5 Great PARIS Bistros Where Locals Eat

Every month on Paris Top Tips, I invite my viewers to join me in discovering a typical Parisian restaurant—the kind where locals eat, whether it’s a brasserie, a bistro, or a bouillon.
In this video, I’ve compiled reviews of five of my favorite bistros to make it easier for you to compare and choose before you visit the City of Light.

#Paris #bistro #frenchfood

Timeline:
00:00 – Intro
00:31 – Maison Cluny
03:12 – Le Petit Vendôme
06:44 – Le Mesturet
09:48 – Chez Léon
13:59 – Au Vieux Comptoir

🍴 Maison Cluny: https://www.maison-cluny.fr/
🍴 Le Petit Vendôme: https://lepetitvendome.fr/fr
🍴 Le Mesturet: https://www.lemesturet.com/
🍴 Chez Léon: https://www.facebook.com/chezleonRoutier
🍴 Au Vieux Comptoir: https://www.au-vieux-comptoir.com/

Bonjour! Every month on Paris Top Tips, I invite my viewers to join me in discovering a typical Parisian restaurant—the kind where locals eat, whether it’s a brasserie, a bistro, or a bouillon. In this video, my dear viewers, I’ve compiled reviews of five of my favorite bistros to make it easier for you to compare and choose before you visit the City of Light. So let’s go, and discover 5 typically Parisian bistros where locals eat! Highly rated on both Google and TripAdvisor, our first typical Parisian bistro, Maison Cluny, is located in the heart of Paris, in the vibrant Latin Quarter. This delightful restaurant is renowned for its cozy ambiance and its traditional cuisine infused with a touch of creativity. On a rainy evening in March, I went to Maison Cluny to enjoy dinner with a friend! The bistro’s interior is a charming blend of vintage and contemporary elements. While there are a few dishes of pure bistro tradition on the weekly planner, the menu is more inventive and changes regularly. Here’s a look at the menu in English for June 2024. As you can see, prices are quite reasonable. Even though it’s not very extensive, the wine list offers some excellent bottles. My main: Blanquette of piglet cheeks with clams, winter vegetables and white rice. It was delicious! My friend took the Papardelle with shoulder of lamb confit, wild garlic, mint and peccorino. It was also excellent, according to her. For dessert, I enjoyed a Vacherin with fresh citrus fruits and glazed coconut The total price for 2 starters, 2 main courses, 2 glasses of wine and a dessert was 95€. An excellent value for money considering the quality of the dishes. Overall, Maison Cluny is a must-visit for those seeking to experience the charm and flavors of traditional French cuisine in the Latin Quarter neighborhood. Next on my list, a pure Parisian bistro serving typical French dishes: Le Petit Vendôme Although it is located in the most luxurious neighborhood of Paris, a stone’s throw from the magnificent Place Vendôme, in the 2nd arrondissement… … Le Petit Vendôme is a real local bistro, where you can enjoy a typical Parisian culinary experience, no fuss or frills Here, booking is almost compulsory, and the queue on the sidewalk is sometimes very long, the café being also ultra famous for its sandwiches. The decor is deliberately quaint, but the place is packed full of locals for whom what matters is what’s on the plate, not on the walls! So, if you want to “eat where Parisians eat”, that’s the place to go! Let’s have a look at the menu! As starters, the great French classics are there: snails, foie gras… Try the cheapest ones, egg mayonnaise or sardines on grilled baguette Or try a board of assorted cold cuts! And for the main courses, there too, you won’t find more local! My suggestion? The escalope or the veal blanquette, the beef cheek stew too! And if you are really ready to venture into dishes with a more "French" taste, go ahead and try the andouillette, or the pig’s trotter! Le Petit Vendôme is both a bistro and a wine bar. You will therefore find very nice and well-sourced wines here. There are even “great” bottles at affordable prices! Personally, I preferred a beer. I was alone, and for me, wine is something to be shared! I arrived before noon for lunch, that’s why I was able to get the last free table. But the restaurant filled up very quickly, and it was soon as noisy as a Parisian Café can be! So, let’s see what I ate for lunch! I started with egg mayonnaise. They were almost perfect… Almost! As a personal taste, I prefer when a a little more of olive oil enhances the flavor and gives more taste Then I went for the “Escalope de veau sauce normande et pommes sautées”, in English,“Veal cutlet with Norman sauce and sautéed