Marcel and I are poised for a long love affair. For one, the name: love it! I've always had a thing for the name Marcel, don't ask me why. And when lit up in neon lights in a clean, legible font, I was hooked before I even stepped into the place. In addition to its name, Marcel also boasts a fabulous perch along the canal with large windows that are opened when its warm so that you can dine in, while feeling like you're hanging outside along the Quai. It also has a really spacious, very NYC-inspired, loft-like design, which makes this stroller-pushing mama quite pleased. And in a total twist of logic, Marcel (unlike its name would suggest) is not a French bistro at all. It's an upscale Indian restaurant! I just swung by for a drink so I didn't taste the cuisine, but the dishes look quite delicious, especially the various tasting platters that you can nibble on during apero hour, like the Pondicherry platter, samosa platter and nan platter. While I can't yet attest to the vibe during dinner, it was a fabulous spot to wind down on Sunday with a crisp glass of rosé and a view of the canal as the sun sets. read more

See all

While strolling the Canal Saint-Martin, we stopped into Marcel for a drink. Dark, with a cool vibe, Marcel had a hip clientele enjoying an afternoon repast. Unfortunately, service was cold, bordering on unfriendly, and alcohol pours were strictly controlled. I thought I left that behind in Utah. Marcel will be quickly forgotten. read more

This is certainly not the best indian food you've ever had but the overall experience at Marcel gets my approval. The staff is friendly, the service is quick, and the music is awesome. If you like your indian on the spicy side be sure to let them know as they serve their dishes ultra mild. read more

See all

What a fantastic finding! The place has some character. Try the vegetarian burger which is essentially fritters with sautéed onions and pickles squeezed in between naan bread. They do serve Punjabi tea which isn't on the menu but unfortunately did not have it the day we went. Portions are a fair size. Taste was different than what I'm used to in the US but nonetheless, very flavorful. read more

See all

WOW. I brought my good friend here for her 31st birthday dinner. The atmosphere is beautiful, trendy vibe. Staff is very friendly, very helpful. Food. AMAZING. I'm sure we sat and said 'wow' to each other through the entire meal. :) We had garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, and one vegetarian dish, I can't remember which one. The server even brought over a dessert with a candle so I could sing happy birthday to her. Such a special evening! I can't wait to go back. read more

First off, I dig the warm, comfortable deco and the sofas and arm chairs at the table that make a long leisurely dinner more enjoyable. We started the evening with cocktails, which included some hits and some misses. The menu is "upscale" Indian with very reasonable prices. But, with definitely variations from what you'll find in standard Indian restaurant. For example, they serve burgers as well. Given my take on the food and the general opinion on the table, the best way to eat here is to take the tasting plates with lots of little munchies like samousas, fried onion, etc. We all preferred these options better than the mains. Also early evening they have a special menu (that runs until 8pm) for mixed plates. This is exactly they way I'd take advantage of Marcel - head in for a glass of wine and a mixed plate before 8pm. They have two choices of rosé, and the one we took with our meal was a big hit with the table. The service was great: they were relaxed and easy going about a couple of the girls sharing an entree, made some custom adjustments to drinks and seemed generally happy to have customers in. I spent an enjoyable evening here. Indian food fanatics with a lot of knowledge about it (which, admittedly, I'm expert in the area) may have issues with the menu that is more trendy than traditional. The one thing that keeps it a 3 rather than 4 star for me is the hit and miss tendency on both the food and drinks. I'll happily go back in again and feel like I know exactly what to order to make me a happy drinker and diner. But, if one just walks in off the street and orders randomly, I don't think an excellent offering is guaranteed. read more

I've been to Marcel a few times, and while I've never been blown away by the food, my most recent visit was really good. I came for dinner with a few friends, and I started with a gin and ginger cocktail, which was really good. This was the first time I tried a drink here, and I was very happy with it. For the table, we started with a few entrees. We shared samosa, chickpea-based patties (I'm not sure what they were called), and then these delicious cheese filled fried samosas/spring roll-type things that were delicious. I ordered the plat vegetarian, which I've had before and enjoyed, and it comes with dahl, rice, raita, and some kind of vegetable curry. Everyone had something different around the table, and I tried one of the other dahl's and the vegetarian kefta in a coconut curry (which was super rich, but really tasty), and a side of cheese naan (get this, it is so good). Overall, good food, nice service, cute restaurant, but quite expensive (minimum 15 euros for a plat, and that's without sides. Also I think to be full you need to have at least a shared entree then a plat) and definitely not so authentic. If you want proper Indian food, this isn't really the place, but if you're looking for a cute place with nice food, and are willing to pay quite a bit, then I'd recommend coming here. Reserve in advance because they do get busy (on a Wednesday night it was full) read more

Marcel - Vegetarian plate with raita, rice, dahl, and curry - Indian Near Me - Paris, 75

