Delightful meal, especially enjoyed the starter (poached egg with celeriac cream in a truffles octopus emulsion). Fish main course very solid choice. Friends enjoyed the lamb and ris de veau. Ooh and the dessert - mandarins with a green tea cream and jasmine reduction and wafer thin meringues. Excellent service. read more

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Best lamb I have ever had any where! It is slow cooked for over 7 hours and is absolutely unreal. The flavors are insane. The cauliflower and onion Royale were excellent starters. Our server correctly steered us from more food as the lamb for 2 is enormous and so delicious. They also have a nice selection of wines and many well priced. A wonderful dinner from service to food and wine list. Will come back and share with friends. read more

Unpretentious, high quality food at fair prices. Good service and a nice place to be. The (open) kitchen works like clockwork. Noise level was a bit elevated. Reservations are recommended, especially for the weekends. read more

Absolutely amazing. Fine dining food in a very casual, comfortable environment. The food though was out of this world. Our hostess was very lovely too. read more

Absolutely AMAZING!!! My friends and I were so impressed we asked for a second plate of the Panna Cotta. Everything was impeccable, they are very scheduled, but will accommodate later in the evening, although space is very limited. Try to reserve seatings. They change their menu often and I can't wait to come back on my next visit to Paris! Bonjour! read more

Semilla - Panna Cotta - French Near Me - Paris, 75

I'd give it a 3.5 stars, definitely above average. The restaurant is not marked. It's a quite spacious restaurant. It almost felt like you were in a loft because of all the exposed piping and air-conditioning vent. I liked it, it had a lot of character. The Kitchen is quite open and exposed. I love that you can see them preparing the food and checking to see that they're not using pre-packaged food. Fortunately, we did not see any. As we waited, we saw at least 10-young chefs preparing their lunch. In France, the Chefs prepare and eat their lunch before opening the restaurant to the public. I was amazed how fast they ate, maybe 15-minutes tops. Finally 12:30 pm arrived. We got our menu which was freshly printed on a sheet of paper. What struck me first and foremost was the price, 19 euros for the formule lunch which consisted of an entrée (the 1 and only 1 entrée contained 3 items, so no choice, an interesting concept), and a plat. Desserts were extra at 8 euros, so for all 3-courses 27 euros, with cheese there is a supplementary cost of 2 euros extra. Not bad. First course "L'assiette de trois entrees:" which consisted of a velouté champignons crème (mushroom soup), muffin chataîgne (chestnut muffin), and a "queue de veau vinaigrette" (veal tail). I liked the entrées in this order: (1) the soup was creamy, tasty and delicious, (2) the muffin was moist and light, you could tell it was made with a lot of egg whites to give it a nice soft texture as well as the moistness. One friend commented it was a bit on the salty side, but I loved it. And, (3) the veau, which we all commented that it tasted like tuna. It was like a deconstructed meat, egg-salad with a "citrusy" side. So, with the first course we were off to a good start. Then we got our plats: They had 3 choices offered, and so the 3 of us each chose a different one. One got the Maigre, fondue de blette, champignon de Paris, buerre noisette. A fish. The presentation was very, very odd. It was literally covered in greens. If you didn't know any better, it looked like a green salad. Remember the commercial, "where's the beef?"my first question was, "where's the fish?. We finally found the fish, at the bottom of the forest. Despite the weird presentation, we all tasted this dish, and it was very moist and delicious. Next we had the Involtini aubergines, chèvres frais, basilic. The only "lacto-vegetarian" dish on the menu. It was good. The eggplant had a nice taste and the chèvre wasn't overwhelming. I liked it, but my friend thought it was just average, saved only by the wilted basil it was resting on. I had the Pintade, crème de cèleri, jus de rôti (guinea fowl). There were two pieces of fowl. One like a pale chicken breast, while the other looked like a guinea fowl leg that was definitely confit'd. The breast was either steamed or sous vide. It was extremely moist, but absolutely tasteless. As for the confit'd leg, I was expecting that it would at least have a little more flavor, but it too was bland. I mixed some of the greens (Italian flat parsley and dill) and put a piece on each bite, it made a world of difference. It gave it some depth. It was served on a bed of mashed celeriac. We all agreed, although this dish was cooked well, it lacked flavor. Onto the desserts. Two of us had the Crèmeux guanaja, confit de kumquat, streuzel. At first I thought guanaja was some type of fruit, but turns out it's an island off Honduras that lends its name to a special blend of chocolate. This was very chocolaty and creamy with chocolate streuzel sprinkled on top, on a bed of a soft syrup-soaked cake with dashes of salt. I loved this dessert, I thought it was excellent, whereas one of us commented it was just OK. The other dessert was the Soupe d'agrumes, glace Pamplemouse which was like a simple fresh fruit cocktail with only citrus (mostly grapefruit) which my citrus loving friend enjoyed. We had an opportunity to speak to one of the owners Drew Harre. He told us parts of the menu changes daily, and the whole menu changes weekly. Admittedly, they're still tweaking the menu and he considers the restaurant a "work in progress." We had some friends that had gone the week prior and had the blanket de veau and said it was excellent. But unfortunately, they did not have it on the menu. In summary, It's amazing that the restaurant has only been open for a month. They had some very strong dishes as well as some dishes that could use a little work. While it's true they still have some tweaking, as Drew states, it's a work in progress, I'm confident they'll come up with a winning formula "à tout de suite". I would definitely go back. For the 3 of we paid 123€ with 2-glasses of sancere and a bottle of Gueule de Loup. read more

