730pm without reservations after calling ahead. Very large restaurant. We sat on the second floor, which was a smaller area than the ground floor dining area. SERVICE: 4.0. Exceptionally professional. For example, when the bottles of juice two of our party ordered arrived, they were opened and poured simultaneously by two servers, using opposite arms, forming an arch around the two recipients. AMBIANCE: 4.0. Dominated by wood décor. FOOD: 4.0. - Set menu main dish of sausages, bacon, pork, potatoes, and sauerkraut: 4.5. The Alsatian heritage of this place was represented well in this dish. I grew up eating sauerkraut prepared by German-Americans, and this was by far the best I've had since then. Meat and mustard very good. High quantity and a good value. - French Onion soup: 4.5. - scallops dish: 4.0. - salmon dish: 4.0. - sea bass dish: 4.0. - crème brulee: 4.5. - dessert sampler: 4.0. - chocolate cake: 4.0. Cremant Kir aperitif excellent. House Burgundy wine very good and a good value. read more

Don't ask for a cheeseburger, and don't ask for a menu in English. Bofinger (pronounced bow-fahn-yay), the nearly 150-year-old Alsatian brasserie across from the Bastille in Paris, offers the most exquisite fare under a colorful stained glass ceiling-if you can decipher its all-French menu. I took Spanish in school, and all those visits to Au Bon Pain did not prepare me. Magret de canard et foie gras ($35, pictured right), a simple but visually striking dish of plump, glistening duck breast will make your eyes water as well as your mouth. Best served medium rare, it is topped with very generous slices of foie gras in red wine sauce, seared to a delicate, caramelized crust... (Full review on blog) read more

Brasserie Bofinger - Magret foie gras. - Brasseries Near Me - Paris, 75

The decor of Brasserie Bofinger makes you feel as though you've been transported back in time. It's so perfectly Parisian, it's almost worth a trip just to sit in the dining room under the gorgeous stained glass. The food is solid, but not outstanding. It's almost more the experience that brings people back here again and again. I began with the scallop egg custard, which was definitely the highlight of my meal. Texture like a scallop and taste of a scallop, but clearly not a scallop. The jiggly form comes wading in a lobster bisque sauce with tiny mushrooms and chunks of lobster. It is incredibly rich, incredibly flavorful and incredibly divine. Do not miss this starter. For my main I had the veal with the morel sauce & spaetzle. The veal was nice, but a bit tough. Cooked perfectly to my desired temperature though. The sauce is lovely, but obviously made with rehydrated morels. Maybe my expectation of fresh ones is absurd, but I've had them freshly picked and really nothing can compare. The spaetzle (something I found strange to have in a French restaurant) while odd looking, was surprisingly delicious. Freshly made, beautifully browned and just downright tasty. Regrettably, I did not save room for the dessert. It would have been nice to experience an authentic Paris-Brest, but I fear that would have precluded my ever getting up out of my seat. I might still be there. Their giant seafood platters are really impressive. The charming French men sitting next to us had one. If I ever go back I'm going to order one of those for sure. And the scallop egg custard again. Definitely. read more

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What a horrible disappointment and in a town where food is king. We were 4 couples, each basically ordering different things and all dishes were less then eatable. The cucumber soup had absolutely no flavor, the pork was impossible to cut, the steak tartare was terrible. Need I go on. The company was great but that was all that was great. Should not be on your bucket list for sure read more

Wish I could give them 3.5 stars but cannot justify 4 given all of the tiny bistros around france that are better for less money. Everything was good, Oysters, Duck Breast and Dessert, Service was good just a but over priced. read more

Brasserie Bofinger - Duck! - Brasseries Near Me - Paris, 75

I came here for my birthday with a party of 8. We had a magical evening. The staff was very accommodating and kind. And fun! The food was superb and my friends claimed it the best food they had during our 4 days trip. This is one of the oldest Brasserie's in Paris, so c'est historique. We ordered the seafood tower, filet mignon, I ordered some kind of fish. Tip - Order the Rhum Baba and they serve it with a large bottle of rum. There is already rum in it. I didn't realize that and ruined my dessert. To Brasserie - Please consider changing the LED lighting inside the ceiling for a softer glow. The bright light makes it look cheaper. read more

I kept singing the theme song to "Goldfinger" while I was here. I only really know 1 line to that song. Very traditional French food. So heavy, so decadent. Very generous portions! Cozy ambiance and friendly service, but probably the least memorable of all my meals here in Paris. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! This was my favorite place to eat while in Paris. It was in the Bastille area of Paris and a short walk from our hotel. I love how the French do these pre-set menu's. Its great when you want to get a little taste of everything. Both my husband and I had the $35 euro dinner. It includes a first course, second course, dessert, and a bottle of wine. :-) Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The service was the best part of the whole experience. We had a great waiter who was from Algiers. He was really sweet and even treated us to a disgestive. On my list again for the next trip to Paris. read more

