Cafe De Paris

We had a very friendly, attentive waiter, and the service at Cafe de Paris was excellent. It’s right on the Cr Mirabeau, a good spot if you like to watch people while eating. We began with oysters, then had a Fisherman’s stew, similar to a Bouillabaisse, and a Caesar salad as mains. Both were good. The tarte tartin and strawberries with chantilly cream were lovely to finish, and the seafood here is especially good.

We lingered over lunch on a Sunday, watching people go by. My wife had duck and I chose veal Milanese, and both were delicious. They came with salad, plus fries for her, and we had a few glasses of house wine. The meal cost $55 Euro, not a bargain, though fair enough. Getting the order placed and asking for things took a while, but the food arrived quickly. Salt, pepper, oil and vinegar for the salad, and ketchup for the fries never showed up, which wasn’t much of a surprise. Still pleasant enough to give it a try.

We had lunch out on the terrace. My wife chose chicken and I had a croquet monsieur, both were good. An elegant spot with friendly service.

The bathroom was awful: sticky floors stained with urine, a damp giant roll of toilet paper, a broken door in the women’s room, locks that wouldn’t hold the doors shut, one stall with no light, watery soap, and no toilet seats. I’ve used cleaner, better bathrooms in South America for less money. We were nearby and needed a toilet since the city has no public facilities. I was prepared to buy something for access, though I find that practice tiresome, and ordered two soft drinks because it was hot and I didn’t want coffee. They said takeaway drinks weren’t allowed, so my 250ml sodas were poured into five small espresso cups. Then I was charged an outrageous 9€ just to use the restroom. The price wasn’t mentioned until after the drinks were poured, and the person taking payment sneered when I looked surprised. This place is a ripoff and gross. Don’t stop here, you’ll leave unhappy.