Tom G.

There are meals which are memorable because of the company, and there are meals that are memorable because of the restaurant and then there are meals which are memorable because of the food and the wine and the ambience. This was a combination of all three. The meal... Scallops and Rizzuto. Both were amazing. The restaurant... Napoleon proposed to Josephine #EnoughSaid. The company... gracious and easily complemented the surroundings The moment I knew it was going to be a memorable meal was when the doorman asked for my jacket. At first, I refused, knowing what was underneath. Upon his continued insistence, I yielded the jacket and felt tremendously underdressed, yet confident of being in a 5 Star Restaurant wearing compression sleeves and a running t-shirt, knowing that over my left shoulder is where Napoleon proposed to Josephine.

Alexander H.

What a place and what an evening! We've travelled lots in our life. In various continents in countless countries. Seen a whole lot of wonderful France as well. And this here was one of the very very best dining experiences in our lifes. Had a reservation (highly recommended) and were taken care of in the best ways from the moment we've stepped through the door. Lots of staff will take care of you. Your coats, your drinks, your wine, to serve and to clean the table. To help you with the menu. Staff was excellent - all of them. Professional from beginning to end. The setting is breathtaking. It's the oldest restaurant in Paris. Napoleon dined here before. It's an amazing setting. And we got a wonderful table for two to enjoy the night. The menu has interesting items. There were some specials as well and a lower priced fixed 3-court menu, but we didn't go for that. Got served some very nice bread with olive oil. A bottle of mineral water with that. For starters we ordered a portion of Caviar and Foie Gras (Canard) Terrine. Two glasses of Chablis with that. Caviar was wonderful. Not too fishy, not too salty. Perfect balance of flavours. 20g portion, which was a nice size for one person. The Foie was equally great. Possibly the best one I've ever had ... and I've had many! For the main we chose one of the Chef's Specials. The beef filet with truffle sauce, mashed potatoes and spinach. The meat was perfect and perfectly cooked by order. Soft, tender, meaty. Amazing. And the truffle sauce was divine. And there was a LOT of truffle sauce - they certainly didn't hold back there. Spinach was great too. High quality. Even the mashed potatoes were amazing. Everything just had such a high standard. We were pretty full after that. But ordered a cheese platter to share. A nice selection of soft and hard french cheeses. Loved it. For the main we ordered a bottle of red wine. "Vosne-Romanée" - Les Barreaux from 2019. A Burgundy. And what a Burgundy. Smooth, silky, rich. With balanced tannins. 150 Euros for that....and worth every single cent. It's been a while since we've tasted wine this great. A perfect evening. Staff, food, setting. Everything top-class (and more). You pay a bit more here, yes (we were aware of that). But you really get quality for the price here. Drinks, food, staff. We've spent about 460 Euros this evening. And really felt it was worth it. I don't mind spending that much once in a while when we get this much in return. A night we won't forget. Highly recommended!

Hey- this is Cousin Critics!! We review restaurants!!! This restaurant is a diamond in the rough. Me, at the age of 12, my cousin who is 14 and my 2 grandparents visited this restaurant on our first night in Paris. Our parents had visited this restaurant at our age, and this inspired us to come back. My grandma had ordered the cold egg with Granny Smith apples and a leek soufflé. She did not enjoy. Even the though she had eaten it all, the service and manager were very amazing and gave her baby zucchini for her troubles. For my appetizer, I ordered the green salad. My only complaint: the GREEN salad had PURPLE leafs mixed in!!!!!! My cousin had ordered caviar, if she's not spoiled then who is?!? My grandpa had asked for the terrine fois gras. He enjoyed it very much!! We probably ate their whole stock of bread, and the olive oil was to die for!! For main meals, the whole plate was devoured for each of us!!! I got the skirt steak and shared it with my cousin. We both ate the steak as it came with mashed potatoes and mashed tomatoes!! My grandparents got langostines with foam, And the pork tenderloin slow cooked. They both were veryyyyyy good. Overall, this restaurant was amazing!!! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!!!! - [ ]

Shirley C.