Small, hard to find restaurant. A staff which is very English-friendly. In fact, most of our table-mates were American, and we struck up some great conversations with them as the tables were closely situated. The food was good, but unremarkable. For our main course, we shared the Côte de Bœuf, a massive meat slab that was well-cooked, but not particularly well-flavored. read more

A truly wonderful lunch! After arriving at noon without a reservation, we were informed that they didn't actually open until 12:30. So after then making a reservation for 12:30, we went around the corner for a coffee. Returning on time, we were seated at a comfortable table for two near the rear of the restaurant, but with a view of the chefs plating their dishes. The standard three course meal for 34€ included an appetizer plate with three different appetizers on it - a light cream of fennel soup with a few drops of orange-infused olive oil, a cauliflower and pickled red onion salad with a curry sauce/dressing, and a pumpkin and walnut cake/muffin. All three were perfectly seasoned and elegantly presented on the plate. For second courses, my wife opted for the beef while I chose the white tuna steak. The tuna was cooked so the center was still slightly rare (as it should be) and was served over white beans with a side of roasted parsnip. My wife's beef consisted of several slices of tender beef cooked perfectly rare and served with assorted roasted carrots. The sauces in the bottom of both dishes encouraged us to eat more bread than we should have! For dessert, my wife had the fresh figs with ricotta ice cream accompanied by a sweet wine (Banyuls) reduced syrup/sauce. I opted for the pear and almond tarte topped with a generous quennelle of crème fraîche. We were both extremely pleased with our selections. Several reviewers have commented that the restaurant was mostly full of American tourists. That may be true for dinner and/or on weekends. But as near as we could tell, we were the only ones there at lunch that spoke English. Our server was very nice, being helpful when we needed it, but without being condescending. We'd go back without hesitation. read more

This place was outstanding. One of the best ever. I would highly recommend. Don't hesitate.

appetitzer: razor claims entries: veal and cod fish dessert: coconut, avocado，mango sorbet with celery not bad but nothing surprised me either... prices are pretty good compare to what you get from most out there. service was just ok. read more

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This is truly a one of a kind restaurant, but please make a reservation they get booked, because dining here is a truly outstanding experience We had to wait a very short time for our reservation, but the owner was so great he brought us all a glass of champagne to enjoy while we waited The waitress was so warm and welcoming A great dinner read more

Semilla is a relatively trend French restaurant with a clean and open kitchen-style ambiance. Service was pleasant and had good English conversational skills. The vegetable tempura was not greasy and cooked perfectly. In addition, the foie gras appy was solid. My sweet bread entrée had good flavour and seasoning. Worth a visit. Enjoy Paris! read more