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This was my first trip to Europe and we stayed several days in Paris. We arrived in Paris in the morning and checked into our Air BnB and took our jet-lagged and hungry selves on a search of lunch. We were so excited to have every sort of Parisian experience and Bofinger really went all out! The place was pretty and large. There was a really beautiful staircase in the archway and the murals and mirrors were lovely. But the standout of this entire visit was the most amazing version of the 'Rude French Waiter Experience' ever! This place was recommended by my much better traveled brother. I am an experienced fine diner and even speak a little French-certainly enough to read menus but that didn't stop our tall, brunette, male waiter from sneering at us when I asked to see the prix fix lunch menu. He brought it and then NEVER. CAME. BACK. A coworker took our order and my dining partner had his first foie gras. It was okay. I had a prix fix lunch. Eventually! The server dropped my first course on the way out. She was embarrassed and hurried to fix it. The stuffed mushrooms were adequate. The fried fish was super dry and the frites? Cold. The ice cream type dessert wasn't very good but it was also very large. We watched as our waiter chatted for several minutes with several tables around us and tried to catch his eye as the glass of wine that I ordered never arrived. He continued to completely ignore us then disappeared entirely. Even the lovely French and German diners around us were beginning to look appalled at the horrible service. There was actual concern and sympathy on the face of the gentleman having an amazing lunch with two friends right next to us. And I'd like to note that there were other Americans in this place who ordered in English and their servers seemed to be giving them just ordinary, good service. I feel a little sad that they missed out on this extraordinary example of the Rude French Waiter Experience! If you want it, you'll have to take your chances with where your are seated... but finger's crossed it's in what's-his-names section! I never did get that class of wine-which was a German white wine and would have been lovely with the adequate mushrooms. But that didn't stop them from putting another glass (one I had not ordered and also did not receive) on the bill. Needless to say... I didn't pay for either non-existent glass... I took and posted a ton of food photos from my trip but Blofinger? You just didn't make the cut. read more

Imagine a restaurant where the tourists are sent upstairs and the locals dine downstairs. That is where it begins. The environment downstairs is a local, elaborate and exquisite dining room. Upstairs is a second class tourist exile. We did try and converse in French and ask for a wine recommendation but the waiter abruptly turned up his nose and left without coming back. What did we do wrong? Another waiter eventually did take our order. Needless to say, they gave me the wrong drink anyway and never apologized for their rude behavior. The food was good. The Traditional Choucroute was delicious and enough for two. But by that time the meal was ruined as was our evening. The German couple next to us could not believe the treatment either.The food was good but the service ruins everything. This was my second time there: The first and the last. read more

We are here on our last (7th) night in France. Our hotel made us the reservation. Service was really good and all spoke English. The timing of each dish was perfect and everything looked and tasted great. The menu was in English. The wine list was good. There was just nothing wrong here. I definitely recommend it. read more

Brasserie Bofinger - Beautiful ceiling! - Brasseries Near Me - Paris, 75

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Bofinger was founded in 1864 and is located very close to Place de la Bastille. The dome and fresh flowers inside the restaurant are beautiful. The traditional brasserie serves Alsatian specialities. The restaurant serves some serious seafood. They also serve choucroute which is sauerkraut with cured and boiled meats, smoked sausages, ham knuckles, and pork belly. (I do not like any of that....) The restaurant is classic Parisian brasserie but I have had much better in Paris in terms of both the quality of both the food and service. The service was friendly but not overly attentive. My seafood was over cooked. I could hardly eat the salmon. The Vahlorona chocolate cake was so-so (what a waste of good chocolate.) This restaurant has ambience but sadly not much else. www.bofinger.com read more

