La Taverne

This is a large brasserie that is prominently located on the Grands Boulevards. Before I went in I felt a bit suspicious that it would be too touristy, but the nice interior and the promise of some decent cuisine from the Alsace (Germanic part of France) helped us persuade in giving it a try. Soon after we took our seats, a large contingent of Japanese tourists came in. Bad omen. And indeed, this must have been one of worst dining experiences in Paris ever. When we decided to go for a formule rather than a la carte, the waiter clearly showed his disdain for us. If only he did that. Our dishes arrived at separate times, the waiter gave some condescending commentary on how I was supposed to eat my oysters (and for the smartasses reading this, my parents are perfectly French speaking so we were not the average clueless, dumb tourist having dinner). The last straw was the long wait for the bill and the fact the same ****head of a waiter didn't even bother to bring back the change. I wanted to complain to the manager but she was too busy accomodating a large group of tourists, probably trying to trick them into spending too much in this waste of a restaurant. To be avoided.


Setting: 7/10 (interior is ok, though kitch)
Service: 0/10
Food: 5/10
Price: 6/10

Overall: 4/10

L’Absinthe

I went to this bistro with a business contact. I found it classy, but with a touch of charm. It does attract its fair portion of sleek bankers from nearby-located BNP Paribas. Service was a tad intimidating, but otherwise highly professional and flawless. The food is refined, comes in adequate portions. Its not a place for budget travelers but just perfect when you have a company credit card. We had a gazpacho, served in three little cups -useless but nice presentation - leek with shrimps as a starter. Main dish was tender lamb with baked potatoes. Delicious food.

Setting: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Price: 7/10

Overall score: 8/10

Cafe Andre Jacquemart

This museum is not the best known in Paris and therefor it doesn't attract too much of a crowd. The setting of the cafe is as beautiful as the rest of the museum and is ideal for a lunch or an afternoon tea with pastries. On the menu are mainly salads, which have been given artistic names. I, for example, went for the Van Dijck salad, which had duck and apple in it. Very tasty and not too heavy. One of the better lunch places I've been to so far.

Setting: 9/10
Service: 8/10 (the waitress was nice but clueless)
Food: 8/10
Price: 8/10

Overall: 8.5/10


Site: http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/jacquemart/496-/