Hands down the best restaurant that my wife and I went to over the course of 7 full days in Paris. We did the special which is 65 euros and the chef gets to choose what to bring to you. Both of us got 2 appetizers each, 2 main courses, and 2 deserts. The appetizers were ceviche and pickled cherry tomatoes with French cheese from the Western part of the country (as told to us by the waiter). The main courses were fish and lamb. Both were amazing. We licked our plates clean, that's how amazing it was. For desert, we had sorbet and some type of chocolate cracker with vanilla ice cream. Best meal I had in Paris, maybe my life! read more

Arrived just before the kitchen closed and they were very friendly to accommodate. Had delicious tuna dish and great wine. Highly recommend

We had a 19:00 reservation and walked into the restaurant at 18:57. The staff was still setting up. There was a woman behind the bar (who appeared to be the hostess). Here is our conversation verbatim translated from French: ME: Hi. We have a reservation for seven o'clock... HER: Well it's not seven o'clock yet, so you'll have to wait outside. We then stood around outside for fifteen minutes without being acknowledged or invited in, and left. If your restaurant opens at 19:00 and you have taken reservations for 19:00, you should be open at least 15 minutes early and be ready to go. People who show up late for their reservation are the bane of restaurants. So this behavior baffles me. read more

We had the most delicious dinner here. The service was attentive and helpful. I had 4 tiny and delicious lobster tails- the size of jumbo shrimp. It left me wanting more. the highlight of the meal was dessert chef, Camille Pele's chocolate creation. I am not sure all that was included in that burst of flavor and delight but it was certainly one of the most delicious desserts I've ever had. read more

We didn't have a reservation but a local friend recommended his place and even asked them to fit us in as they were fully booked. We three sat at the granite counter together. As it was curved it was a fine arrangement. The bartenders served us. They were charming. Fine food. I started with the Foie Gras poêle. It came floating in onion foam. Wow! Good to last dip of bread. One of the best foie gras combinations I have ever had. Talented chef- Éric Trochon. They had some magazines on display discussing him and his équipe (staff). Next I tried the Ris de Veau ( sweetbreads). Nice preparation with a decent size Scallop. Excellent with a wonderful sauce. My friends had the slow cooked pork and thought highly of that too. Great meal! read more

Came here the first time on January 2nd, 2015, with our dear friends Laurent et Juliet on their recommendation and this has been our go-to favorite in St. Germain ever since. On this trip -- our ten-week residency in the City of Light -- we've been there 3 times so far and will probably make it at least 2 more times before we head back to LA. These folks get it all right. The atmosphere is casually hip modern Paris and there's an open kitchen where you can watch a very dedicated and well-choreographed staff in concert with the 28-year old chef creating excellence. And yes, there's a ton of Americans who show up here -- probably because their friends all tell them to go! Just go!! It's OK. These are kindred spirits and fellow foodies! It's not a big menu but it hits all the spots: inventive but quite edible/enjoyable starters -- the carrote veloute and the tiny ravioli were just amazing -- always a beautifully prepared fish dish, a masterfully superb lamb dish, super-tasty pork or Côte de bouef, a risotto and generally five truly divine desserts to choose from. Nothing here misses the mark. And the wine list does not disappoint from either a selection or pricing standpoint. Semilla is not inexpensive but we have paid far more in Paris for meals of far lesser caliber. Service is engaged and personal too. Reservations are a must! Might get in on a walk-up after 9:00 on some nights but don't try it - just make the reservation, wander though rue de Buci and down rue de Seine and enjoy this very wonderful place. read more

Came upon this busy place on a Saturday night without a reservation and had to wait almost an hour for a table. They must be doing something right. Reservations are highly recommended. We were not too hungry so we split a number of dishes. The ceviche, a white asparagus starter, asparagus risotto, a dourade fish dish and a ravioli dish. Everything was delicious. Great wines accompanied it all. While the prices were not cheap, it wasn't crazy expensive either. Plus, you are on vacation! Life is too short to eat in bad restaurants. A must try if you are in the St. Germaine area. read more

My sister and I arrived in Paris with all sorts of plans and places to enjoy. On our first night we went to Semilla for dinner and it was amazing. We arrived as they opened at 19:00 and we were Fortunate to scoop a table without a reservation. Suggest you make reservations. The meal began with meeting our waiter Germain who made our evening delightful and most enjoyable. His suggestions were perfect and appropriate. He was present, not overbearing. He allowed us to enjoy our meal. We shared the white asparagus done to perfection and the sole which was so flavorful it brought tears to the eyes. Many around us had the lamb or other meat dishes which looked terrific and by all appearances they were enjoyed too. Highly recommend. I can't wait to return to Semilla on my next trip to Paris. read more

The staff was great. Our server was very friendly and very helpful in translating the menu for us. The food was DELICIOUS. read more

Semilla - French Near Me - Paris, 75

Did not live up to the prevailing hype. Ceviche was good but the main dishes were bland and only so-so. I will not return or recommend.