potatoes” What a treat ! The veal was perfectly cooked, melting in your mouth, and the creamy sauce with Calvados and button mushrooms was a perfect complement to the sautéed potatoes I finished this lavish meal with a light pistachio crème brûlée I paid 38€50 for a starter, a main and a dessert plus a beer. Considering the quality, and the neighborhood, this price is really good. The egg mayonnaise at 8€ is a bit expensive though! In conclusion, if you like pretty decor, luxurious table service and refined dishes… then the Petit Vendôme is not for you. But if you want to visit a real traditional Parisian bistro with good traditional dishes, then come to the Petit Vendôme. Just remember to book in advance! Now, come with me to another classic Parisian bistro located in the heart of Paris: Le Mesturet Le Mesturet is located in the 2nd arrondissement, between the Grands Boulevards and the Louvre, just one metro station away from the Opéra Good atmosphere, good service and good food: that’s what Le Mesturet is known for! The menu is quite extensive, offering typical French dishes but with a touch of originality For example, if the restaurant offers a burger on its menu, as is more and more often the case, here it’s a duck burger with foie gras! The price for a starter – main course or main course – dessert formula is €28.50, and the complete starter – main course – dessert formula is €34.50… … which is very correct, considering the quality of the food, and the neighborhood Every day, in addition to the menu, you can choose the starter, main course or dessert of the day! Decoration and atmosphere of a Parisian bistro, quite noisy, I must say The menu provided to you is in French, but there is also one in English, on request The "Plats Grand-Mère" (Grandma’s dishes) are typical French specialties that I recommend to you…well, maybe not the calf’s head and its breaded brains, unless you are adventurous! There’s good selection of beers… …and an excellent wine list from small growers We both took a beer! As a starter for my friend: deviled eggs with shavings of sheep cheese For me, Guinea fowl with tarragon in Provence rosé jelly: really delicious! The bread was good too Then I continued with one of those granny dishes: veal blanquette. Definitely my favorite dish in traditional French cuisine! And my friend got the Day main : roast beef in black pepper sauce with ratatouille. But no friendly rat to serve it! Over all, a very nice lunch experience. Let’s see the bill now! As I have already mentioned, the price of the starter – main formula is very correct, compared to the quality. But the pint of beer at 11€50 is way too expensive: it should rather be around 8 or 9 € It remains a very pleasant culinary experience, which I recommend if you are looking for a typical Parisian bistro in this neighborhood 4th bistro in this list, I’m thrilled to whisk you away to a culinary gem nestled close to the Saint-Lazare train station. Join me as I have lunch at Chez Léon, a restaurant that epitomizes Parisian bistro authenticity. What sets Chez Léon apart is its esteemed status as one of the last three restaurants proudly bearing the revered label of "Les Routiers" in Paris. Dating back to 1934, this designation carries a rich history intertwined with the tales of truckers traversing the French landscapes. In the 1930s, François de Saulieu, a journalist with a keen eye for storytelling, shed light on the lives of these nomadic truck drivers. Following this, he created Les Relais Routiers, restaurants easily recognizable with their iconic blue and red signage. These establishments swiftly became havens for weary travelers, offering not just sustenance but an authentic taste of French cuisine—unpretentious yet impeccably crafted. Today, Chez Léon stands as a proud guardian of this tradition. It’s not about haute cuisine; instead, it embodies the quintessence of a deeply French heritage, … characterized by simplicity and the sheer pleasure of pausing to savor a delicious traditional dish Let’s get inside! The old wooden counter, the tiled floor, the checkered tablecloths, everything here exudes authenticity! As you can see, at Chez Léon, there are only authentic, traditional dishes straight from the heart of Parisian bistros. And yes, here, no menu in English! And when it comes to the wines, most are poured from pitchers, there are just a few bottles on the wine list. For my starter, I opted for the most quintessentially French starter, along with foie gras: the egg mayonnaise! … with a good Belgian