Le Chardenoux — Restaurant in Paris

Definitely a three-star-as-aggregate-of-good-and-bad kind of place:

The good:

-The decor and vibe is very nice (though in vibe terms, more tourists than not which may be red flag number one).

-The cocktails are really solid and the bartender is very efficient

-The fish was generally good, especially the pollack, as was dessert.

The neutral:

-The head waiter is a walking facsimile of the stereotypical Parisian maître d'. Disdain flows from every pore, contained by a very thin veneer of correctness. Some may enjoy this. Other waitstaff were quite shy, maybe just in English (or because their boss scares them, which is fair).

The bad:

-The price/quality/portion ratio is very poor. I don't mind paying for a small plate of intensely flavourful food, or a large plate of tasty food, but this was neither. The steak was a huge mis(steak) - a thin bavette that was cooked well past medium rare, consequentially dry, under seasoned and - most oddly - served without the potato purée it was supposed to come with (our asking for it then led to bill weirdness later). Fortunately we'd ordered some extra sides otherwise we'd have left very hungry, but while tasty (honestly the best seasoned elements of the meal) they were also tiny portions for €8-10.

-Wine by the glass is comically overpriced for what is being offered.

-Service was very slow at times - we sat around for quite long stretches without anyone asking after additional drinks, dessert or bringing the bill. The initial round of drinks/food orders were taken and delivered quickly though.

Overall, feels like a restaurant that's coasting a bit and relying on the aesthetics and reputation to draw in tourists for one-off meals. You can absolutely do better in this...

Sadly this is a racist establishment that I will not recommend to others. My family and I came for dinner with a reservation for 7:30 pm. All tables were empty except for one table when we arrived at 7:25, but the staff sat us at a table directly by the bathroom. Ironically, the next party to arrive was also one dark skinned woman with a white companion and the staff sat her even closer to the bathroom. The staff did not bring bread to us until after the appetizers came out and until I asked if they were going to bring bread. They did not bring the wasabi/mixed nut amuse bouche on time, so the staff took it off our table almost immediately after bringing it. The staff never, not once, cleared the crumbs from our table despite doing it for tables next to us multiple times. This is extremely disappointing as we expected a level of service when dining here.

The restaurant was full by 8:00 pm and every single diner was white except me, my family, and the black woman next to us.

When it came time to pay for our meal, I asked why we were seated by the bathroom. The staff said every single party in the restaurant had selected their table in advance which is why I was given a table by the bathroom, supposedly a "good seat." I said that is bizarre. I absolutely do not believe that everyone else in the full restaurant picked their table in advance. The staff said seating us by the bathroom is "normal." The food was not worth racist treatment. Please take your...

We had an incredible meal here, with outstanding food and service that made the evening memorable. The dishes were delicious —highlights included the salmon and rice, crab and avocado, and the foie gras, which was hands down the best we have had in Paris so far. The burger was also excellent, a perfect blend of flavors that exceeded expectations.

However, I feel compelled to mention an awkward moment at the end of our meal when we were asked if we wanted to tip. As visitors familiar with French dining etiquette, we understand that tipping is not customary here, as service charges are typically included. This request caught us off guard and left us feeling a bit uncomfortable, especially since we tipped 20%, as we would back home in the U.S. While we value good service and are happy to recognize it, the situation felt out of place and left us with a slightly bitter taste after an otherwise stellar experience.

We hope this feedback helps the restaurant fine-tune the guest experience, as the food and ambiance truly deserve all the praise. Overall, we had a wonderful evening but would encourage the team to consider how this aspect might affect diners’...