We came here mostly out of curiosity after it was mentioned in series Emily in Paris but also for its long standing history! 200 yrs of serving food! The main dining room is very opulent so you'll also want to dress the part to fit in but smart casual is accepted and I saw a few men in shorts but they sat elsewhere. We are greeted by friendly and welcoming staff who even pulled out the table for us to sit down. That's a first! I decided to go with the two course menu of the week which was duck breast served with poached turnips. Mashed turnip and slices of sir dried duck! My fish was delicious and the duck was super tender. Hubby ordered a la carte the sirloin steak with mashed potatoes and bok choy grilled. It was very tasty but I think it was flank steak and not actually sirloin. It was still tender, not like my duck but also not so stiff your jaw hurts after a few bites! We also shared a fois gras that came with toast and an assortment pickled vegetables which were a nice complement to the very rich fois gras. For dessert I had the crème brûlée which came with a bite of sorbet and a piece of poached rhubarb. Again balanced flavours and an interesting take on a classic. Keep in mind the offer for a cheese pl Overall I would recommend it if you're looking for modern French cuisine for a great price in a historical restaurant. Bon apetit!

Lizzie S.

A must-visit in Paris. An experience for all seven of your senses. It feels like you've stepped back in time, the decor reminded me of Versailles but not quite that over-the-top. The service is friendly, impeccable, fun and funny, but also very proper. I thought one didn't know how to smile but then he made a joke when we asked a question about one of the dishes. They know how to serve food, particularly cheese, and that course seemed like an art in it of itself. I joked "find someone who looks at you like our server looks at cheese." Dress up just a tad! A woman we saw eating was wearing a dress that I would've worn to Prom or something similar. She had her boyfriend take so many pictures of her eating, drinking, and then many of her standing on the staircase and beneath the chandelier. There were other restaurant guests who seemed less like tourists celebrating an occasion and more like business people. Who knows? Le Grand Verfour is steeped in history and is in a great location near the Louvre. I'd recommend coming for lunch. They said our set meals were 4-courses but there were so many "the chef would like to give you this" dishes that it seemed like 10 courses! Everything was just so good. Some dishes were unique, but everything was complex. There was a creamy dessert that combined black cherry, meringue, and radish. The fois gras was the best I had in Paris--very creamy but not overwhelming. I heard the duck truffle was a chef specialty, and I liked my duckling filet. You will need only one visit here to provide you with your food for a day and a half!

Julie C.

Lovely park spot !! Meander here & sip rose through your Parisian afternoon. Try a sorbet !

Gaetano S.

Situated at the foot of the Palais Gardens (which are not in bloom in the winter/early spring), Le Grand Vefour is widely considered Paris' first "grand restaurant". Frequented by Napoleon and many other notable people in history, everything from the decor, the silver, and the menu have stayed in tact as they celebrated their 232rd year "in the same place, doing things the same way" as the waiter continued to refer to it. It's hard not to feel royal in a place like this and the history alone helps justify the prices. However, there are some shortcomings that have reduced this once 3-Michelin Star restaurant to a 1-Star (still very good). We did the tasting menu which was paired with a different wine for each course. Neither my wife or I can consider ourselves wine experts, but if the wine doesn't feel right, we aren't afraid to kindly ask for a different glass. That was not the case this evening as each of the wines were paired extremely well with the food. Several of the dishes included fresh-shaved truffles (a first time for me), which surprisingly was extremely mild compared to dishes with truffle oil. Not bad, but I think I like truffle oil better. They did a great job coating many of the dishes with a warm cream that always adds to the taste. The assortment of cheeses was as good as we have ever seen it and the waiter was very knowledgeable with his assistance finding the right cheese for our pallet. Dessert started there and peaked at the cheese in my opinion. Much of that may be because we were unbelievably full by then (never let anyone tell you that you will walk away hungry from a quality restaurant with small portions), but the waiters brought out several "surprise desserts". They were high quality and I managed to take at least one bite from every item, despite feeling like a balloon at that point. All in all, Le Grand Véfour was extremely good and did, in fact, stand out during a 10 day trip through Paris and Nice where good food was never ending. The service was a bit slower than I'd prefer, but I have to admit we were still getting used to the French dining experience, which we learned is generally slower than in NYC. Sometimes it's meant to be that way out of respect for your experience, but every now and then you just want someone to ask you if you need anything. I am comfortable giving this restaurant 2.5 stars for the history and decor alone. The food was great, but we found food similarly elegant for 1/4 of the price. I would never make a reservation for a fine dining experience without expecting a massive check, but those looking for a taste of French elegance on a budget, will need to steer clear of Le Grand Véfour. The only thing you'll miss is the history.

