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    Le Départ Saint Michel

    3.1 (136 reviews)
    ModerateBrasseries
    Open Open 24 hours

    Le Départ Saint Michel Photos

    LE DÉPART SAINT MICHEL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Le Départ Saint Michel

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    Duck and frites
    Peta W.

    Great late night vibes with friends or groups. Like sitting here and watching the city go by. Good food, ambiance, yummy wine, service is good, timely. I'd go again.

    Caesar Salad
    Joy C.

    This restaurant was in a great and busy location. After walking so much from the Paris Catacombs and the Notre Dame Cathedral, we decided to stop by here for lunch. Since it was a gorgeous day, we sat at the outdoor area. Our server came to greet and gave us the menus, and took our orders right away. We waited quite awhile for our dishes to be served. Our server was nowhere in site and when we tried asking another staff, they told us that it wasn't their area. They were pretty territorial with their service. We ordered: CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD, CROQUET MADAME, CROQUET MONSEUR and SPAGHETTI BOLOGNA. I liked the salad, it was delicious. The rest of our orders were just alright. Nothing really impressed us. Besides the good location and outdoor seating area, this restaurant was just okay. The service was very slow as well. It was a good spot for us to sit, relax, and take in the beautiful morning we've had in Paris though. Merci.

    French onion soup

    Food was perfect and dessert awesome and our waiters Willy and Claude super attentive and awesome

    Duck was very tender and delicious. Onion soup was good too. This place was not crowded, however it was very late for dinner. Restaurant environment was acceptable, price was reasonable as well.

    Receipt.
    Gilbert T.

    Effectively a tourist trap with mediocre-at-best food catering to mostly Americans. If that's your thing, fantastic, but Paris has FAR better to offer. We knew this going in, but our 6-year-old son was starving. He's a super picky eater and we were pleased to see they offered fries. Basics can go a long way. But wait, there's more... Our waiter was actually quite nice on the surface, and for the most part service was attentive. I had the Quiche Lorraine. It was meh. My wife got the Crepes Chantilly, which she shared with our daughter. They were among the worst crepes I've ever had in Paris. And, of course, my son just got fries, which was all he would eat. He liked them. Decent service notwithstanding, when we received our bill we noticed something funny. "ASS FRITES" was listed as one of our items. You don't need to know much French to understand what was meant by that. What's frustrating is, even if it's in jest, I couldn't stand that the waiter treated us one way, yet clearly he and/or the establishment itself has a certain perspective about yet another group of Americans ordering fries. Look, if you're going to be such snobs about serving food that's apparently beneath you, then (1) don't run a tourist trap restaurant in the first place, (2) don't serve fries at all, let alone to children, and (3) serve dishes of at least basic quality, and which are minimally representative of the cuisine for which your country is supposedly renowned. At least then you'd have something to explain your attitude toward people that were otherwise excited to visit a country that, at that time (April 2022), was clearly still reeling from the drop in the very tourism you seem to scoff at. Will never visit this place again. Not recommended.

    Quiche done right
    Connie W.

    This corner is a popular location being so close to the fountain meeting place, bus and train station, and Notre Dame. Upon entering at 1pm, they asked if we wanted meals or snack.  They seated us outside when we reply as snack.  We ordered simple food, everything was satisfying.   French Coffee - with sugar, cognac, and cream.  can't go wrong. Quiche - it filled the spot perfectly Foie Gras - very good, glad they gave us extra bread to finish it up Crepe with grand marnier - it was fine.

    Rainy day and hot tea in Paris, life is good!
    Jennifer M.

    Wonderful service and great food. I was so sick on vacation when we stopped in for lunch. I had the onion soup which was fantastic. I also had two pots of tea, just started a head cold and that was so soothing. They have this amazing raspberry tart/cake dessert that was so amazing, I wanted to lick the plate!

    Go back to your country !  The waiter told us.

    Go back to your country ! That's what the skinny and bald headed waiter told me and my family to do after he insulted us in front of other customers around 11pm Monday night. This is all over a gyro I purchased elsewhere and Im here sitting down to have a few drinks. He was furious and loud to us and refused service. We immediately got up and leave, and he told us to go back to our country. If you are a tourist to Paris, make sure to avoid this place or else you will get his DNA sample in your food as he does not want you in his country.

    Fernando R.

    Stopped by to get some ice cream on the way from Notre Dame to Orsay. We had a very friendly waiter and decide to sit outside to enjoy the view. Everything was lovely until a couple of chain-smokers sat next to us and ruined the experience. It was a shame because the ice cream was delicious. We started to get nauseous and had to leave. Would go back and recommend the place, but make sure to sit inside to avoid the cigarette smoke.

