Came across this gem of a restaurant for lunch today and it was an amazing culinary experience. It is chic small French restaurant, you would never imagine this small place had a great downstairs for dining and a full bar in the back. The service was great with a very friendly staff. The escargot was the best we have tried during our trip, and the Foi Gras over the soft baked eggs was an amazing combination and prepared just right with the level of consistency. Steak tartare was well prepared with the pickles and capers and couldn't have tasted any more fresh. We definitely recommend this to friends and family going to Paris. Well done to the team here. read more

Le Gai Moulin - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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2.5 stars A casual French bistro located close to the Pompidou Centre in central Paris, Le Gai Moulin serves classic dishes at a surprisingly affordable price. Perhaps unsurprisingly for this area of Paris, the restaurant was filled with tourists during my visit, but the service was attentive and hospitable! As in all other French restaurants, you get started with a basket of baguette pieces, and we ordered a Bordeaux red wine for our meal as well. For dinner, I chose one of the rotating daily specials, the red mullet served over mashed potatoes, along with pieces of zucchini, carrot, and tomato. The mashed potatoes were nice and creamy and the fish was good as well, though the dish disappointingly only came with three piddly pieces of mullet. We also had the beef grilled rump steak with a poivre (black pepper) bearnaise sauce. The rump steak, a tougher cut of meat, was cooked nicely, and while the sauce was absolutely delicious (especially with bread), the green beans on the side were limp/overcooked, and the thick-cut fries though crispy were served cold. I can't say I was particularly impressed by the execution of the food, at least on my visit, but the atmosphere and service did make for a nice experience! read more

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Recommended by French colleague who works in area. Offers a meal choice of appetizer, entree and dessert...or just choose two of three. Something for everyone from the menu, simple and tasty lunch fare, and good prices for the area. Recall that prices in Paris included Value Added Tax and service charge built in. No additional tipping is necessary or expected. If you think this review with photos is useful, funny or cool, I'd appreciate your feedback by clicking below. read more

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Dinner for 2. - Ambiance (5/5) Extremely charming French bistro feel. Laid back casual dining. The fluffy house cat that chills on the seats adds the perfect touch. If only he sat next to me during the meal. - Service (4/5) A little jittery intro to specials, but friendly fast service throughout. - Bread (3/5) Decent but nothing special. - Escargots 1/2 doz, €7.50 (5/5) Piping hot, rich, and delicious. - French Onion Soup, 6.50€ (4/5) Good depth of flavor, well seasoned. Parsley was a nice add. - Lamb Shank, 19.50€ (4/5) Fall off the bone tender with a great sauce. Veggies were simple but delicious. Found the mashed potatoes a bit clunky. And if I had one complaint, it's that the lamb was just a schmeeeer over seasoned in a few parts. - Lemon Tart, 6.00€ (5/5) A delightful lemon tart with a good raspberry sauce. Could've used more sauce, though saved by my wife's panna cotta, which had a little too much of the same raspberry sauce. - Value (3/5) The prices are very good at face value, especially the entrees. However, the tart is very small for the price and the soup seems a bit overpriced. - Final Word Great spot for dinner. Charming atmosphere and friendly cat makes for homey dining. Nothing here screams sophisticated, but it delivers. I would return. read more

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What a wonderful little restaurant one block from the Pompidou Centre in Paris' 4th Arr. Recommended by an attorney friend in Los Angeles, and we're so glad we came. We started with an egg baked in cream with a slice of foie gras on top. My perfect breakfast item! We then shared a French onion soup and the pasta carbonara with bacon bits, parmesan cheese, an egg yolk and a small slice of bacon on top. Rich and yummy and enough for us to share. We finished with the freshly baked apple tart tatin. Wow! The food and service we both excellent and the prices were more than reasonable considering the impeccable quality. We'll be back. read more

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Wonderful gem near Pompidou Centre! The French Onion soup is one of the best i've had - it is rich and heavy and i think some folks may find it too oily. I had the duck breast with maple syrup. The outside is caramelized though i think the meat can be more tender. Very friendly atmosphere! read more

