La Fontaine de Mars — Restaurant in Paris

Upscale yet unpretentious restaurant that prides itself on superb dishes. From the moment you are seated, the experience begins. The wait service is professional and amiable. The atmosphere, both inside and outside is welcoming and relaxing.

Our server brought over a large chalkboard with specials and reviewed each one with us. He made recommendations and was glad to answer our questions. The wine and meal choices we made were absolutely perfect.

I observed that the total wait staff always walked with purpose and intent, was eager to please guests while meeting a level of expectation undoubtedly set by the owner. This was nice to see.

What was immediately apparent was the gourmet construction of each dish. It is evident that the chef prides himself on creating extra special, mouthwatering offerings, made with the finest ingredients. Our server communicated this effortlessly.

We highly recommend the escargot, roasted duck with polenta and stewed meats with cannelini beans. Delicious. Unfortunately, after the appetizer and meal, wine and bread, we had no room for dessert.

While we did not sit inside, I can share that there is an old world charm and character which transports you to the late 19th/early 20th century - including the restroom! The furnishings and fixtures are beautiful and well maintained. The ambiance is special. There is an attention to detail that I enjoyed. This is repeated to a certain degree outside. I would love to return one day.

Merci beaucoup for making our last meal in Paris truly memorable. The dining tables outside, surrounded by flower arrangements and awning cover, created a private oasis that only served to heighten our...

So I have to admit, my review here will be coming from two different angles, which one is right? which one is wrong? That's your choice to decide. I first visited this restaurant in 2019 on vacation/ recovering from a relationship, so no, not a vacation at all lol. My dad highly recommended this restaurant and this man taught me the foundation of fine dining, so I trusted his opinion unquestionably. I ended up getting his favorite dish and now honestly my favorite dish (not from here) oeufs en meurette, it was good, it was better than good, and than I moved to the duck canard, also very good, yet there wasn't anything overly special but the uniqueness of the oeufs en meurette, to my palate, still fine. Ok, post pandemic, I'm living in Paris, I have oeufs en meurette tons, too much lol. My parents visit and so we return, my dad orders the oeufs en meurette, as I try it again, I try to hide my displeasure, albeit poorly. Everything that came out whether the veal chop being over cooked to them screwing up my mom's dish, was completely substandard for Paris, you can literally go down the street and find a better restaurant. It comes down to, it has a name and people like to go and be seen there, the quality is well past it's prime, service was rather disorganised, and well the cassoulet was very good but it just felt a restaurant resting on its laurels. I won't go back again, there's too many other places to try, and with their volume they might not even be aware that the quality is so poor, so there's no reason to get better if you're turning tables over. Sorry Dad but I saw it in your eyes, your heart, and stomach too. You also taught me culinary...

We went there because we wanted to eat a nice creme brulee and it had really good reviews in different places. Of course, we wouldn't order only deserts, so we ordered two appetizers and a main dish (plate of the day), together with some wine and other drinks, and later we would order the deserts. We were in three people and they had just opened, so they had some free tables (even though it was fully booked).

After a few minutes the waiter came back saying that his manager didn't allow us to order less than 3 main dishes because the house was full, so we needed to order more or leave.

We didn't even argue because we don't like to stay in the place when things like that happen, but I found it very weird. Specially because we walked by 2 hours later and they still have some empty tables. Also, we were definitely planning to order more things.

I want to highlight that the staff was very kind though, the waiter apologized multiple times and was visibly sorry with the situation. For me it was not the smartest management call, specially because our 'simple order' was already 60 euros, including wine and salad where the profit margin are quite decent.

IMHO, it could have been handled in a completely different matter that would be good for both sides. In the end it was positive, we ate in a great place nearby and we don't have plans to ever try La Fontianer de Mars again, regardless of how good they might or might not be.

Also, we weren't told in advance about this 'rule', what could have avoided the whole issue if it's a house rule, we would have agreed and made a decision before sitting down...