    Carbonara.
    Cindy Z.

    As we were strolling in the area, we stumbled upon this corner restaurant for dinner. We chose to sit under the patio where we could people watch --it's a very popular thing to do around here, especially on this busy corner. Even though we encountered some rain halfway into our dinner, we were luckily sheltered by the tent. To start, the four of us got a bottle of Medoc wine (€24.00). For the main course, I ordered the Carbonara (€12.60) while the rest of my table ordered the Preserved Duck and Frites (€14.90), Grilled Beef Ribeye (€21.00), and Steak with Pepper Sauce and Frites (€15.50). Although all the other dishes were good choices, I could not be happier about my carbonara. It was cheesy, creamy, and topped perfectly with an egg! Despite this place being on a popular intersection where many find tourist traps, I truly enjoyed my meal here. The food was great and in a lovely environment too. I could only imagine how much better it would've been if we came before sunset.

    Outside
    Cliff C.

    Really enjoyed it here. Food was very good. Great wine. Bread was on point. But the best thing was people watching. Just sitting watching was the big thing. Be warned, finding a great table is hard. So many people go here. They stand around or switch tables to get the best seats. I do t blame the people because its so nice

    server

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    The food, the service, the ambience is very good. The food is very tasteful, especially the lasagna and the cappuccino! Pristine

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    Page 1 of 4

    Le Départ Saint Michel Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Le Départ Saint Michel

    We enjoyed onion soup, steak frites, confit de canard, and even an ice cream sundae for my fiance!

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Brasserie Bellanger - Couldn't decide between the Bernaise sauce or garlic herb butter so got both!

    Brasserie Bellanger

    4.7(91 reviews)
    3.1 kmGare du Nord/La Chapelle, Strasbourg-St Denis/Bonne Nouvelle, 10ème

    How was flying out Charles de Gaulle Airport the next day and I just arrived from Frankfurt Germany…read moreby train when I looked up a French restaurant near the Gard du Nords train station and found BB. Luca was my server and he was very welcoming in hospitable to this weary traveler. I sat on the patio towards the end of the row so I could take in the atmosphere and people watch a bit. Luca Recommended a meal with a mashed potatoes and sausage with French bread and salad and it sounded tasty so I gave it a go! All the flavors went well together; mashed potatoes were well seasoned the sausage had a good flavor, and the salad with the vinaigrette added a crunch in an extra flavor as well. I drank a French hard cider while I gobbled up my meal, which also was new for me and tasted great after I was done my meal. Luke brought me a shot with rum and some other ingredients, including lemon that definitely hit the spot after a good meal.I recommend Brasserie Belanger for anyone near GDN Train Station that enjoys great food and patio dining. Cheers!

    Had dinner here this evening after scoring a last minute reservation for four. Seated quickly after…read morearrival at 1900, with our server greeting us shortly thereafter. The restaurant itself isn't small, but really not big, so it's definitely worthwhile to make a reservation at least a week or so on advance, otherwise you're pushing your luck. Everyone ordered steak frites (2 rump steak, 2 flank) and no one was disappointed. Steaks were cooked to order, although medium here in France is more like medium rare in the States, just be advised. The restaurant itself is lively and fun with lots of chatting, laughing and good times being shared. Desserts were Crème Brûlée and Apple Crumble, neither of which were disappointing. We definitely enjoyed our dinner and would likely return again. This time with a reservation made well in advance.

    Photos
    Brasserie Bellanger - Kitchen

    Kitchen

    Brasserie Bellanger
    Brasserie Bellanger - Une parfaite latte (OK it was a cappuccino but still gorgeous)

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    Une parfaite latte (OK it was a cappuccino but still gorgeous)

    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie - An amazing French onion soup...

    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie

    4.5(1.5k reviews)
    1.2 kmChâtelet/Les Halles, 1er
    €€

    The most life- changing experience with French cuisine. This is what French culinary dreams are…read moremade of. Get the appetizer grilled foie gras with side of greens, you won't regret it. The richness of the flavor and the texture which is not reminiscent of the traditional roasted duck or foie gras, but rather a much more like a luxurious and indulgent version. We enjoyed our dinner on the outside of the restaurant after about a 20-30 minute wait. The bone marrow had the best flavor I've experienced for the dish. However, it is definitely overshadowed by the rich flavor of the foie gras. This experience was unforgettable, with our view of Parisian streets on a brisk, April night. We even came back on our last night, but didn't realize the hours on Google maps was for the deli. The restaurant closes earlier, before 9:00 PM. This meal got us thinking about Paris in a positive light, and we hope to be able to come back to eat the amazing dishes again!