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Stay away if you consider yourself a food oriented person. If you are a tourist that is not at all concerned with food, but want to experience a traditional brassiere, feel free... but the traditional brassiere is quite dead. As an example, it is important to understand this is tantamount to a Cheescake Factory, owned by a chain, with low quality food that is overpriced, without service to match, well, anything at all. Our meal was a disaster from start to finish. We arrived 30 min early for an 8.30p reservation. We wanted an aperitif at the bar, and arrived at 8p for that sole reason. The maitre d' insisted our table was ready, and we explained we were quite early, on our own accord, and would like to wait until our reservation time, adding that we would be happy to wait beyond 8.30p to sit in the main room under the glass dome. He said that they were fully committed, and came short of demanding we take our table 30 minutes earlier than our reservation. We were sat in a side room, upstairs, which I quite enjoyed because it was intimate and quiet, while my wife found herself feeling sequestered and second fiddle, hidden from any "experience" at all. We controlled the wine.. which seems the singular thing we could control, and were actually forced to pour our own champagne, half white, and half red bottles throughout the night. Our wines were not poured by the staff once. We got 3 courses... a) seafood plate b) onion soup c) steak tartare & traditional sausage & kraut plate a) The 6 oysters on the seafood plate were shucked, but not separated, which was surprising but easily managed. They were a bit gamey... smokey in the bad way, not the good way. The sea snails were cooked beyond overdone - they were like pencil erasers. Precisely horrid. b) my wife enjoyed her french onion soup, but I found it to be flavorless, as if made by americans - it was neither nuanced and subtle, nor bold and rich. It was like sock water, a tepid, flavorless, unseasoned almost clear broth with an absurd amount of cheese. c) the server recommended the sausage & kraut plate for my wife, which was obviously a dish that could feed 3 or 4 people. This was ridiculous for US portions... the idea that my wife could have eaten 25% of it was just dumb. It was either ignorance or a cynical upsell, but we didn't see enough of our disengaged and forgetful server to be able to make assumptions as to her service style. The sheepish smile we got with the singular disinterested check in wasn't enough to understand why it was just so bad. Chipped and broken glassware, no water refills, utterly perfunctory service in every way from door to door. My tartare was the worst I had in France, or anywhere else - it was old, warm, gummy, and flavorless. I am not sure they were meant to bring seasonings for me to do it myself, but it just was slop on a plate. The fries were rubber, as well. If it was one thing, I wouldn't have written a review at all. But after a dismissive host, forgetful service, just every single thing.... there's a certain point where people concerned with a good experience need a warning, and that's precisely what this is. I typically never write a 1 star review, and if I choose to do so it's because I want to reach the management, not other onlookers. But this isn't to management... this is to people who want a great meal and not to waste precious time while in France, or simply living life. This is a bad chain, stay away, find something more authentic and delicious. If you need a proper brassiere style meal, try Le Numero Sept (7) at 81 Avenue Bosquet. It's small, intimate, delicious, gracious, and wonderful. Everything Bofinger is not. You have been warned. read more

My girlfriend and I decided to have dinner here on the recommendation of a friend. We have been to Paris on a number of occasions and, as Paris is always a place we love to indulge, we thought Bofinger would be a great compliment to an already stellar day. We could not have been more incorrect. The only positive aspect of this establishment was the cocktails which we drank while waiting for our table to be prepared. After being seated at our table we reviewed the menu - I speak and read French but my girlfriend does not. We politely asked if she could see an English menu as the parties around us were clearly reading same. Despite the fact that numerous tables around us had English menus I was told no such menus existed in the restaurant. In the end, one of our neighboring tables was kind enough to give us an English menu. However, at this point we decided it wasn't worth the effort. Our waiter was utterly ignorant and may have been one of the most deplorable individuals with whom I have had the displeasure of dealing in a restaurant setting. I live and work in Beverly Hills, CA, and am well-acquainted with individuals in the service industry who epitomize the term "douche," but the waiters who worked here took the cake. After appetizers, we managed to get our bill. We paid and went to a restaurant down the street that was exponentially more enjoyable and significantly more accommodating. If you have money to spend in Paris, do not waste it here. There are so many more amazing places to experience in this city that you will positively remember. This truly is a tourist attraction at best and is not worth more than a glance as you walk past. read more

This highly over-rated rug-joint is a pleasure to sit in and people watch, but the food was just meh. Just down the street from our rental apartment on Rue St. Antoine, it was recommended by our landlords, and we met some old friends for dinner the other night. We had made reservations for four at eight, and were seated immediately. We told the Maitre d' that our friends would arrive soon and to be sure to remember where we were sitting. "Oui, monsieur. Pas de problem." Naturally, when our friends arrived a few minutes later they were seated by themselves, also at a table for four, half-way across the room! Luckily, we made contact and they came over and joined us. The big deal here seems to be the Seafood Tower for Two at 110 Euros. We had more traditional fare: fish, lamb, etc. The food was only fair and we'll be sure to avoid in the future. read more

This place came highly recommended, but my friends and I were sorely disappointed. One friend was craving escargot, and it came out so under-spiced and under-seasoned, we wondered if they ran out of garlic, parsley and butter in the kitchen. Soup for the French onion soup was probably ladled cold into the ramekin, then topped with (stale) bread and cheese before going into the broiler b/c once you got through the thick layer of cheesy bread, the soup was still luke-warm. Bread for the table was so hard, my friend cut the roof of her mouth. The only highlight of the meal was their specialty of the house, the seafood sauerkraut dish, with the most delicious sauerkraut and smoked haddock I have ever had. Which kind of compensated for the old/over-cooked langoustine, monkfish, and fishy squid-ink dumplings. For the amount of money, this place is SO not worth it. Try a smaller neighborhood bistro instead. read more

