L’Alsace — Restaurant in Paris

I’ve never left a bad review or any review for that matter but I wanted to share my feedback in hopes that it will help the restaurant improve the dining experience for future customers. I ordered the oyster sampler and was disappointed with the service I was given. I’ve had oysters in the past and usually I love them but they were very fishy tasting and were making my stomach turn. Additionally, I was not given an oyster fork or any utensils to eat the oysters, so I had to use my finger and mouth to eat it. The server was not present so I was not able to request additional utensils. As a result, the barnacles on the bottom of the each shell were getting into my mouth and each bite was crunchy. I was having to constantly spit into my napkin and wipe my tongue with my napkin. Once I saw the black residue on my napkin from wiping my tongue I had lost my appetite entirely. The server eventually noticed me doing this and came and offered me an oyster fork and a hand towelette but at that point it was too late and the physical and mental damage had already been done. I only had four of my twelve oysters and my grandmother and I quickly asked for our check. When the server asked if I didn’t like my meal I lied and said that my stomach already wasn’t feeling well and I should’ve ordered something cooked and it was my fault. We left the highest tip option available because I felt so badly and I understand that mistakes happen. On our way out and after seeing our tip the waiter was incredibly rude to me which is why I am leaving this review today. I repeatedly said merci and made eye contact with him and he looked me in the eye and glared at me and walked right past me. It was a busy night and I understand that people may have bad nights on occasion which is why I’m giving two stars instead of one. I understand that Americans are not known for being the most polite but I really tried my hardest to be kind and was disappointed that it was not reciprocated and that I was instead given the cold shoulder. After looking at other reviews it seems that I am not the only one who feels as if I was treated differently due to where I am from. I hope this review prompts some self reflection on behalf of both the waitstaff and management, so that all customers are treated equally...

I was willing to give this restaurant a 5 star review based on the food and service, but had to drop it to a 2 star because of being treated ‘differently’ by the host, Jimmy. My wife and I got to the restaurant at 10 pm on Sunday when at least half the restaurant was empty. The lady at the front desk appeared to take us to a table immediately when Jimmy showed up from nowhere and told us that there’s a 25-35 minute wait apparently because “too many people showed up in the last 20 minutes”. The actual number of people seated and already eating showed it was quite contrary to what he said. We wanted to see how this ends, so we told him we were going to wait. He did not seem to like that, but said “no problem”. All this time the front desk lady seemed to have an ‘I am sorry’ look on her face. Another non-white couple who showed up about 5 minutes later were given the same treatment as us by Jimmy, and they left right away. However, since we kept waiting at the front desk, it seems the host had no choice but to give us a table about 15 minutes later and not the 25-35 minute wait like Jimmy claimed. After we ordered our food and also while we ate, the place started to get busier with a lot more people coming in. Everybody who showed up including larger groups were white, and not a single person was asked to wait. We saw at least 3 to 4 couples and 2 larger groups being seated immediately. It seems we were lied to based on our looks. Anyway, we weren’t going to let Jimmy ruin our meal, because the food was actually quite tasty. We also got desserts which were really nice. The waitress was also sweet and efficient. I was a little surprised when she asked in the end if I wanted to leave a tip on my (American) credit card, and when I said yes she also asked if it was going to be 15 or 20%. I was entirely okay with this and left a 20% tip which is quite normal in the US, but I thought tipping (especially 15-20%) was not customary in France. This was not an issue for us since the service was good, but I just wanted to point out my surprise. I also want to point out that this had no bearing on the number of stars on this review. The only reason why this review is a 2 star and not 5 is because my wife and I were clearly treated very differently than the white...

WARNING!!! EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!

Don't be fooled by the rating and number of reviews...

I don't usually like leaving negative reviews, and it takes a lot for me to want to write one...but this place made it their mission to force it out of me.

First off, I'll start with the worst... When we ordered the mussels, he just added the most expensive one without clarifying, even though we pointed at the one we wanted when ordering. When paying, the waiter "accidentally" added a random main course dish onto our bill. We never even mentioned the dish when ordering. The dish was also in French so some customers might wave it off as something they assumed they ordered. We had to have it removed. Then, when the bill came back and we tried to pay, he sneakily added an optional 10% service charge, when confronted, he said it was automatic, and that it gets applied to everyone. But when he was redoing the bill, I saw him skip the service charge. We are not stingy and don't shy away from tips, but between the terrible service and uncomfortable staff behavior, we did NOT want to pay any optional service charge...

I found the entire interaction and experience shady and uncomfortable. Arguably one of the worst dining experiences in Paris.

Some other minor notes on the experience:

Honestly, completely unbiased, the food is pretty mid. Nothing was inedible, but I wouldn't recommend it if someone asked.

Second, the waiter just kept pushing into me to place down the utensils and dishes. I brushed it off, but of course it already left a bad first impression. Little did I know, this would be the least of my concerns.

Third, we would ask the waiter for something, and he just would not bring it to us for whatever reason. Even after having been asked three times for something as simple as black pepper, so we gave up.

Lastly, while we were eating, the other waiter pulled out her phone and seemed to be recording us for whatever reason. I can't guarantee this, but it seemed fairly obvious and made us extremely uncomfortable.

Just know I warned you about this restaurant. If for some reason you still do decide to eat here, just make sure you check the receipt...