Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards — Restaurant in Paris

We visited Sunday, arriving around 1700 and, as a group of 6, were picked out of the short queue (still in the porch area). The later you come in the evening, the longer the queue. We have been to this restaurant several times before, as a couple or with friends. It is a must visit every time we are in Paris, for the last 40 years. I have to say that the reviewers complaining about the brusqueness of the staff and the packed in tables just do not get the idea of the Bouillon experience. The atmosphere, the noise and bustle and the décor is what does it for us and if you are a smaller party, the opportunity to meet other new friends is all part of the fun. On our last visit for example, the next table housed a circus troupe and we had a very jolly time with them. It will help if you at least attempt to speak French instead of doing the stereotypical British/American “thing” of talking even louder English. On the other hand, English menus are available and the waiters understand various other languages (in our case one fluent French speaker and three amateurs, one Polish/Italian and one English only). I recommend getting a French menu as well as English if you don’t know what things are, and order in French. If you make an effort, so will other people. Our waiter, Hocine deserves special mention for his friendliness, efficiency and time taken to explain menu items. He promised us an even better experience on our next visit, which I am afraid might be a while as we were not able to come back on this trip. Very sorry, Hocine, and hope to see you next time 🥰 Regarding the food, at these prices one is not expecting Cordon Bleu/ Michelin quality of course. Starters: my avocado & prawns was “à point”, delicious! Herring, terrine, salade frisée aux lardons, prawns and céleri rémoulade were all excellent. The bread was rather chewy; most baguettes out of the oven more than 10 minutes are like this! The main courses were less successful. Unfortunately they were already all out of the daily special (boeuf bourguignon). My confit de canard with potatoes in skins was very nice indeed. My husband’s “à point” steak was chewy (I swapped with him), but we have never had a tender steak in France - the cuts are different and the meat is not hung long enough - he should have remembered this! The chicken looked good but was pronounced a bit dry. The roast bream with vegetables looked fantastic and my sister ate it all. The green beans were overcooked (again a perennial French issue) but tasty enough. Mushrooms and especially chips were good too. Green salad - various leaves - was crisp and fresh with good dressing. Another issue is that most restaurants the world over and of all levels serve hot food on cold plates; how else can the waiter deliver 4 or 5 plates together? Just something we have to put up with. I was looking forward to a steak tartare but unfortunately it wasn’t on the menu this visit. Desserts, very nice lime sorbet, chestnut purée with whipped cream, crème caramel etc. all got approval. We had 4 Kirs pétillants, some bottles of a jolly good rosé wine and carafes of water, all served with jollity and the bill came to a little over €200 for the six (racked up by the drinks of course). Already looking forward to...

We visited this restaurant on a Saturday evening and joined, what turned out to be, a 1.5 hour long queue. Given the length of this, we reassured each other that this must be worth coming to given the various locals, large groups and varying nationalities that surrounded us in the queue. This particular restaurant was selected given 19,000 reviews averaging 4 stars.

Upon our eventual entry to the restaurant, the atmosphere was exactly what we were expecting; loud, busy and overall chaotic but in a controlled manner and seemed like we’d struck a winner! This was short lived. We were seated on a table of 4 accompanying another couple; something we were not prepared for nor was there any heads up prior to seating. This table was uncomfortable and despite my best efforts to increase room I was instructed to shuffle back under the table. Frequently knocking arms with the gentleman sat next to me and being barged by passing waiters, this definitely was not the French bistro experience we were expecting.

Our experience continued with what can only described as potentially the rudest and most disinterested waiter/server I have ever experienced. The baffling lack of interaction totalling no more than 3 minutes through the meal was appalling; 2 of these were paying the bill. Upon ordering the soup we were met with “No! Finished” with no other alternative suggested. This left my pregnant partner with extremely limited choice opting for the leeks. Despite its simplicity on the menu, one would assume it would be appetising but what came out was nothing short of disgusting; cold leeks with salad cream and zero flavour. I ordered the prawns and I can indeed confirm they were prawns and edible but that was about it.

The remains of our starter were taken back to the kitchen and before we could wipe our mouths, mains were placed. My partner had ordered the confit duck which was dry and accompanied by some rather tasteless and partially raw potatoes. I had ordered the veal stew which was revolting. It came in a coagulated and pungent inedible sauce with some rather questionable rice. It is safe to say this was not eaten!

We were offered the dessert menu and politely declined this opting to pay the bill and vacate quickly.

We cannot recommend this place nor do we find any particular attraction or reason to endure...

Just terrible.

We decided to go for lunch quite late that day, so many other places usually close at 14.30, but this one still open and we were just in the area so we decided to give us a try.

Yes, the price is very low but at what cost? We didn’t even expect much, but we want something that is at least edible and a somewhat decent service? The food has no taste and you get really bad treatment.

Right when we went in the lady (I guess the manger?) was talking other waitress and completely ignored us. My husband was standing behind me, so when I ask “Can I get a table for 2 please?” The lady replied to me “2 what? You and me?”, she gave a look to the waitress, they both laughed and continued their conversation in French.

The escargot was okay but while eating the last one. I found a huge rock/sand thingy in the sauce that almost chipped my tooth. I told the waiter about it about surprisingly, he just immediately took the plate away without saying anything. This is not an acceptable behavior.

But the main dishes (steak frites and pork trotter) was absolutely absolutely disgusting. You can see in the picture how weird the steak cut was. It was cold, chewy I can’t even cut it with the knife. Just cold, bloody and tasteless. The sauce is extremely liquid not thick and creamy but just bare tasteless and bland (even though it cost more for the portion with sauce). I just gave up and I didn’t bother to touch it after 2 bites. My husband had the trotter and he couldn’t finish it either, disgusting smell from the trotter with weird texture. We had trotter in Paris before and it was absolutely amazing, crispy and fatty with perfect seasoning so we sure know how it suppose to taste. Hence, Bouillon Chartier is a disgrace to French cuisine, many tourists come here thinking that this is French cuisine is like, but actually they are missing out one many other great places that truly represent this amazing cuisine.

Also, the toilet is so dirty and smelly. Yes, imagine right after you finish your meal, on your way out you will walk pass the toilet that reek the smell of urine.

I don’t recommend it because it’s a bad experience. You can find much better restaurants who also has...