Le Gai Moulin - One of the best french onion soup i have had. - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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I am very surprised nobody has ever written a review of this place. I consider it as a kind of fixture of the old neighborhood. It has been here as long as I can remember. Which isn't that long.. but is at least twenty years.. The prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. It is a great location to get some food before or after hitting a club or two off of Temple or Bretonnerie. I think the menu prices are around 22E which is great for a three course meal. The quality is good (much higher than similar offerings). The atmosphere can be very fun and gorgeous as it is usually filled with local Marais habitues. I recommend this place for a reasonably priced meal in the Marais. read more

Le Gai Moulin - French Near Me - Paris, 75

Charming local bistro with lovely atmosphere and a lovely and very reasonable fixed price lunch in Marais, very close to the Centre Pompidou. I enjoyed a starter of venison pate and onion confit but the big winner in our party was my husband who scored with a fantastic foie and baked egg appetizer that had us all incredibly jealous. The kids (older ranging from 7 to 11) in our party were treated well and enjoyed a fantastic medium rare hamburger, which any adult would drool over, accompanied by croquette (yes, fried mashed potato balls, my friend!) which they were delighted with (as were we!) Our lunch entrees included a daily special of blood sausage and apples and a smoked cod and mashed potato dish with a fresh salad with wasabi strength mustard dressing. The owner was kind and charming and we were the only non-locals in the place, which is always a good sign! read more

'Meh'. Kind of fun servers who jolly you up to take your order then abandon you. Want water? You'd better ask. In my case knife, fork and napkin had to be requested too. Food is okay but honestly there's so much good food in Paris why bother here? read more

Found this restaurant on yelp our first night in Paris. The owner greeted us at the door and everyone was extremely friendly. Menu includes some of the classics and everything was delicious including the bread. The owner goes to the market everyday to collect fresh ingredients. We had the French onion soup (best we had in the city), escargot (buttery, garlicky and so delicious), lamb shank (amazing!), rump steak (cooked to perfection and served with a blue cheese sauce) and chicken. Everything was so amazing and that came back for a second night. Also a big plus they speak English and have their menu translated which makes things a little bit easier but there are still a lot of locals. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Escargot - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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My boyfriend and I ate here one night in Paris on recommendation of the owner of our apartment, Marie. We were pleased that it was open unlike most places in Paris we had attempted to eat at on recommendation of others. Late August is not a great time to visit paris! We ordered from the prix fixe menu and it was great. I had the goat cheese and toast on salad for entree and it was delicious! The mustard dressing was amazing. My s.o. Had the pâté and he liked it very much. Entrees were the duck breast and the plat du jour which was veal. Both were delicious. The price was well deserved of the food. 23.50 euro for entree plat and dessert. My chocolate cake was yum! Although all the food was good, I have had better in Paris, hence four stars. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Chocolate cake - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Food good. Service good but was only customer at 5P on Sunday. The common idea in Paris sea to be "Formule". A 2 or 3 course prix fixe menu with options on each course. For 25€ get a starter (entreé) main dish (play) and dessert. Mine was tasty. Pork done nice and moulleaux de chocolate (like a pudding cake) was heaven. Trendy Le Marais great for people watching. read more

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Right when we walked in, all eyes were on us. The man who ran the place walked us to our seats in the back. It was busy around 10pm. We got the cocktail special, berry infused champagne drink but I think they spiked it with alcohol cause we got bussed off that drink. Usually you don't get buzzed off champagne that quickly. I didn't mind at all. We ordered the foie gras which was so rich and creamy. I ordered the duck tenderloin with maple sauce. Holy Paris! That duck was amazing. It was cooked more on the rare side and very difficult to cut into with the knife provided but nonetheless that duck/sauce combo was KO. Service was on point. Even the owner cracked jokes with us. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Duck tenderloin with maple sauce - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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What a wonderful example of French bistro food. I had the escargot and the codfish with potatoes and a light green salad. It was exceptionally great and fresh and such atmosphere. I believe I was the only American in the restaurant at the time. The wait staff is friendly smiling and accommodating. They have a beautiful cat that walks around greeting people. I love it here. read more