    This place feels like a Foie Gras specialist but also, a tourist destination. Over 80% of the…read morepatrons here were tourists. As a Chinese, I understood more than 50% of the conservations (Chinese). Which doesn't mean anything about the food. Just observation. Onion soup - 2 stars. First, the cheese failed to emit the baked, melted gruyere cheese, there is no aroma at all. I don't think they used gruyere cheese. May be mozzarella cheese. The worst part was the bread in the soup. It tasted stale which ruin the flavor of the soup. I had to finish without the bread. Escargot - Another disappointment. What made escargots special was the garlic butter and herb. Here, there were the herbs, no garlic, and French is famous with their butter but I taste oil but not buttery. Other places I actually get excited dipping the bread into the garlic butter but not here. Pan seared Foie gras - The quality of Foie Gras was definitely there. It's not as well seared as I hope but they managed to cook it through without overcooking it. The size of Foie Gras is kind of scary, it's like a small piece of rib eye steak. With just the onion soup and Foie Gras, I could barely swallow anything. Generous portion.

    Photos
    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie
    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie - He said was very good

    He said was very good

    Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie - French onion soup + bread

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    French onion soup + bread

    Bistro des Augustins - Fermier

    Bistro des Augustins

    4.4(564 reviews)
    0.2 kmSaint-Michel/Odéon, 6ème
    €€

    Very small place, reasonably priced and great French food with a somewhat limited menu.read more

    Found the Bistro on Yelp and made reservations for 8:30pm for dinner with my son while we were in…read moreParis on our way to Germany. Just finished a long bike ride to the Eiffel Tower and worked up an appetite. Decided to go straight to the main course. They are known for Au Gratins. My son is not a cheese fan so he opted for the norvigene (smoked salmon in dill lemon and EVOO. I decided to stick with the house specialty; Landais Au Gratin (cream potatoes, duck breast and emmental cheese). The 2 German girls beside me ordered a cider with both their meals so I followed their lead. When in Paris...... Considering the temperature, I almost second-guess myself and ordered something other than their house specialty of au gratin potatoes. In the end, I was very glad I overruled that thought. Brody enjoyed his meal. He just appeared to still be hungry when it was done and a 16 year-old boy that normally has a high caloric intake, I can understand why he wanted a second meal after eating his first! The restaurant in the patio were quite crowded even though we had reservations. They still sat us within five minutes of arrival. Not that five minutes is a long time to wait, but it was still worth the wait as good as the food tasted. We both enjoyed our meals.

    Photos
    Bistro des Augustins - Sunday dinner @ The Bistro!

    Sunday dinner @ The Bistro!

    Bistro des Augustins - Assiette de saumon fumé

    Assiette de saumon fumé

    Bistro des Augustins - Inside

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    Inside

    Brasserie Dubillot - French Fries

    Brasserie Dubillot

    4.4(37 reviews)
    1.7 kmArts & Métiers/Rambuteau, 2ème

    This was our last dinner in Paris, and it was pretty magical. This restaurant had a long no…read morereservation line, so thankfully we had one. Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated right away. This restaurant is really big. There's outdoor seating, and indoors on a first and second floor. As seen by my food pics, everything was delish. Our servers were Kylian and Marie-Alix, both of which were very friendly and attentive; having great servers just closes out a great experience. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

    This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had…read more We arrived while the kitchen was closed and were told it would reopen at 7:00 p.m. We waited over two hours specifically so we could eat at this restaurant because it had been recommended by our hotel. When the restaurant reopened, things only got worse. Our party of five was first told we didn't have a reservation and then was offered a table for four right by the entrance. We were later offered a high-top table, but I explained that I had recently undergone knee surgery and could not sit comfortably at a high-top. The manager's response was simply that it was the only option available, and she walked away. We were told the preferred tables were reserved. When I asked if we could make a reservation for one of those tables, I was told no because the restaurant had just reopened. The entire interaction left us feeling unwelcome. A customer sitting at the bar even commented that he believed we were being treated differently and said it appeared the restaurant did not want us there. After waiting more than two hours just for the restaurant to reopen, this was an incredibly disappointing experience. The poor communication, lack of accommodation, and overall service were unacceptable. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this restaurant based on my experience.

