Paris 12e Arrondissement
À La Biche Au Bois

À La Biche Au Bois

45 av. Ledru-Rollin75012 ParisFrance, Paris 12e Arrondissement

Poisson • Français • Européen • Cuisine Traditionnelle


"It is quite possible to become a victim of media like TripAdvisor or Eater. This is, no doubt, a temple of simple but delicious French traditional food; the coq au vin, the andouillettes, escargots..., I could go on. And it's thoroughly good at À la Biche. But with international fame come the challenges: "all the world" want to experience the genuine French food and the atmosphere of the place. And suddenly, the servers find themselves explaining the most obvious facts to a clientele who don't know what an "andouillette" is, ("you problably won't like it"), "gesiers", "ile flottante"... I could go on. There's nothing wrong with that. But even the most patient staff will eventually be influenced by having the role of an "instructor". The result? The rhythm and speed of the meal increase, you feel rushed when you should feel relaxed, and the dishes are served as speedily as possible ( perhaps to clear your table for the next guests?) These are the consequences of becoming a part of the tourist industry. Lovely coq au vin, and very nice staff, but when I wanted to finish my red wine before ordering the dessert, I was asked three times by three different servers if I was ready to order. So I ordered my ile flottante, ate it, paid and cleared the table. I believe it's the curse of TripAdvisor and others. A pity, for it is a nice place, you know."

La Promenade

La Promenade

32 avenue Daumesnil, 75012 Paris, France, Paris 12e Arrondissement

Pizza • Cafés • Français • Végétarien


"We were recommended to this restaurant as somewhere that serves good food at affordable prices and the recommendation proved 100% correct. Recently opened by two very hard working young men, Mathieu and Bruno, La Promenade is a modern interpretation of a traditional Paris bistro. We were so impressed that we chose La Promenade as a subsequent dinner venue for a group of 25 friends with whom we have just spent the weekend in Paris. Mathieu offered us a very affordable three course menu with excellent choices for our diners who all made their selections in advance. Starters comprised an ample and delicious homemade terrine served in a small Kilner style jar, tasty French onion soup and an interpretation of eggs mimosa together with a crisp fresh salad. Main course options included grilled salmon with colourful mixed vegetables and a steak of excellent quality which was judged by all who chose it to be cooked precisely as requested. Desserts included an outstanding apple tart and a creme brulee which, most unusually, came up to the benchmark standard of my wife's own version! Mathieu, Bruno and their helpers managed to serve our entire group swiftly, efficiently and with good humour - not an easy task with a large number of hungry diners - and on a hot night when they also had a large number of other guests eating outside on the promenade!We will definitely return and we wish Mathieu and Bruno all the success they so richly deserve."

Amarante

Amarante

4 r. Biscornet, 75012 Paris, Paris 12e Arrondissement, France

Café • Français • Européen • Cuisine Traditionnelle


"Our last dinner on a Spring, 2016 three week visit. A new name, highly recommended by sources with mixed records.A non-descript one block street close to the Bastille Opera, a convenient location. One look inside through the window, and our expectations sank. Bright. Charmless. Ten tables and a service bar in an L-shaped room. Plain tables. No linens. A single Asian waiter. In our section of the room, table of four Asians and an older Asian couple next to us. Are we in a Chinese restaurant? The unsmiling waiter drops the menus. Then it all changed. The waiter began to respond. Formerly at 3-Star Guy Savoy. The long a la carte menu (with a low priced formula section too) reflects simple, but classic French preparations. The Asian couple next to us, Parisians for 65 years, are foodies seeking out new restaurants. The food is terrific; the ingredients impeccable and the preparations like the décor: simple, direct, unadorned, unfussy. The prices are low, especially for the quality. Ditto the wines.For Michelle, the décor trumps the outstanding food. For me, a great find. FoodSliced veal tongue; tender, simple broiled pork chop with puree of Jerusalem Artichokes; perfect, unsweetened chocolate mousse. Perfect smoked salmon; slow cooked lamb with fresh peas (and better than recent lamb preparations at Michelin-starred dinners); lemon crème brulee.ServiceOnce he opened up, the waiter was professional, helpful, bilingual and proud. The waiter, chef and helper make up the staff.Prices125€ for 2, with water, coffee and a 28€ Burgundy. A bargain."

Shan Gout

Shan Gout

22 Rue Hector Malot, 75012 Paris, France, Paris 12e Arrondissement

Soupe • Viande • Chinois • Poisson


"There are bad restaurants, terrible restaurants and then there is Shan Gout.I've been to Paris 9 times and had my share of rude service and bad Asian food. But this is just jaw-droopingly bad food and the service is not just rude. It was get-up-and-scream bad. It is probably the worst restaurant my wife and I have ever been to!We walked in for lunch and most of the tables were empty. The waiter, who I believe is the owner, refused to answer even the basic questions.Anyway, we went ahead and ordered sticky rice and noodles with some vegetables. And dumplings.The dumplings were in-edible and my son, who eats practically anything, refused to touch it after two bites.I had the stick rice and I swear - when I poked my chopstick and lifted it, the entire bowl of rice came out. It was more like glue-rice, not sticky rice. My wife had ordered noodles which she could also not separate.It was not surprising because the dish was cooked in front of us in literally 60 seconds. The waiter/owner then completely lost all interest in us. We wanted a fork since chopstick was not the right instrument. By this time, we were the only ones in the room. He just waved me over to a place which had a bunch of chopsticks. Come on!When time came to pay, he refused to take my Visa card, which I've been using all over Paris. I pointed to him that his instrument does take cards. He just flatly refused to try.Anyone who thinks this place even remotely serves Chinese food should really get out there and try real Chinese food.Avoid this at all costs!"

Pouzenc

Pouzenc

67 rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France, Paris 12e Arrondissement

Thé • Français • Européen • Desserts


"My wife found this place through TripAdvisor. The reviews were raving about the food, the environment of the restaurant, and the chef and manager who run the place, and boy were they correct! My wife and I both appreciate good food, and this was one of the best experiences we've had (across many continents!).We decided to stop by the restaurant at opening time on a Tuesday night; unfortunately, the restaurant was completely booked that day. The chef came out and made reservations for us for the next night. There are only 5 tables + the bar with 3 stools in this popular restaurant, so making reservations is definitely a must!We arrived the next night at 7PM, and were the first customers there. (As Americans, we have dinner early compared to French people.) The manager and chef greeted us and showed us the menu. The menus are in French, which we both speak at a basic reading level, but both the chef and manager speak English and are very helpful. We were not sure if the place took credit cards (fyi, they do!), and we had 100 euros in cash. We informed the manager of this, and told him to simply surprise us with a meal. We decided on one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert, and one glass of wine for each of us. The manager and chef discussed in French what to serve us, and we decided to put our trust in them. What followed was the most magnifique assortment of flavors, temperatures, and textures we have experienced in many years of traveling. The food is truly incredible! They change their menu often; in fact, we returned the next night, and the menu had already changed! Because of this, I will not describe the specific dishes we had in this review.If you like being surprised with food, I would definitely recommend having the owners select your food. It is impossible to go wrong. As I mentioned earlier, we followed this pattern two nights in a row, with a different menu each night, and both experiences were magnificent. Do yourself a favor, and reserve the memory of a lifetime in this restaurant!"