I stumbled on to this place while wondering the streets of Paris one night. It was cold and I looked inside and it was pretty crowded so I figured I'd get a decent meal here, and yes, my expectations were not only met but surpassed. The onion soup was just amazing, the baked egg was perfectly cooked and I tried escargot for the first time - it too was very good. The food did take a while but like I originally said, the place was pretty busy. The staff was very nice and kept refilling the water and bread. The manager (or owner) was walking around making sure everyone was being taken care of which was nice. I thought the prices were great, around $15-$25 for dinner, and the place is pretty casual. The noise level was mid-loud, this is not a quite romantic dinner type place as there were some pretty big groups having conversations, but it is a good place for a casual date. I would go there again and I would probably order the same things just because of how good they were. Just a note, some people confuse the way the french speak as being "rude", but that's just their culture, they do not speak with a constant smile on their face like people in the US do. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Escargot & baked egg. - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Terrible service. Very rude waiter who constantly sassed us. Had to ask for everything twice, after waiting for a very generous amount of time. If you are starving and too tired to walk after Pompidou, this MIGHT be worth it. They were the biggest portions we've had in Paris, and they speak English. read more

We went here on Valentine's Day and it was easy to make a reservation. The restaurant was full and seating is very close to one another. Everyone was so nice. The people we sat next to her nice - both times, and the servers were even nicer. I speak French but they knew that it wasn't my first language so they spoke to me in English and tried to be extra accommodating and kind. On Valentine's Day we were the only female couple in the restaurant and the rest were men, but it didn't matter because it's France and no one gives a fuck what you do. The food was great as well. And not too overpriced. read more

Read the reviews and thought we would try it out. The duck was recommended. It was OK, not memorable. My partner had the Sea Scallops, he did not like at all. Said it had "no flavor, boring". The French Onion soup at the beginning of the meal was the BEST I've ever had any where in France!!! We are talking 17 years of going to this country and eating French foods! It was light, not greasy, a touch of sherry, cheese was present but not crowded. Onions translucent but not stringy. It was perfect!!! Merci! The place is clean, the staff are a bunch of good looking young men with great table etiquette. Not pushy, in fact, helpful. I would give this place a go. Order the French Onion Soup and the wonderful Goat Cheese salad and call it lunch! read more

An excellent little Parisian bistro with quality French provincial style dishes and great wine. The baked eggs with foie gras is a excellent entree to enjoy. My rare steak was perfectly cooked and the atmosphere is jovial and French chic! Certainly worth a try when in Le Marais read more

Le Gai Moulin - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Pretty good bistro located near the George Pompidou Centre. Stand out included the tatin de foie gras with caramelized onion. Equally good was the duck with a sweet peach sauce. A three course meal will set you back around €25 which isn't bad at all. Service is professional and courteous as well. This place is worth a visit. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Squash soup. - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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When we first arrived, we were greeted and seated. For what seemed like way too long, nobody then spoke to us. Eventually, our waiter arrived. I would later notice that he had his photo on the wall and realize he was the owner, and he was hilarious. "Have you had your drink order taken? No? Has anybody even offered you a drink? No? Do you have this problem with the wait staff in your country too?" I had the salmon with basil and tomato, and wife had the chicken with mushrooms. Both were really good! I wasn't sure that the flavors of basil and tomato would work with the salmon as he described it, but I *really* was craving fish so I took a chance, and I'm glad I did. My salmon itself was perfectly cooked, not overdone at all, and well-seasoned. My wife's chicken sounded good on the menu and tasted good on the plate. She was quite happy with it, and it was also perfectly cooked. My order came out wrong, no big deal it was a language thing: "salmon" in my quick english sounded like "same" to him, so my wife and I both ended up with chicken at first. The owner immediately corrected this by giving me the very first salmon that came out of the kitchen about 10 seconds later, which means I got somebody else's salmon. Made me laugh a little, sorry whoever-you-are! A couple hiccups, but great service overall. read more

Recommended by Isabelle, who rented me the apartment in Marais section of Paris. Excellent! Small place with authentic French food. I am staring at a Chocolate dessert to die for. See picture. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Dessert at le Gai Moulin in Paris - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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How time flies! My first visit here was back in 2000 when I started a post-graduate program. So quickly I felt right at home at Le Gai Moulin. Christoph was and remains both welcoming and entertaining. Though a bit of my heart resides in Paris, I seem only to get here every few years. I am counting upon Christoph to be here for my next visit. I will arrive hungry. read more

