Ferdi — Restaurant in Paris

Ferdi is a restaurant that provides an amazing experience for its customers. We tried getting a table on a previous visit to Paris a few years ago, but they told us that we had to make a reservation. Thus, we made sure to make a reservation this time and it had to be through an SMS message (we had help from a staff member from the hotel we were staying at), and we luckily found a reservation on the same day that we sent the message. However, I would like to point out that we did see some customers asking for a table without a reservation and they were given one; maybe it’s because there weren’t many people at the time. It’s better to make a reservation if you really want to try the restaurant (to be on the safe side). Food was divine. We ordered their famous Mac Ferdi cheeseburger, a Caesar salad (we asked for the bacon to be removed since we can’t eat pork, and they fulfilled our request happily), Mac and Cheese, and fries. We thought the burger comes fries, but it didn’t, so, if you’re craving fries, make sure to order them. The burger was very flavourful (one of the best I’ve ever had) but not very large. The Mac and Cheese definitely did not disappoint. The Caesar salad had a very tasty sauce. The staff were very friendly. Considering the size of the place, there were only a few waiters (3 or 4; I’m not sure). Consequently, it took a bit of time for someone to come take the order, and then some more time for someone to give you the bill, and then you have to wait to have someone let you pay your bill. We weren’t bothered by that, because we didn’t have anything planned that we really had to get to. The restaurant space was not very large, but it was comfy. The way the place was decorated was very unique, and I just kept...

Here’s the upshot: the burger is enjoyable. But it’s not the best or close to it. It’s a well prepared version of a Big Mac or backyard burger. A sauce that’s basically thousand island, chopped grilled onions, a decent patty (good grind, properly cooked, mildly seasoned), and the equivalent of a store bought bun. But, honestly, how would Kim or Kanye’s opinion on food really be that meaningful?

The reality is with a good house made mayo/mustard/ketchup sauce with a little seasoning (maybe msg) and a proper cook and sear, a burger will taste good… but of the truly great burgers out there (Minetta Tavern, Emily, Au Cheval, Sam’s in SF, even in n out), this one doesn’t hold up. I would also prefer lettuce and tomato in a burger, but to each their own.

The other items we had were okay. Solidly prepared, enjoyable, but I wouldn’t waste a meal traveling here. However, it isn’t very pricey.

The ambience is cool, with kitschy toys everywhere and comfortable seats, but as is typical in Paris, you’re elbow to elbow with the neighboring table. I prefer to avoid this, if I can.

Service was… odd. They were curt with my partner when we arrived, not great. Once seated, they took our order quickly, but the server had B.O. — but the end of the meal was a bummer. It took several reminders to get our check and for them to collect it. And then when they ran the card, the server loudly asked how much we would be tipping. What? This is our eighth trip to Paris and no one has ever asked us that.

If you can easily get a reservation, maybe it’s worth a pit stop… Le Ruisseau a few km is a much better burger, in my opinion, and with much less fanfare trying...

I had a weekend in Paris and picked several spots I wanted to dine in a short period of time. We had accommodated our schedule so that we could try their famous cheeseburger at 4:30, in between lunch and dinner. I had tried to make a reservation through the concierge at our hotel and they had confirmed that they only except reservations via text message. I sent a text message and they responded “hello only saturday for lunch ! from 1:15 until 4:30 last order. it’s without reservation from 1:15 to 4:30. Walk in only !hope to see you soon. Ferdi”. So, we finish lunch on the other side of the city and literally walked 2 miles to get to Ferdi before 4:30. We walked in at 4:05 PM, and it took about two minutes until anybody acknowledged we were standing by the door. I asked for a table for two, and the guy inside the bar yelled “fermé, fermé!” I explained to him that I had sent a text message that morning and I was told that walk-ins were welcomed until 4:30 PM and it was 4:06! He did not believe me and asked that I show him the message. Which I did and when he read it he said “our mistake, the restaurant is closed.” I’ve begged him for a table and told him that we only wanted to share a cheeseburger and that we would be out of the restaurant very quickly. One minute before as all this was happening I saw another table walk in and their orders being taken. This is a pure example of racism, and discrimination against Americans. I would never ever, walk into this establishment again or recommend it to anybody.... and all this frustration for a cheeseburger? ...