Ed W.

When I decided to go to Paris, I wanted to dine at one of the multiple Michelin star restaurants to experience the glory of old school Parisian dining. After exhaustive reading, thought and worry, I chose Le Grand Vefour for dinner with my wife. I could not have been more pleased. Eating at Le Grand Vefour is an experience moreso than a meal. Don't get me wrong - the food (which I will discuss below) was delightful. But overall, it was the pure exhilarating experience that made this one of the best meals of my life. I would like to get the price issue out of the way first. There is simply no way to sugar coat the money required to eat dinner at Le Grand Vefour. It's expensive. Very expensive. As in do not expect to eat dinner here for less than $600 a couple. Because my wife does not drink, I easily saved $150, making my meal with tip a nice and pleasant $750.00. But hey, how many times do you get to sit in a restaurant where Napoleon used to dine while being waited on by a team of 7 people? So the service was outstanding. Really the service is what makes this restaurant so special. From the moment we walked in, to the moment we sat down, to the moment we were provided the 8th free chocolate dessert treat ... the service never ended. It was a constant stream of polite, prompt, courteous, efficient, and beautiful teamwork that (1) offered you whatever you needed, (2) served everything at exactly the right moment, and (3) smiled in the process. Your water was constantly filled. Your plate was perfectly removed when done. The dishes were carefully finished table side. The food by Guy Martin was likewise a special experience. My wife's appetizer was the winner of the evening: a foie gras stuffed ravioli topped with a black truffle cream sauce. I am sitting here at my laptop smiling just thinking about this dish. There is unfortunately no way in Memphis I could ever have anything that even closely resembled this work product. My main course was sweetbreads, and these were simply so nice and delicate. Served with onions and peppers in a sweet sauce, I would have easily asked for seconds. Then came my favorite part - the cheese cart. Many Parisian restaurants offer cheese - but none I frequented had the cheese selection of Le Grand Vefour. Their cheese cart could feed an army for a week. I asked for a variety, and simply smiled enjoying what could only be described as an aromatic, delicious precursor to dessert. The wine was perfect. The dessert was outstanding. It's been here since 1784. I don't think I can say anymore. 5 stars.

Mona N.

Le Grand Vefour is worthy of the most special of occasions. Located within the arcades of the Palais-Royal, it is indeed one of the great and grand restaurants of Paris. As you walk in, you feel like you've stepped back in time. Opened in 1784, its list of famous diners includes Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine, Victor Hugo, Colette. Beautiful tapestries, gilded mirrors, and paintings adorn the walls. The booths with plush red velvet seats have brass name plates above them showing who sat there in the past (e.g. Honore de Balzac). My husband and I came here to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Since dinner there is so very pricey (around 700 euros for two people), we decided to go for the prix fixe lunch. 5 magnificent courses of truly haute cuisine. For starters, my husband had the duck liver terrine with crunchy vegetables perfumed with star anise, and fennel purée. I had the 3 presentations of sea bream fish (with ras el hanout spice, marinated in escabèche and raw in thin slices). Entree was roasted guinea-fowl breast, crystallized tomatoes, verbena pesto tofu. The list goes on and on. The cheese course is amaaaazing. They roll a cart to your table and you choose from a dizzying selection of cheeses (see pic). Super decadent. Dessert was almost too beautiful to eat yet so achingly good. The service was impeccable. It was fun to watch the hierarchy among the wait staff, each specializing in his / her own area -sommelier, cheese waiter, captain etc. There were so many of them! It was quite a show without being intrusive. Men must wear jackets even at lunch. Reservations must be made far in advance for both lunch and dinner. I would advise at least a few weeks in advance if not more. Plan for 2 hours for lunch. My husband was originally hesitant about spending $300 for lunch but by the time we were done, he said it was totally worth it! I couldn't agree more. A spectacular dining experience.

Jennifer C.

This was a gastronomical experience! Elegant and beautiful setting. They had a beautiful multi course meal for lunch which left us super full. Like literally couldn't move after eating. The desserts were amazing. The cheese plate was so diverse. I got Pearly cod and it was pretty good. Veal rump was super tender and flavorful as well. The dessert was so much. Extra macaron and marshmallows and chocolates galore.