La Grande Colette — Restaurant in Paris

I was really excited to go to this café, as it's right around the corner from my apartment, gets great reviews, and I love the vibe it seems to give, with books lining the walls. When I arrived for dinner last night, a gentleman outside (i think the owner or manager) was quite friendly, seeming not to mind my lack of french language knowledge (though I tried) and allowed me to sit at a table on the terrace. When the waiter came out, I wasn't quite ready, so decided on a wine. He asked in English "big or small glass", I said small. He grabbed the menu out of my hands, and rushed off. At least I knew I wanted either the escargot, or a chicken sandwich. He came back with my wine, a large glass (later confirmed be the large glass price on the bill) and rushed off again. I gave the benefit of the doubt, as they were busy. I never got the opportunity to order food. Every time the waiter came outside, whether to help another table, or just to look around, I tried go make eye contact, tried to get his attention, but he seemed to be refusing to stop at my table, to look over, anything. It wasn't until my glass of wine was empty that he asked if I wanted the bill. I'm not sure if it was my poor French language skills, the fact that I wasn't ready with my drink order quick enough...maybe he just doesn't like foreign visitors? But he certainly had no interest in serving me, and made me feel completely unwelcome. This is my third trip to France, so I understand not everyone has a welcoming and friendly personality, but this waiter made me feel extremely unwelcome. As a solo traveler, already having a day of feeling a but lonely, and excited to try a great place for dinner, I was extremely let down. I had considered going back today for breakfast or lunch, but the experience was so terrible just because of this waiter, that I will now avoid. Too bad. I was so excited for the place, great view of Tour Saint-Jacques, super cute, and good looking menu/pricing. But I won't go back, for fear of being made to feel unwelcome, and not 'good...

This was my and my wife's first French meal after arriving in Paris. We were going to a neighboring bistro, but it was closed. Cafe Colette looked nice, so we went in. I was immediately attracted to books lining the walls. The host was very friendly. Our waitress was attentive enough but also gave us enough room to enjoy our meal. Luckily, I brushed up on French etiquette, and was able to understand procedures; I just wish I could have communicated better in the native language. (One of the one star reviews didn't understand that going into a cafe to use the bathroom and then leaving after looking at the menu is incredibly rude and comes off as opportunistic. Next time look at the menu outside and buy a drink before using the facilities.)

For dinner I had the French onion soup, which was prepared more like a broth, but I enjoyed it. Main dish was chicken with a wonderful mushroom sauce. My wife had boeuf bourguignon with egg noodles. Dessert was a pistachio creme brulee which had a strong taste of anisette. I was pleased with the chef's variations on these popular dishes. But overall, the best part was the atmosphere. It was a nice quiet cafe that lived up to my image of Paris, and it was a good meal to kick off our vacation. They even had a friendly cat wandering around looking for scraps.

I want to thank everyone at La Grande Colette for an enjoyable first...

I don’t usually write negative reviews; and as someone who has lived in Paris for decades, I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to Parisian “attitude.” But I have rarely had such a rude greeting in a restaurant as I got here. Yes, I committed the cardinal sin of showing up with a folded-up Brompton (smaller than, say, a piece of carry-on luggage) and asking (oops, with a smile) if there was a place I could put it. I’ve never had a problem with that over several years. And I could have accepted an “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any room for that." Instead, I got "You can’t bring that in here. We aren't a parking lot." Repeated multiple times when I dared ask (once, politely) if there was no cloakroom or corner. "Nous ne sommes pas un parking." (Yes, I speak French fluently.) No apology. Just “we get this 10 times a day and I don’t have a parking lot in here.” That’s the kind of client-oriented service that I would have expected 20 years ago in a traditional Parisian café. Not in 2024 from a modern place I have been multiple times. So I went to the Sarah Bernhardt around the corner. A traditional cafe where you expect attitude from the waiters. And I got the kindest welcome with an unsolicited offer to assist in finding a back corner for my bike, followed by an excellent meal. Last time...