If we happen to be in Paris we wouldn't think of missing at least one dinner at Bofinger. We have so many wonderful memories of dinners enjoyed in a beautiful room, under their famous stained glass ceiling, served by a wait staff that has been around since the revolution. But, like all great memories, times change. Our last meal was memorable for overcooked choucroute garni and a waiter with more attitude than skill. What a shame. read more

Although the late 19th Century ambiance and decor go some way towards bolstering other shortfalls, ultimately the lackluster cooking would not make this worth a stop even if the prices were much lower. Overall, this is a very poor choice indeed of where to spend one's precious time in Paris. When we arrived, the maitre d'hotel seemed to be irritable. Our waiter seemed aloof. I asked for a white wine with low acidity, and he recommended a Sancerre. However, I chose a different (lower cost) wine, but he brought the glass of Sancerre anyway. I ordered several types of fish in one entree. The fish was overcooked, however combined with a lovely sauce. I was hungry and did not even finish my meal. read more

Ooh, la la. I'm the first to review this in English. Le Petit Bofinger is the (modestly priced) little sister of the better known Brasserie Bofinger across the street. After a week on the Amalfi Coast, I spent one night on a stopover in Paris with my cousin. When he asked what I wanted to do for dinner, I told him "I want a steak." Too much pasta and bread and cheese had me craving beef. So we went first to La Galoche d'Aurillac, but it was closed since it was a Sunday. My cousin started to try to come up with another place with food of the Auvergne region, and remembered this one. The setting was nice--a pretty typical brasserie. However, I think that EVERYONE near us was a tourist. There were even a couple of guys sitting alone, eating with their iPod headphones in place. Tacky. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant meal. I ordered a steak that was good, although perhaps a little too much for medium rare (when the waiter realized I was American, he asked if I wanted it well done. I said 'NO!!' but then he started going on and on about how rare meant "blood, bloody, blood" so I opted for medium rare instead of rare). The potatoes were good, and the bearnaise was yummy. Our bottle of wine was good, but not amazing. The dessert (moelleux aux chocolat--chocolate cake with a gooey center) was tasty, but the center should have been warm and really wasn't. However, it was served with a delicious vanilla ice cream. I left a good bit of the gooey center on the plate. All in all, it was a good meal and not especially expensive. I think for two of us it came to about 70 euros for 2 entrees, 2 desserts and a bottle of wine. I don't think it's worth all the hype and I was turned off by the fact that it seemed to be all tourists, as well as the abrupt and none-too-friendly service. I didn't have a whole lot to complain about, but I've certainly had much better meals in Paris at a similar price. read more

We enjoyed our meal here but were not impressed enough to return or recommend it. First, the place is just so damn French! I love it! Ate up the decor and ambience. We both had their pre fix menu but ordered different things. I started with something that reminded me of caponata on grilled bread with some tarragon creme fraiche. It was nice. Husband had some salad. I had beef tartare, which I really liked. It was a huge portion and it was so zesty and flavorful. Husband wanted the tartar but ordered the choucroute to be different. That was some bullshit. Cabbage and hot dogs, people. Not good. For dessert, we had a baked chocolate mousse and creme brulee. Liked them both but preferred the mousse. Service was impeccable, Iove when they bring out the table crumber between courses! read more

Where the French go to eat! We loved it. Great vibe/energy! We didn't hear a word of english spoken except for our gracious waiter who indulged me in my attempt at broken french. 1pm and the restaurant was just starting to fill. 1:30 and it was a buzz of parisians well groomed and excited with the expectation of the meal to come. Wow were we surprised too. This has an Alsacian flair as demonstrated with their amazing sausage and sauerkraut special they are well known for - and with good reason! Onion soup was a home run too. When asked to surprise with desert our waiter did indeed with a luscious sampler of treats seemingly made in demi especially for us! Thank you we had a fabulous time and the food was a treat! read more

I had my Proustian experience in Paris but I didn't bite into a Madeleine, nope, I had tripe. A tripe sausage with pomme frites (french fries). It was very well seared and the fries reminded me of Lucky Boys back in Pasadena. Tripe, well its a cut of meat I haven't had since I was a child when my father was saving up to buy a house, its a cheap cut of meat that can remind a man of his poverty. It was a very humbling experience I will never forget. It's been 26 years and tripe still tastes the same no matter what you put on it. Don't try the mustard its very spicy. Bofinger gets high marks for not disguising the taste with a heavy butter sauce, they served it straight up seared just like I had it as a child. I ate all and the French man at the table next to me remarked that it was tripe, so did the waiter, if you're a man you know what it is because you've had it and worked hard to choose when you will eat it again. read more