Au 35 — Restaurant in Paris

We were staying in the neighborhood and our hotel staff highly recommended this restaurant. We made a reservation for the following evening and were excited to try the place. Very attractive bistro in a great location. Wait staff was very good, friendly and attentive despite our location in the restaurant (more on this below). We tried a variety of items on the menu which were very good, well prepared and nice portions. Wine was very good also - great selection and decent prices. All comments would have led to a 5 rating except for the following. When we arrived, nearly the entire main floor of the restaurant was available for seating. Despite this, we were seated in a small dining room on the second floor. Space fit 10 or 12, but during our time in the restaurant, only one other party was seated up there....who were also English speakers. We thought that maybe the entire restaurant was full and thus we were put in the overflow area. However, we were in the restaurant quite awhile enjoying our great meal, dessert and wine, and when we left, the main dining area was only about half full. This left us with an uncomfortable feeling that clouded an otherwise very...

C'est magnifique. My father and mother recommended Au 35 after eating there. They travel to Paris often and a recommendation from them is high praise. I took my family (5 of us) there after a long overnight flight from the USA and a full day of walking around Paris. Au 35 opened for the evening meal promptly at 7pm. We did not have a reservation and were warmly welcomed in for a meal. The server spoke good English and she was polite, energetic (she ran up/down stairs the entire time we were there), and provided excellent service throughout our leisurely two+ hour meal. They have English menus for those not so good with the language - reading both French and English side-by-side is fun. I had pot au feu and it was excellent. The beef tenderloin, lamb and duck were also very good. The salads were flavorful as was the pumpkin soup. And the desserts were a perfect ending. By the time our meal was over the restaurant (upstairs and downstairs) was filled with mostly locals and a few travelers. We'll be coming...

Second night in Paris we opted to try this little bistro close to our hotel. While not terrible this was not a great culinary experience. Way down the list on our European travels. Service is there but unwelcoming. My bride ordered a steak and asked for medium rare. She was served a medium well piece of beef and regretfully sent it back to the kitchen. (Which is upstairs). I was almost finished my dinner by the time her plate returned. They did not freshen up the side and the new piece of beef was almost raw - there! Take that for sending it back. The server even shared that the chef was arguing over the beef being overcooked which is was ... by a mile !!! Had to ask for refills on wine, which is not uncommon in France I was soon to learn. All in all the experience was not worth the money tendered and we...