beer! My friend, not very hungry, has opted for a simple Parisian Salad: green salad and raw vegetables, egg and emmental cheese! And my main is a roughly chopped sausage with homemade puree and shallot sauce Definitely not haute cuisine, but flavorful and revitalizing fare. My friend’s dessert : lemon pie with meringue And for my choice: Pain perdu with poached pears and crème anglaise. Totally authentic, still in its original form! The chef is preparing a dish featuring calf’s head! In total, we paid 55€ for both of us. So, if you’re looking to experience a truly Parisian atmosphere, unpretentious yet filled with deliciously simple food, then Chez Léon is the place for you! Our last bistro, nestled just 20 meters from Metro Châtelet, epitomizes the essence of Parisian dining. "Au Vieux Comptoir" is a hidden treasure one would be eager to introduce to close friends only. For over two decades, this establishment, born from the passion of a bon vivant couple, has delighted gastronomes in the heart of Paris. To me, it stands as the perfect traditional Parisian bistro, a testament to culinary pleasure and timeless charm. Excellence without pretension – that’s what a great bistro should aim at, and that’s the guiding principle of my hosts tonight In the kitchen, Chef Cyril Bourlois crafts dishes with devotion using the freshest seasonal ingredients, …while in the dining room, Anne Bourlois takes care of guests with a warmth that feels like a personal invitation into her own home. The menu at "Au Vieux Comptoir" follows the rhythm of the seasons, offering an array of delectable dishes that reflect the natural cycle. When I went there, end of April, I could indulge in truly French delights such as a homemade sausage served with creamy aligot, … a whole veal kidney with mustard cream, or a shoulder of lamb for 2 paired with coconut beans. As for dessert, let me tell you, the one I had was truly unparalleled—a masterpiece among Parisian restaurants. And, as befits a good bistro, the wine list is extensive, boasting over a hundred references, including some prestigious selections. Yet, the true joy often lies in the simple pleasure of sharing delightful pitchers of wine … be it white, rosé, or red, with our cherished friends. This napkin neatly tucked into a napkin ring truly adds a touch of home to the dining experience! Undoubtedly, the ambiance in a bistro is lively and bustling, yet it’s a noise we quickly acclimate to, becoming an integral part of the venue’s charm. So, let’s talk about the experience! Don’t you find this pâté en croute with foie gras extremely appetizing? Well, I did! And it was sooo good! It’s served with pickles that are so yummy, you’ll find yourself reaching for them in the jar again and again. Absolutely delightful! My friend took pan fried razor clams with cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilies and smoked ham, and she said it was excellent too! Not much left! And it’ll soon disappear… For main, she treated herself to the famous homemade sausage of "Au Vieux Comptoir," … crafted from a blend of pork and cheddar, and served alongside delectable aligot—a flavorful combination of mashed potatoes and cheese. Served by the owner herself, I indulged in the Boeuf Bourguignon … a classic dish of tender beef stewed in Burgundy red wine, complemented by a medley of mushrooms, pearl onions, and savory bacon. And while it may seem unconventional to request grainy mustard alongside a dish already enhanced with wine sauce, don’t hesitate to do so. The addition of mustard can work wonders, especially when paired with this kind of meat, tantalizing your taste buds with a delightful burst of flavor! Despite the Burgundy wine-enriched sauce of my dish, I opted for a lighter red wine from the Loire, specifically, a Ménetou-Salon, to accompany both of our meals. Yes, I know. My dessert doesn’t seem appealing at first glance! Yet, even before I started tasting it, I knew it would be delicious! This organic rice pudding topped with salted butter caramel is absolutely divine! One of the best I’ve ever eaten in a Parisian restaurant! Let’s face it, the bill at Au Vieux Comptoir may be a bit higher compared to other Parisian bistros. However, it’s the cost of impeccable, flavorful, and soul-refreshing cuisine… Along with the most charming service you’ll find! So, yes, my dear friends, I strongly recommend this restaurant I do hope you liked this video, and that it succeeded in making you want to give a try to one or more of these bistros. Or maybe all of them!