Excellent food, better than much higher places in Paris we have been. Very friendly environment, food is very tasty and healthy (feeling), delicious simple options. read more

This was one the best meals we had while in Paris! Every course was absolutely delicious, the restaurant has the perfect ambiance, and the service was even better! The menu is completely in French but we had the sweetest guy named Bobby as our waiter who was exceptionally helpful and took the time to explain each item to us in English. He even helped us pick out a bottle of wine making sure it paired well with everything we ordered. We will definitely be back next time we are in Paris! read more

Likely food poising. After dining at this restaurant on May 12, 2019, two of my party experienced rather severe food poisoning symptoms. The one who suffered most was the one who ordered the crevettes dinner. Her husband, who merely tasted her dish, also experienced food poisoning during the night. As a result, both nearly missed their flight back the the U.S. this morning. The only dish I might recommend is the veal cheek. The lamb shoulder was very fatty. And, neither the turbot nor any of the appetizers were particularly tasty. read more

We had a great meal, but were a little disappointed in the flavors of our main dishes. The appetizer was amazing, tempura fresh rhubarb & flowers, it just needed a little more flavor perhaps fresh herbs would have helped. The texture and cook of our main courses was perfect, but again I felt they needed a bit more herbs or spices and a little less salt. Dessert was amazing and no issues at all with that read more

I hate giving 1 stars but this was probably the worst dining experience I had in my weeklong trip to Paris and I had a bunch of misses at some other bistros. Here's why... I read about this place on David Leibovitz's blog and recommended it as a potential date dinner (while on a weeklong trip to Paris with a large group of friends). My SO, is French and made the reservation after reading positive reviews by Alice Waters. When we got there, we noticed that most of the people in the restaurant were Americans, which we figured were due to great coverage by American press. So this place may be a bit touristy, that's fine as long as the food is good. Our waiter turned out to be this pushy man who basically was very opinionated and tried steering our decision making. He helped recommended the St Jacques fish over the other but when it came to the wine, he basically told my SO in French, "let me tell you how to order the wine if you tell me what kind you want". My SO replied in French, "it's ok, I can read the wine list". So that was annoying, but fine to me as long as the food is good. I think the waiter was probably like that since most of the customers in the restaurant would naturally defer to his insistence and I can see the American tourists just ordering whatever the French waiter recommended. The entrees (appetizers) we ordered were kind of lackluster, a tomato soup that was sort of like a gazpacho and a sad looking pan seared foie gras with toast. When our plats (mains) came, the pork was bland but what was egregious was that my St Jacques fish was undercooked. How could I tell? I couldn't cut through the fish with the fork and dull knife they gave me. St Jacques is a white flaky fish, so the dull knife should be sufficient enough to cut through it if it was properly cooked. I tried cutting through the fish a second time to show my SO how undercooked my fish was. He spoke to the waiter about it, the waiter took the dish back to the kitchen with no apologies and came back with a sharing plate for me to eat some of my SO's pork in the meantime. After 5 minutes or so, a chef from the kitchen came back with my dish. It's kind of funny that I say my dish, because they literally took the same fish that I tried cutting through and pan seared it again, but over cooked it this time. My SO was shocked. I know this would not pass in the US but he said it should also not happen in Paris. I felt disgruntled, lost my appetite and barely touched my fish, which the waiter noticed and took off the bill and I guess the one redeeming action at this point. But still, no apologies from the waiter. At this point, we wanted to leave the restaurant ASAP. In hindsight, my SO said he should have made a big deal to the waiter about the substandard quality and how they didn't make me a new dish but he's not the type that likes to fuss in the restaurant. In terms of the the kitchen re-cooking my fish, I think the fault probably lied with the waiter and he probably assumed that I didn't know how to eat pan-seared fish and wanted it overcooked. This is a long review, but I feel like I should have my story told so that hopefully this won't happen again at the restaurant. read more