See all

Marcel is a nice little Indian restaurant located right beside the Canal Saint-Martin, close to the Gare de l'Est. It is easily accessible by public transport (Metro stop "Jacques Bonsergent"). We went there for dinner on a nice and hot summer evening so we were pleased to see that the panorama windows were completely open. The interior is quite dark and while studying the menu I wished there was more light than the candlelight on the table :-) Our waitress was really nice and due to our little knowledge of the French language we were quite happy that her English was good. Even though she was really nice, she forgot some parts of our order which caused a little too much waiting time. I had the Butter Chicken for the main course and the rice with peas. It was very nice! We enjoyed our visit at Marcel and can recommend it to everyone who enjoys the Indian cuisine. read more

See all

I went to Marcel for dinner one rainy night the first week of August. It was one of the few places my friend and I found open. I was excited to try a new place on the Canal, as I find there are lots of hits and misses in the neighborhood. I'm a big fan of SE Asian cuisine, and was thus very curious to try their spin on Indian. Arrival was a bit awkward, as on the phone I had been asked where I would like to be seated. I had never been to the restaurant, but told her perhaps a table in the front... Well, that turned out to be right next to the open door. It was rainy and drafty and I requested we be moved to one of the numerous empty tables nearby. The hostess replied: 'Well you asked to be seated in the front!'... Anyway. Once seated, I was still ready to like the place. The decor is great, very cool and New Yorky. The menu was interesting and lots of things looked good. We ordered two starters, two main courses and a bit of wine. (Though the cocktails look great!) The onion rings and vegetable fritters were both mediocre as were the main courses (chicken tikka and something salmon in coconut milk). Nothing offensive, just nothing special either. The chutneys and rice were both fine. (I'm wondering now if there's any chance the sauces were homemade...) Service was unenthusiastic. Fine and nice but nothing more. The waitress was unable to answer our questions about various ingredients and preparation. We didn't linger long after eating as the place had become extremely loud. I think this must be better at times when weather allows opening doors and windows. Fortunately the prices are not exhorbitant. If the food were more interesting, it would be a great deal for the neighborhood. I don't think I'll go back for a full meal, but am curious to try the bar menu and possibly the more 'fusion' options, like the burger. Oh, and for sure a cocktail! read more

Great place to get a coffee, people watch at Canal St Martin, and/or get a bite to eat if you like. Hidden elegance in the gritty and cool corner of the Canal. Huge windows for you to peek out of and enjoy :-) read more

I really enjoyed dining at this Indian food restaurant. It was truly delicious and in a very cool neighborhood in Paris, where the 'Bobo' (bougie bohemian) young professionals (not very touristy) hang out. read more

See all

Beautiful space especially at night. Stopped in here mainly for a drink then ended up ordering something to eat. Be sure to try the cheese naan! The service was great and I found the prices to be very reasonable. read more

I've never seen a better looking Indian restaurant! Not only the interior design, but also the way they serve your dishes - it's a pleasure to look at! It's pricey, but affordable, and all the food I tried there worth it. I recommend you to try their alcohol free drinks (juice cocktails), they are delicious. read more

Marcel - Indian Near Me - Paris, 75

Food was not typical Indian, low on spice... while it's healthy it was low on taste too. Overall, I would recommend this place if you're around canal Saint Martin... read more

This place isn't really meant to strive for the best Indian food, but to create a comfortable atmosphere with good quality, affordable food. Decor is on point, service is quick and food is excellent. Gave this a 4/5 because we encountered a pretty grumpy waiter but hey...everyone has bad days! read more

We found this great restaurant by mistake. A Condé Nast article had recommended going to "Bobo", the nickname for the area around Canal Saint Martin. We were dropped off on the other side of the canal and wandered over to the side Marcel was on. We were excited to find out they served Indian food and settled in for some delicious food along with a bunch of music from Jarimoquai. The waiters were awesome, and spoke english when we asked. Marcel is a great restaurant we would recommend to anyone who is tired of Jambon sandwiches and crepes. read more

I got salmon and spinach paneer. The salmon was a bit over cooked, the sauce with it was good and the spinach paneer was great. My friend also ordered a rose lassi and that was yummy too. The rose flavor/scent was overpowering. read more

We spotted Marcel from the other side of the canal and instantly wanted to try it out. It looked even better from the inside, really cosy and stylish! We weren't really on the look out for Indian food but once we saw the menu, we were hooked. My boyfriend had the Indian beef burger which was extremely good! It came with nan bread, onion rings, salad and homemade chips! The service was good and rather quick. Prizes are perfectly okay - compared to all the other restaurants in Paris. I'd definately come back on my next trip to Paris. read more

Delicious Indian food. Tons of variety as well as fusion food for those daring ones. Came here as a group of three for dinner and the place was absolutely packed. The ambiance is great; definitely a "bobo" place right beside the Saint Martin Canal. The only downside was that the staff got our reservation wrong so we ended up waiting for a good hour before getting seated. Other than that, great service and great food. Slightly pricey, but totally worth the splurge. read more

Great location and food. Not the best Indian good I've ever had but definitely quite good. Worth a visit, prices are very reasonable for the location. read more

So Parisien, but soooooo good - loved loved loved the food and the cocktails, plus the deco is pretty awesome. Can't wait to go back!