Yes the French can make good (better?) burgers! At least…read morethis is our conclusion after we went for diner at a newly opened restaurant at the outskirt of the shopping mall ("Centre Commercial"). Even though visiting France, we were longing for a bit of taste from home but could not envision going for a run of the mill fast food burger. The "Buffalo Burger" joint was appealing from the outside, brightly lit with large windows through which we could see the open bar and an loft-style, modern design with apparent venting ducts painted in bright colors. Enticed by the prior positive review (which we read in French, s'il vous plait!!) we decided to give it a try and started with a couple of drinks at the bar including a Mojito that was nicely loaded! Once comfortably seated at our table (we went for a typical one but the restaurant also has high tables with bar stools which adds to the "hype" ambiance) we started sampling the food and ordered a side of "loaded" fries that come with bacon and melted cheese. These were delicious and we were nicely surprised by the restaurant rendition of "bacon" which is not the usual bacon strip loaded with fat but rather very thin strips of grilled meat that were just delicious (and guilt-free without the fat!). One reason for us to choose Buffalo Burger was seeing their display explaining that burgers are made from freshly grind meat (as opposed to the usual frozen patty). The meat was cooked to perfection (when is the last time that you actually could order how you'd like your burger cooked?!). I had my "Bacon Cheese Me" burger medium rare which allowed some of the yummy juices to soak the (huge!) toasted brioche burger bun and to nicely complement the spread on buns which appears to be a secret mix of mayo and whole grain (traditional) French mustard. Heaven on earth!! Our burgers came with a mix of sweet potatoes and potatoes fries that were both crispy and delicious (definitely try the sweet potatoes fries!!). Of course, this being France, we had glasses of wine with our meal as the wine list was diverse and offered some good French reds and Chardonnay (not sure why there is wine from Chile though!?). A wide variety of burgers (including the expected veggie) were available on the menu, including a couple of seasonal offering with French cheese that were tempting too. The overall atmosphere was great although quiet given that this restaurant only recently opened. Word of mouth must have worked as there were already quite a few other patrons dining on that Sunday night. Staff was very attentive and pleasant and our food came very quickly. All in all, an extremely pleasant experience. Although the burgers are pricier (count approximately 12 euros) than a typical fast food burger, there truly is no comparison and the experience is definitely worth it!

We did not eat here, but I wanted to write this review just to inform you that this place isn't the…read moreplace that serves brunch. You have to go down the street and eat at Holybelly 5. I think the reason you see brunch items in these pictures here is because they are sister restaurants and I bet the pics are mixed together because of that. I have seen that before with two restaurants that are owned by the same people.

I can't decide if "Holybelly" is a term more fitting for how happy my belly was eating all of their…read moreincredible food, or if it's more fitting for what I want to say trying to zip up my skinny jeans after eating all of their incredible food! ;) Either way works, and I'm so glad I've gotten to return to Holybelly a few times since first coming here in September 2015. On that fateful day I immediately knew that I would return someday...yes, I put that out in the universe, and thankfully the universe listened! Living in California and having an obsession with all things coffee and brunch is easy with so many options available (gotta love that California lifestyle!), but sometimes it's a challenge to satisfy these cravings when traveling in other countries. Well thank goodness Holybelly exists in one of my all-time favorite cities, Paris, and it has become one of my go-to spots when I get to travel here. This most recent visit, I had my usual Eggs with Sides (usually the sautéed mushrooms and green salad). My boyfriend had the Eggs with hash browns and beans so we could try a little bit of everything. We were hungrier than usual because we literally had just arrived in Paris from San Francisco, so despite our exhaustion from 15 hours of flights and layovers, we had our hearts set on making this our 1st stop! No time to waste! Food was amazing as usual, hit the spot perfectly, and our Flat Whites were rich and creamy. The only negative thing is that they don't have milk alternatives like almond milk or soy milk, but when in Europe, we don't get too picky because we know their dairy is much better quality anyway. It was wonderful to get to meet the owners Sarah and Nico this time as well, and they were incredibly welcoming and friendly when I decided to go up to them and introduce myself. You guys have a lifelong fan here in California, and I can't wait to return to Paris to checkout Holybelly 2 when it opens!!