La cantine de Sam — Restaurant in Paris

This was a confusing and pretty subpar experience. I am puzzled about the 4.9 reviews. Sadly, our experience warranted only two stars at most.

We used Google reviews to find this place, initially looking for the adjoining BABA restaurant. We walked into what we thought was BABA (door was open, another patron was sitting down at another table), and we noticed a smell. It smelled of mould and mothballs.

The floors weren't very clean, and the kitchen was dark and looked to be used for storage. All in all, the vibe was pretty awful.

We wondered if it was indeed operating, but we remained sitting for another 10 minutes or so, just to see, and eventually the server from next door came and gave us menus, but they were for Cantine de Sam, not Baba. She said the two adjoining places have the same owner.

Apparently, Baba is closed for the season. However, the hours haven't been updated on google (says it's still open), and there is no notice anywhere on the door, and no website... Frustrating.

So, ok, it has the same owner, so we thought - let's eat at La Cantine de Sam, while seated in the smelly Baba...

We ordered a few vegan burgers, and a vegan shakshuka, as well as a halloumi rice. The food came reasonably quickly, and the homemade lemonade was good.

The burgers, however, were not good. The patty was tasteless (it was listed as vegan steak, but was some mushy mixture of peas and something else) and with hummus on a very threadbare bun, which crumbled and literally fell apart for all three of us before we could even eat half the burger.

The shakshouka had a good flavour, but really wasn't anything worth glowing reviews.

Our server was friendly, and even though she dropped the entire dish of potatoes on my daughter while serving it, spilling potatoes on her clothes and on the floor, she was really apologetic, and we of course realize mistakes happen. But I believe one of the reasons this happened is because the place is so crammed that the server didn't have a chance to step around the nearby table to properly serve the dishes to each patron. This is of course up to the owners or management, so no reflection on the wait staff.

Overall, I would never return there nor...

"A Heavenly Parisian Dining Experience at La Cantine de Sam"

My recent lunch at La Cantine de Sam was an absolute delight. The Parisian charm of this restaurant is only outdone by the impeccable and innovative cuisine it serves.

My meal started with an appetizing trio of Halloumi, Falafel, and Tabouleh. Each dish was wonderfully seasoned and brought to life with an impressive blend of flavors. The Halloumi was fresh and beautifully balanced, the Falafel was perfectly crispy, and the Tabouleh was refreshingly vibrant, making this trio a star-studded start to my meal.

The main course, a vegan burger, was simply outstanding. It was a testament to the culinary creativity at La Cantine de Sam, boasting a depth of flavors that would impress any foodie, vegan or otherwise. The accompanying potatoes were flavorful and cooked to perfection, rounding out the main course wonderfully.

What truly set this experience apart, however, was the extraordinary service provided by Axel. His attentiveness, knowledge, and genuine hospitality amplified the whole dining experience, making my lunch at La Cantine de Sam truly unforgettable.

If you're in Paris and looking for an extraordinary dining experience that expertly merges ambiance, cuisine, and top-tier service, then La Cantine de Sam should certainly be...

I ordered a falafel pita. It tasted good, but the overly fried falafels were rock hard and hurt my teeth to eat. I could hear the person at the next table loudly crunching on falafels, too. The veggies weren't spread out in the pita, so I got several bites of oily zucchini and garlic sauce near the bottom.

I arrived at noon, and the servers were busy preparing the restaurant and the one nextdoor (Baba), which shares the same menu. They left the front door wide open to run in and out with trays. It was freezing inside. I couldn't even take off my jacket. The staff was so busy with preparations that customers seemed like an afterthought, or like we were a bother.

They did serve water, take my order quickly and bring the...