Le Chenin - Paris

It was in the middle of the Parisienne heatwave, and the restaurants cooling system didn't cope but it was the same situation in the majority of Paris. The welcome and service however was fantastic and the food and the wine (which the owner organised for us) was brilliant. Great spot for a good value dinner in the heart of Paris.

Baigné dans une ambiance conviviale avec un accueil très agréable, on plonge dans des mets généreux, maison, frais. Une carte éphémère suivant les achats au marché. Une vraie bonne adresse parisienne où la passion de la cuisine de vos hôtes vous transportera dans un superbe voyage culinaire !

As authentic and traditional French meal as you could wish for.Red, White and Champagne all out of the bottle.Escargot, Steak Tartare and everything in between on offer.Quirky decor and was so much better than most other pretentious restaurants we nearly went to. Brilliant 10/10

I was having a quick trip in Paris, and was looking forward to having at least one really nice meal. I thought of going the Michelin Star route, but those were booked. Instead I combed reviews for a decently priced, but still good, bistro, and this restaurant came up. So I booked my reservation and looked forward to a pleasant dinner in Paris. This by far one of my most disappointing dining experiences in Paris in the half dozen times that I've been there. I honestly don't know where these good reviews come from, unless it's by people who (sorry, no offense) don't know what good French food is. It started when I asked for a Sancerre, a pretty common white wine you could find almost anywhere. The waitress brought me....something that was obviously not a Sancerre. I pointed it out and she took it back, then came back and said it was a wine that sounded similar, but actually they didn't have Sancerre. In a French bistro. They brought me another glass that was as close to Sancerre as they had, which wasn't bad. It just seemed like such an odd mistake. I chalked it up to them thinking I'm American, so I don't know better, and they would just give me whatever. Then I ordered the avocado appetizer and onglet as a main dish. Both were shockingly tasteless. I know the French can do great things with simple ingredients, so I wasn't looking for crazy spice or anything like that, but there was nothing at all special about either dish. The avocado "tartar" was basically plain avocado mashed up and formed into a shape. No salt, lemon, pepper, anything to bring out the flavor. The steak was also tough and bland. At this point I was going to just leave and try to salvage my night by walking in somewhere else. My appetite, however, was already pretty much ruined. I either caught the restaurant on a really bad night, or they are just used to serving tourists that frankly may not know any better. And yes, I do speak French and made sure they knew I spoke French. I didn't feel confident enough to complain, though I should have probably said something. In any case, I'm never trusting reviews again and am just going to have to go on personal recommendations from now on.

Very nice, cosy restaurant. Very good food. Polite staff, they speak enough English (much better than my French, thank goodness). I think we will be back before we leave. Merci!