I live in Paris and this is, by far, my favorite restaurant if you're in the mood for an elegant meal. The staff are very friendly and unpretentious (something that can be quite hard to find in Paris). The meals are delicious and the prices for what you get are fairly reasonable. I had the ceviche (small portion, but the best ceviche I've ever had); fish for the main course (cooked to perfection) and for dessert, the strawberries with sorbet made from fresh peas. Yes, peas. I thought I would be adventurous and give it a try, but I would definitely avoid the pea sorbet unless you're a huge fan of legumes in dessert form. All in all, wonderful experience - stellar meals and presentation, vibrant atmosphere, and top notch service. We didn't make a reservation, but showed up around 7 (weekday night) and were seated immediately. Don't show up past 7:30 if you don't have a reservation, though. read more

Wine list excellent! GO and just sit at the bar and talk to the guy there... and just let him do his thing. I told him the kind of wine I like, and he paired the food with some perfect glasses. read more

Avoid this place. It has very mediocre food at high prices. Some staff have rather too much attitude. Go to Fish across the street for a great experience. read more

Loved the vibe and the food was excellent. Waiter was extremely kind and appreciated my poor attempts to speak French to him. Will highly recommend. read more

Fantastic food and incredible service - one of the best meals we had while in Paris. Also - very fun neighborhood.

Overpriced and disappointing. After two rather ordinary appetizers-- a salmon tartare and a paté of tomatoes--my husband and I decided to splurge on our last evening in Paris and ordered the Cote de Boeuf - 76 euros for two. What a mistake-- tough, fatty, and gristly-- we could barely cut it with steak knives. And under-seasoned to boot. Accompanied only by mashed potatoes , no vegetables or garnishes, nothing special at all about the presentation. Service was friendly but very slow. Everyone around us was American except for one table of Germans. read more

I have eaten at Semilla a few times on my nearly annual trips to Paris, and have previously enjoyed my meals. Today's however was disappointing. First, as a single senior woman, the only place apparently suitable for me was at a two seat table facing the kitchen, and I was seated facing the kitchen. There were other two person tables available, with the leather banquette, and I noted one gentleman seated there. So there I sat, with my back to everyone. My fault for not speaking up about this, I don't speak french. I ordered the entree + main, and a very mediocre wine. Mackarel in avocado base, and Risotto. This meal was worthy of a 20E bill, at most. This will be my last visit to this restaurant. read more

Wonderful meal. Warm friendly service, neighborhood feel and excellent food. Entree of Cerviche was refreshing and flavorful. The highlight of the main meal was the Raie in beurre blanc sauce....YUM! The roasted veal was good too, but couldn't compare. Good French wine list and tasty deserts. I'd definitely recommend and return on our next trip to Paris. read more

Loved every bite. Delicious. Good value. Highly recommend sitting at the chef's table facing the kitchen, if you can. Bonus: Natalie Portman and other stars drop by from time-to-time if you're into that sort of thing. read more

Last night was at Semilla where we had a great meal last year. This year we had a good meal, not great. Everything seemed just a bit off. We both had fish which could have used more seasoning, our chardonnay had a slight oxidative note and the room was even more frenetic than usual. Having said all that it was still a nice dinner. read more

Fine dining in a low key, casual atmosphere. One of the best meals you're likely to have in Paris. (Or, since it's Paris, probably anywhere.) read more

I ended up dining here 3 times. Twice with family then friends that live in Paris chose this place for our night out. The food is interesting and well executed. I sent others here when they visited Paris and they loved it. Can't go wrong if choosing Semilla. The fish restaurant across the street (owned by the same people) is yummy as well. read more

My first time in Paris. We had read about Semilla and thought to try for my beloved's birthday on the 16th of September. It was a wonderful evening with a delicious meal. Tried mullet for the first time and it was good. The potatoes were heavenly. M. Sanchez was gracious to stop at our table for a moment and was very kind. Servers were great and put up with my nonexistent French by speaking in English. I would love to come back some day. Thank you for the experience. read more