Abstinence - Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Paris

On May 21st, 2025 at 7:00 PM, my husband and I experienced one of the most disappointing — and possibly discriminatory — meals we’ve ever had while traveling.

What made it worse was not just what happened, but that we couldn’t properly speak up due to the language barrier. We walked away feeling powerless, confused, and honestly angry at ourselves for not challenging what clearly felt wrong.

We are Asian tourists, and the entire evening felt like we were being quietly pushed out — or at least treated differently.

It began when a staff member asked if we would like some water. We said yes, and were brought a bottle of Evian — later revealed on the bill to cost €8, without any prior mention of price or alternatives.

While we were still reviewing the menu, a staff member approached and told us that the card machine wasn’t working, and that they could only accept cash. They pointed to an ATM across the street. It felt awkward and out of place, but not wanting to make a scene, we chose to stay and ordered two main dishes and a glass of white wine.

The glass of white wine I was served had several bits of cork floating inside. Was it a poorly stored bottle they casually recommended, or did they simply not bother to check the glass before serving it to me? I chose to let it go at the time and drank it with a generous spirit, but looking back on the whole experience, I can’t help but wonder: Was even the wine part of how little they cared to treat us properly?

But the most unsettling moment came when we asked to pay. The same staff member who had insisted on “cash only” began whispering and having a long discussion with someone who appeared to be the owner, both glancing at us. Then, without explanation, they brought out a fully functioning card machine. No apology. No clarity. Just a cold transaction.

In total, we paid €88 — for bottled water we wouldn’t have accepted had we known it was €8, flawed wine, a silent reversal on payment — and a deeply uncomfortable evening.

We still wonder: Did everyone else in the restaurant hear “cash only,” or was that message just for us — a quiet way of telling us to leave? Or maybe the machine magically fixed itself right after they told us it was broken? We’ll never know, because no one ever offered a reason, a lie, or even a shrug. And that silence — especially toward non-French-speaking Asian guests — left us feeling humiliated.

This was our very first meal in Paris, and it left a sour taste not only in our mouths, but in our memory of this city.

If you care about basic respect, honest service, and not being quietly pushed aside — go elsewhere.

And to the staff: If telling us “cash only” was your polite way of suggesting we leave — I wish we had picked up on it earlier. We could’ve just paid €8 for the fancy water and saved ourselves from the rest of the experience. We stayed, we ate, and we paid — but we...

This was a very disappointing and a bizarre evening. We booked a last minute New Year’s Eve celebration after a train delay so we didn’t have any high expectations. But this was just a waste of money. I think this is the first time in my life I am actually writing a negative review. The price was 180€ per person. So we thought at least the experience will be nice. We arrived on time and were seated by the door with cold wind and hot air blowing in our faces but we were in such a good mood we didn’t even complain. Then We waited 30 min for a bottle of water. We had the first appetiser Nearly an hour after we arrived. 40 minutes later still no starter, because apparently someone forgot about us. When it finally arrived I can’t even describe how bad the food looked and tasted. We actually still laughing about it. It was raw obviously undercooked falling apart dough. By then it was already 11pm and we arrived 9.30 sharp so we asked if the main and the dessert can be speeded up so we can actually leave before midnight to see the fireworks. By 11.30 The hardest gnocchi one can find arrived. but anyhow at this point we just wanted to get out so we asked for the check. And this is where the funniest thing happened that made me write this review. 15 min later the check still didn’t arrive so we asked again and annoyed waiter told us that we have the dessert coming. We already said politely that we don’t have time to eat it and we have to go. 5min later the check arrived and the waiter said we don’t need to pay for our lemonade 10£ each as a good gesture for their delay. But then the same moment our desert arrived. My partner was already on the way out but I was so hungry I quickly took a spoon of the desert. That same angry man with handlebar moustache runs right back to us and says - oh if you will have the desert then you have to pay for your drinks. The 20£ for the mocktails we had. He actually asks us come back to the cashier and pay for the free drinks he just offered just because I took a spoon of our dessert we paid for 180€ per person .. and that is what get you bad reviews. Having bad food is subjective. Having mean greedy attitude is a...

Based on our prior experience in February at La Fontaine Gaillon we did expect this to be a nice evening and it really was even more so.

An extremely warm welcome from Léandre who mentioned our prior booking in February so made us feel like returning friends. He's such a knowledgeable person about hospitality especially wines. Took his time to explain to us the menu and the wines which he personally selected as part of it. Even gave us a small taste so we could make a decision finally.

Nicholas handled our table service and was really quite fun and a bit cheeky which is always good. Rather adorable as well. I mean this is France so all the waiters are gorgeous right?

We had already decided we were going to do the seafood Thursday night menu as it's some of our favourites! Food came promptly as did the wine and the cocktails but with no rush whatsoever - very relaxed atmosphere throughout the restaurant and evening.

The quality of seafood was absolutely fresh as can be, presented simply and just delicious. You can't really go wrong with Plateau (12 huitres, 6 crevettes 12 bulots) menu for €60.

I would say for the price this is one of the best values in Paris for this type of cuisine. They do quite a few theme nights like this one on Thursday definitely worth checking out the others.

Finished off with a rather interesting chocolate mousse I believe it had cardamom on it, a bit of spice and heat so not too sweet which was lovely.

The group that owns this restaurant has embraced each of their locations individuality and that reflects in cuisine, decor, staff and food. You get the feeling you're going to an independent restaurant but they have the infrastructure to ensure everything is done properly and consistently.

We'll definitely be back and do highly recommend this.

Vincent &...