    Photos
    Brasserie Dubillot - Upstairs dining area

    Upstairs dining area

    Brasserie Dubillot - Veg Risotto with Cheese

    Veg Risotto with Cheese

    Brasserie Dubillot - Wine along the staircase

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    Wine along the staircase

    Le Petit Vendôme - Everything here was delicious! Enjoy. See you here!

    Le Petit Vendôme

    4.2(240 reviews)
    2.0 kmPlace Vendôme, 2ème
    €€

    Absolutely worth the line for a sandwich!! You have heard the hype and you simply must go! We were…read morein the area and looking for a late lunch so we stopped by around 2PM and got in line. We had to wait about 15 minutes but it was so worth it! We got of the ham, cheese and butter sandwiches and my my this was amazing! For $20, the sandwiches were a GREAT price and absolutely delicious! No need to sit inside just grab and go and enjoy!

    Le Petit Vendôme is one of those places you'll see all over social media and travel guides, often…read morepraised for serving one of the best sandwiches in Paris. Naturally, we had to see what all the excitement was about. ambience has that old-school Parisian bistro feel We ordered their best sellers and while both sandwiches were made with quality ingredients, fresh bread, and generous fillings, they just didn't live up to the expectations. They were good, but they weren't the kind of sandwiches that make you stop after the first bite and think, this is amazing. I honestly don't understand the hype. After waiting in line, I expected something truly memorable, but it turned out to be just a good sandwich, nothing more. If you happen to pass by when there's little or no queue, it's worth trying. But if there's a long line, I'd skip it and head to one of the many other excellent sandwich shops in Paris. For me, the wait simply wasn't justified.

    Photos
    Le Petit Vendôme
    Le Petit Vendôme - Pistachio crème brûlée

    Pistachio crème brûlée

    Le Petit Vendôme - Jambon Beurre sandwich - considered the best in Paris

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    Jambon Beurre sandwich - considered the best in Paris

    Chez Janou - prawns in wine sauce

    Chez Janou

    4.1(709 reviews)
    1.7 kmBastille, Marais, 3ème
    €€

    Outstanding provencal food. Every dish was superb. Fried tiny fish, gratinated mussels, chickpea…read morefries for appetizer. Duck breast slices like fine rare steak. Brandade of haddock creamy delicious. Most of all was the friendly engagement of the waitstaff, led by the manager, Nicholas, who went beyond the call of duty to find a place for my family dinner. Bravo to all!

    Friday lunch was an absolute beauty…read more The food? Fantastic. The wait times? Let's just say we're in Paris, not a Formula 1 pit lane. We'll leave it at that. We headed to Chez Janou, a Paris institution. I hadn't been in years, but my son insisted we go back because, according to him, they have the best chocolate mousse in Paris. Judging by the lineup, half the city; and every tourist with an Instagram account showed up. Thankfully we had a 2pm reso. Here's the thing, though. Everyone talks about the mousse, but the food deserves just as much attention. I'd also forgotten how much I love the 3rd arrondissement. Wander a few minutes from the restaurant and you'll find beautiful art galleries, a gorgeous little park, and some of the best boutique shopping in Paris. It's one of those neighbourhoods where you accidentally walk 15,000 steps without realizing it. Now, here's your game plan. Start with the escargots or the gambas to share. For your main, order the farci provençal or the foie de veau. The farci is like a French version of a stuffed pepper: yummy comfort food with a southern coast twist. As for the foie de veau... I actually ordered it by mistake. I thought I was getting regular veal. Out came veal liver. Best mistake of the day. I love liver. My mom makes an incredible liver and onions, so I'm a tough judge. This was outstanding. Rich, buttery, perfectly cooked and perfectly salted. It was so good I immediately texted my mom and told her she's coming here the next time she's in Paris. Drum roll, please... The chocolate mousse. Was it worth all the hype? Yep. There are no fancy swirls or little artistic desserts here. A server simply walks over carrying what looks like a white industrial-sized bowl of chocolate mousse and casually drops a mountain of it onto your plate. Everyone grabs a spoon and starts digging in. It's wonderfully French. Simple. Unpretentious. Ridiculously good. So yes, Chez Janou lives up to the hype. But don't just come for the mousse. Come for the lunch, stay for the neighbourhood, and spend the afternoon getting happily lost in one of the best corners of Paris. That's a Friday well spent.

    Photos
    Chez Janou - Bar vibe

    Bar vibe

    Chez Janou - Escargot

    Escargot

    Chez Janou - Bread with Chocolate Mousse

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    Bread with Chocolate Mousse

    Le Départ Saint Michel - brasseries - Updated August 2026

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