Bistrotters — Restaurant in Paris

It's a small, quaint, charming place. We'd come here with hopes of having some great, classic French food, with a fresh approach, but the majority of dishes fell flat or below par. We chose the 37 euro 3-course, choose your own adventure menus for our lunch.

Starters: pate en croute for me, and seasonal vegetable plate for her. Pate en croute was fine, standard. Seasonal vegetables were a pretty boring French preparation of boiled vegetables with a puree tying it all together. Vegetables tasted like...well, boiled vegetables. I think even if you used the best vegetables in the world, boiled vegetables just wouldn't be that exciting. A sauce or aioli or punch of acid, or even some finishing salt would have made this more enjoyable.

Mains: crispy pork belly for me and beef braised in beer for her. The pork belly was barely acceptable, with a small bite being crispy. It wasn't an unctious piece of pork belly that I generally expect when eating this cut, but moreso stringy and a bit on the dry side. Potatoes served with this dish were again, boiled, cold, and unseasoned. The beer braised beef was served tepid, with vegetables and sauce barely above room temperature. The beef was dry to begin with, and the braise liquid lacked depth and seasoning. We sent this back just because at bare minimum, we expect food to be at least warm. It came back just slightly warmer, and quite a bit drier.

Desserts: French toast for her and lemon curd with meringue for me. French toast was probably the only redeeming part of this meal, tasting like a crunchy warm bread pudding. Lemon curd was quite sour and the overall dish didnt have much going for it texturally. Grainy lemon curd, hard cake, and a tacky meringue.

Overall: this place reflects a general trend we've seen in our week of eating across the gamut of restaurants in Paris: little value for the price, lacking in execution, lacking in flavor, and lacking in any excitement. It wasn't an expensive meal, but by no means cheap either. I just wish they'd do away with making the plates look prettier than they actually taste and focus on actually make it taste good. And for 90+ euro, really not worth another trip or any semblance of a...

Gastronomic indulgence

My wife and I went there after I had accessed the reviews here. I had intended to go there a couple of nights earlier but we thought the laneway looked rather dark and intimidating in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. When we felt that it was safe to roam these streets after 7 pm, I entered without making a reservation and asked if there was a table for two, the young waiter informed me that we were very fortunate that someone had just phoned to cancel their reservation. From here on, the staff were at every stage charming and charismatic. There were two specials: one incorporated 2 courses for 30 euros; the other 37 euros for 3 courses. We went for the 2 courses and a half bottle of white wine recommended by the manager. We both chose the trout and vegetables followed by the French toast with caramel sauce and chocolate flakes. The ambient music was dreamy contemporary jazz and nostalgic numbers. The food was delectable and ample in amount. The freshness of the vegetables was enhanced by a butter and olive oil sauce, while the trout was cooked to perfection and sat on top of the vegetable giving them that added flavour. It's not that nouveau cuisine where there's a small serve on a large plate and the sauce wasn't too rich; there was that balance of omega 3 with healthy carbs. The dessert was exquisite and again generously portioned. All this was compliment with a fine white wine from the southern region of France which was recommended by the manager, half bottle for 20 euros (4 glasses). You must do yourself a favour and dine at this spot, because you get great food, wine and service at a...

Affordable Michelin-Star Experience – My Dinner at Bistrotters

During my recent trip to Paris, I had the pleasure of dining at Bistrotters, and I can honestly say it was one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had. As someone visiting from Australia, I was eager to experience refined French cuisine, and Bistrotters absolutely delivered.

The evening began with a beautifully balanced Velouté de choux-fleur aux coques, a cauliflower velouté soup enriched with cockles, fennel, and a striking squid ink foam. It was delicate yet full of flavour—a perfect appetiser that set the tone for what was to come.

For the main course, I enjoyed the Cuisse de Canard confite, a duck leg confit accompanied by a vibrant mango and ginger jus, spiced roasted sweet potatoes, and zucchini linguine. The duck was meltingly tender, and the sweetness of the mango-ginger jus offered a surprising but delightful contrast. Every bite was thoughtful and harmonious.

And then came dessert—what a finale. I tried two: the famed Pain Perdu with salted butter caramel and crispy chocolate, and the Gâteau Moka au café with chocolate ganache, hazelnuts, and pistachios. The French toast was, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had—rich, comforting, and completely deserving of its reputation. The mocha cake was decadent and balanced, with the crunch of the nuts providing perfect texture.

Bistrotters is clearly deserving of its place in the Michelin Guide. The service was warm, the setting intimate, and every plate was a celebration of flavour and technique. If you’re in Paris and looking for a high-quality, affordable Michelin-star experience, this...