Le Gai Moulin - Delicious starters! - French Near Me - Paris, 75

Extremely charming bistro in the Marais district. The owner was extremely friendly and the food was well-prepared and reasonably priced. The ambiance was neighborhood-y and intimate and not pretentious. The clientele was a mixture of locals and tourists. This is the type of restaurant I would LOVE in my neighborhood and will visit whenever in Paris. read more

A gem. We found it when we stumbled upon a Patisserie. Great and reasonably priced (prix-fuze at lunch) menu. Appetizers are divine! Try it read more

Le Gai Moulin - Great entrees but the appetizers are to die for - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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This small restaurant is a real gem in the Marais neighborhood of Paris. We ate here twice during our visit to Paris. It seemed to be popular with locals and other tourists alike. The menu was in French with English translation alongside - a common practice among some places that cater to tourists, but not found at all places. During both visits, we were greeted by the owner himself and promptly seated. We started with the charcuterie which was great. Then we both ordered the grilled lamb shanks. The lamb shanks were cooked perfectly - tender at every bite. The lamb shank came paired with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Like every other French restaurant, they give you plenty of bread and replace it when you're nearing the end of the basket. For our second dinner, I started with the French onion soup which was delightful. We then ordered the special of the night, shepherd's pie and the lamb shank again. The shepherd's pie had cooked well; had a good flavor in the meat from the peppers and onions cooked with it. The shepherd's pie was served along with a small salad. We finished the dinner by getting the profiteroles and sorbet for dessert. While not original, the desserts were good and helped cap off a wonderful dinner. The owner thanked us for our visit and we felt genuinely appreciated, even with the restaurant being pretty full. From the many locals present, it's a hot spot in the gay-friendly neighborhood. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone. read more

The lamb shank came out cold! The steak Was okay at best. Good service. Good location. Terrible food preparation. Mash potatoes tasted like rubber. Do not recommend. read more

Fantastic in every way, service, food, ambiance... 5 stars all the way around. If one is looking for a semi-traditional Parisian dinner this is the place. The duck tenderloin was amazing. As was the escargot, chèvre salad, and onion soup. The house wine is also extraordinary. Pay this place a visit. read more

Delicious! Visiting from America and the staff was incredibly kind and courteous. Made us feel right at home.

This restaurant was recommended to me by a Parisian friend. The menu was very affordable (17E for an entree, plat, and dessert) , and quite good. The Ile Fottant was VERY good and the other plats were smart and well prepared. Service was VERY good. Being so close to the Pompidou was convenient too. This was a wonderful little Parisian escape! read more

Wonderful gem in Paris. I first visited this restaurant 30 years ago. Nothing has changed except it moved a few doors down the street but same friendly owner. Food is fantastic! Prices are reasonable. As the name and area suggest the clientele is almost exclusively LGBTQ. read more

We had a lovely dinner here during our week in Paris. The owner waited on us and was very kind and attentive, including being very helpful on food allergy issues. Very reasonable pricing and great service. We both had soups as entrees which were great, followed by the beef tenderloin. Both were delicious. This place is a neighborhood gem. read more

This was our best dining experience thus far in Paris. Very friendly owner with a great, fun attitude, and everyone made us feel welcome as Anglophones. Best of all was the house cocktail, which came in small carafes of very generous quantities. The food was good and unpretentious. read more

Our lunch destination on day four in Paris. Excellent food and service. Hubby had the beef chop (medium) and fries, Denny and Thomas both had the pork medallions, and I had the fish special (salmon and cod). Excellent - very tasty. The waiter spoke some English and was very helpful. Definitely, we will go back. read more

Fun place, affordable menu, good food, great service, and the owner is a riot! Must go gay restaurant in Le Marais district.

This place is great! In a tourist neighborhood where many establishments are absolute rip-offs, Le Gai Moulin offers excellent food and service at a great value. It's been a favorite with locals and tourists for many years. In this neighborhood it's my number one choice! read more

Small, but nice restaurant. Friendly staff, good food, but small portions. The wine list is good and has many choises, the list with dishes is not very large, but satisfactory for any taste. read more