Bistrot Richelieu — Restaurant in Paris

If you’re looking for an authentic, satisfying, and genuinely memorable French dining experience in Paris, Bistrot Richelieu is the place to go. Tucked away in a charming part of the city, it’s one of those rare restaurants that delivers on both quality and atmosphere without charging tourist-trap prices. It feels real, grounded, and deeply French in the best way.

Their onion soup is easily one of the best I’ve ever had. It’s served at just the right temperature, the cheese is generously layered without being too much, and the seasoning is spot on. The soup has a rich, bold onion flavor that hits immediately and stays with you in a really satisfying way. It’s not bland or watery. It’s full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and melts beautifully in your mouth.

The foie gras is out of this world. It’s incredibly tender, with a delicate peppering and seasoning that brings out its natural richness. What really sets it apart is the chutneys they serve alongside. These are house-made and not your usual pairings. They add an unexpected, almost playful contrast that complements the foie gras without overpowering it. It’s clear that real care and creativity went into the combination.

If they’re offering the peppercorn steak when you visit, do not miss it. It’s one of their specialties and isn’t available every day. The cut is high quality, cooked exactly as requested, and the pepper sauce adds just enough boldness without drowning the meat. If that’s not available, their regular bouffe and daily steak options are excellent too. Everything is prepared with attention and consistency.

Dessert is another high point. Whether you go for the toasted pastries, the ice cream, or the classic crème brûlée, you’re ending the meal on a high note. The crème brûlée in particular is smooth and rich, with a perfect caramelized top that cracks gently under your spoon. It’s indulgent but not over the top. Just like the rest of the meal, it’s elegant and deeply satisfying.

What makes Bistrot Richelieu truly special is how it brings together great food, warm service, and a relaxed setting that still feels distinctly Parisian. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why French cuisine holds such a global reputation. You get a complete culinary experience, full of flavor and character, without needing to spend a fortune.

If you’re in Paris and want a place where the food speaks for itself, where the atmosphere is comfortable yet refined, and where every dish feels like it was made with intention, this is it. A true gem. Five...

We first entered this place and sat down, but since my girlfriend is a vegetarian and there was no vegetarian hamburger option on the menu, the waiter who came later directed us to the adjacent venue – which we assumed is part of the same business and has the same menu – saying we could find vegetarian options there. So we moved there.

At the door, a tall blonde waiter greeted us, but without even looking at us, just asked, "Inside or outside?" We said inside, and he let us in with clear displeasure. We sat at a two-person table in front of the bar. Later, he threw the menus onto the table without a word and walked away.

When he came back to take our order, he still wouldn’t make eye contact and didn’t even wait to hear our wine-related question (we were trying to understand whether the wine was red and if the price listed was for a bottle, as the menu was a bit confusing). He kept interrupting us and insisted we order quickly. We tried to stay calm and placed our order.

While he was entering the order at the cashier, I told my girlfriend we should just leave – we didn’t want to eat somewhere where we were treated this way. I turned to the waiter and said, “Please cancel our order, we won’t be eating here.” He turned to me and asked, “Why are you angry?” I replied, “Because you are not polite at all – you’re scolding us while taking our order,” and told him again that we didn’t want to stay. He then said, “Okay, then have a nice day,” and sarcastically added, “Was that polite enough for you?” as we left.

Considering the prices on the menu, the attitude of the establishment was terrible. Honestly, the price doesn’t matter – no matter the situation, you simply don’t treat people like that. We are definitely not the kind of people who expect ultra-luxury service. In fact, right after we left, we found another wonderful restaurant, paid even more, and had a lovely conversation with kind people while enjoying our meal.

To that blonde waiter, I would like to say: if this profession isn’t working for you, you have no right to impose such a bad experience on both yourself and the guests. Of course, we expect that the establishment will reply to this review claiming nothing of the sort happened – but it did, and even the bartender there saw it all...

I ate too quickly and forgot to take pics 📸.

A little bistro near our hotel with homemade fois gras to start, a generous amount of wine, and delicious mains: steak tartare and duck. 🥩🦆.

Beware: The next few paragraphs were basically my inner dialog 😂

Pre dinner thoughts: There really wasn't a dress code for this place, but the general "European casual" worked well. I say "European casual" to contrast the "American casual" of athleisure. 🏃‍♀️ One aesthetic change I've seen in myself is athleisure is unfortunately not an option. My anxiety would skyrocket as I would feel every person staring at me wondering what I was wearing.

Pre-dinner tip: Get a reservation! People coming in without a reservation rarely got seated. Only when there was a table opening up exactly when they came in did they get lucky. 📖

Dinner time: Now onto our experience with the people at the restaurant... let's start with the waiter. We noticed French probably wasn't his first language and enjoyed speaking English, so we went with that. What really made me remember this guy was when we ordered the steak tartare and he thought it was for Romain. When he realised it was for me, he said in his best southern Californian accent "Oh. My. God. Soooo freeeeench!!!" I nearly spit out my wine, because I was laughing so hard. 😂

Onto our fellow diners, I was having a nice sip of wine when all of a sudden I heard this American accent. I was confused, because no one was sitting around us. It was only until I looked to the other end of the restaurant that I saw this woman in a feather boa. It shocked me to realise how loud she was. To make things worse, when I went to use the restrooms, I was in the middle of my business when the door was shaking vigorously. Not only did this door shake once, but maybe 3-4 times. Then I heard the American accented voice say "I THINK THERE'S SOMEONE IN THERE!" As soon as I walked out, same lady. I just chuckled to myself. 🙈.

Like I said in my stories, loud tourists are my...