Bouillon Julien — Restaurant in Paris

Influenced by the internet recommendations, I made a dinner reservation for 2 at 6:30 pm Monday Jan 08. The place is 2-3 min walking from a metro station, with easy access. We were the first to get there at around 6:12 pm - the restaurant was still closed - and we waited outside in a temperature of 1 C (about 33 F). By 6:30 pm there were about 15-20 people in line outside behind us, the majority with reservations for 6:30 pm like us. Doors did not open until 6:35 pm, and after a couple of people went in to enquire about the delay. A single man told the group to get in but not to go to the tables. He then at random began asking for the names in the reservations and started taken random groups to tables, without any organization or concern for the order of the line. We were eventually sat at a table for two m, which was about 2.5 foot (0.75 m) across -very tiny- placed next to other similar tables side-by-side. The arrangement made us feel like eating in a single table with strangers to the left and right breathing over your food. The inside architecture of the room is indeed interesting (as per other reviews), but we did not go there to marvel over the walls or ceilings of the place. We order the specialties: (1) escargot (snails), (2) rillettes du mans (sort of a pig pâté), for appetizers, and (3) bouillon Julien, and (4) beef “strogonoff” as main dishes. Food reviews: (1) it came with six units, cooked with butter, salt and basil - very average; (2) a small quiche-like portion, soft taste, served with an unsuitable cold and very hard single toast -luckily a basket with six slices of soft bread were brought to the table and used instead; (3) the bouillon was really tasteless; essentially warm water with salt with a burnt after taste (as if the bottom of the pot were it was cooked was burnt); a few cube-like pieces of meat inside were also tasteless, fatty and chewy, with 2-3 small pieces of carrots and something similar to orzo pasta (tiny pieces of pasta) at the bottom; (4) this dish was a misnomer: I have eaten and cooked stroganoff before, and this dish is NO stroganoff (Grigory Stroganov and chef Charles Briere, must be turning in their graves!); it was rather a long strip of a broiled flank filet placed on top of a hard portion of mashed potatoes (see photo); the steak was cooked well (medium) but it was greasy (cooked in butter?), chewy and also tasteless like the mashed potatoes. Had I known about the “stroganoff” I would have avoided it, as steaks as notoriously -with very few exceptions- bad in France (compared to Brazilian and/or American steaks!). I also had a glass of the house red wine which was alright. The waiter was attentive and nice, with good english (I would give her 4/5 stars; the 2 stars for service was for the waiting outside and entering debacle). As the dinner progressed and the restaurant got more crowded we felt more like sardines inside a can! We decided to skip the dessert considering the disappointing food experience and cramping environment. Luckily the amount of money spent was not too high (about €50), but the overall experience quality was ridiculously low. Note 1: if you allow clients to make reservations for 6:30 pm, make sure the doors are open at 6:15 pm the latest, specially during frigid weather; unless you want them to turn into popsicles. Note 2: the naming “bouillon” is descriptive - like the Knorr cubes, bought in supermarkets to ENHANCE FLAVOR (e.g., when cooking Marsala sauce). Of course, this should never be a dish in and on itself, not even for soup! This restaurant seems like a tourist trap. We are definitely not going back or suggesting anyone throw away their money. Note 3: Coincidently, the previous night we went to a restaurant in Paris called “HaNoy 1988”, near the Norte Dame, and had the best soup-like Pho dish I ever eaten, full of taste and consistency (the place is humble -low price- but the food is superb!!). Maybe Julien’s owners could go there and learn some real cooking from their...

"Here, everything is beautiful, good, and inexpensive"

In the mid-19th century, a butcher, Pierre-Louis Duval, created for the market workers the first “Bouillon,” an establishment where a meal both simple and hearty was served. Later, Camille and Édouard Chartier took up the idea but installed their bouillons in sumptuous settings. Following this model, in 1906, Édouard Fournier inaugurated in turn the Bouillon Julien, a true gem of Art Nouveau: mirrors, lights, colors, panels of glass paste, extravagant moldings of staff sculpted with plant motifs—both feminine and animal—, the floor covered with tiles symbolizing flower carpets, all a delight for the eyes.

This sumptuous establishment seems to have been created solely for the pleasure of wealthy clients, and yet Julien is proud to be nothing more than an authentic Bouillon.

Don’t forget to admire:

The magnificent Cuban mahogany bar, rounded and decorated with scrolls and arabesques, covered with a finely wrought pewter counter. It was designed and crafted by Louis Majorelle, cabinetmaker-decorator and member of the Nancy School.

The large glass ceiling with plant motifs, signed by the father of Bernard Buffet, which diffuses a soft and cheerful light.

The gilded bronze wall sconces, evoking bouquets of tulips, lighting up the four seasons symbolized by flower-women whose dresses are inlaid with cabochons and pearls of colored glass. These panels are by Louis Trézel, inspired by the work of Czech painter Alfons Mucha.

On the back wall, Armand Segaud signs two splendid panels framing a mirror, where peacocks against a background of moon, stars, and white flowers symbolize eternity...

The restaurant was easy to find and close to the metro. The place is beautifully kept in the original old style. The decor is very Parisian and interesting to dine there. There were lines prepared outside so I expect if it wasn’t a rainy day there would be a Q. You should make reservations beforehand as the restaurant did fill up quickly with locals after we seated at 12pm.

The seating is typically Parisian - cramped and tight spaces so don’t bring big luggages or baby prams. People in the next table had to move their tables so people could get out.

The menu looked very nice , wish I had stomach to eat more. The steak and house wine were good on their own already. The prices are affordable. And if the locals are mainly the customers there you can ensure quality and affordability.

The service is quite slow though. It took a very very leisurely pace to serve the food. Children will be irritated if they are young and impatient. Don’t come super hungry. The leisurely pace of dining is Parisian style I think, everyone else was chatting and sipping wine, dining for at least 2 hours.

The Julien dessert I didn’t fancy so much. Tasted like a hard chocolate bread with rum. The creme brûlée was not bad.

Everyone else commented the dishes they selected were quite tasty but the curry noodles portion was too small for an adult. A small child polished it off easily.

The staff are generally friendly and they have English menu and English speaking servers too which was very helpful. The facilities/toilets for ladies is very small and cramped so it’s best to go before the after lunch rush.

I wouldn’t mind coming back here again next time...