Lapérouse — Restaurant in Paris

Located in the courtyard of the Hotel de la Marine, this is the classic place where you pay for the location and not for the gastronomy. During our lunch here, we experienced many negatives situations:

1. my salad was described as "raw and cooked vegetables salad" but in reality this was not a salad but simply nr. 9 different types of vegetables, badly cutted and badly arranged in the plate, nr. 8 were raw and nr. 1 only were cooked (the eggplant). This horror costed 22 Euros, including a rotten radish.
2. somebody (chef or waitress) forgot our order. When the waitress noticed that, she apologized but unfortunately we waited 40 minutes before eating our starter, even if the restaurant was quite empty.
3. the waitress offered us some sauces for our hamburger. We said yes. Unfortunately the sauces arrived too late because we had already finished to eat the hamburger and the french fries. The hamburger was good but is too small! The water was not cold. The bread was good but is sipped. The service is distracting and impersonal, although the waitresses are kind enough. The coffee was ristretto, exactly how we asked for but the quality of the coffee is really bad. The cream of our dessert was dry and not creamy: it was definitely not a freshly made dessert... In short: for what reason should I come back here? None. The sensitivity of the Staff is zero: the waitress has seen all the problems we have had, but no one has made a gesture to apologize, perhaps offering a beer or a coffee. Typical french snobbish attitude, but, above all, typical attitude where the customers are "mass" and not individuals. Really not...

That was the most horrifying experience I've ever had with a restaurant. We booked a private room for a special dinner for a group of 14 people. We paid 100% in advance (3800€) and sent a confirmation to the restaurant. But just 1 hour before the dinner, the restaurant informed me that the money hadn't arrived and demanded that we pay again with a credit card. I re-sent them the confirmation that the money arrived at their account. They couldn’t see it and threatened to cancel our reservation if we didn't comply. I was caught off guard and didn't have time to find another place. To make matters worse, I didn’t have my credit card with me because I didn’t expect to pay again since we had already settled the entire menu in advance. I had to embarrassingly ask other guests to cover the cost once more. It was a nightmare!

Reluctantly, we paid again, and for 2 agonizing weeks, I had to plead to get the money back that was mistakenly blocked by their bank. The manager callously informed me that they were part of a large restaurant group and had other more pressing matters, so my predicament was not a priority for them. They nonchalantly double-charged me nearly 4.000€, and it meant nothing to them! After two weeks of frustration, their accountant finally deigned to contact the bank, and the funds were released and returned to my account the same day. So in 2 weeks he couldn’t find 1 minute to return the payment to the client! Not a single word of apology was ever uttered. It was the most atrocious service I’ve ever...

This former "house of ill-reputed" is now a supremely luxurious restaurant with prices to match. A collection of small rooms interlaced with hallways, Laperouse's décor matches its 18th and 19th century heritage with a very French imperial decorative style, with a number of small private rooms off random hallways (you will need personal guidance to find the washrooms).

We had a decadent meal including a Mesclun Salad and Foie Gras for appetizers; Dorade Flambee, Steak with Pepper Sauce & Fries, Lobster Tagliolini and Scallops Saint-Jacques for our means, coupled with fresh bread and a variety of cocktails. Everything was excellent and we certainly went all out (as you can tell) with a bill to match, easily passing 100 Euro per person. But this is what Laperouse is all about. Make no mistakes, this is French cuisine at its extreme so make sure this is the style of food you want.

Service as you would expect was on point and almost excessive (but that is part of the ambiance). You neither felt rushed nor waited too long which adds to the enjoyment of the meal. Best as an indulgent date night rather than a family dinner, it is still fun and eventful (just prepare the second mortgage documents in...