Le Grand Café — Restaurant in Paris

Very well executed and tasty food in a beautiful setting.

I must admit I was amazed by the quality of the meal. It is not cheap that’s fair but you get a very delicious meal in the newly renovated Grand Palais.

Firstly, we were served yummy bread (2 types) with salted butter and also some radishes. What a great idea to start the meal.

Then we had for starters the Comte and truffle soufflé and the girolles and poached eggs. Both were delicious. The sauce which came with the mushrooms/egg was absolutely delicious.

For main, we both had steak with pepper sauce. The meat was cooked to perfection and the pepper sauce was very nice, it could be richer but still it was a lovely pepper sauce. We had fries and green beans for sides both portion were generous and very tasty.

Finally, we had for dessert the chocolate tart which was just so delicious. A must try for chocolate lovers! And we had also the chouquettes filled with chantilly which was served with a rich chocolate sauce on the side. The cream was not overpowering and the dish was very well balanced.

Overall, I was expected a restaurant where I would be able to enjoy the grand palais setting and have an average meal. I was wrong.

The whole experience was great : setting, service and food. A must try while in Paris for an authentic and...

🍽️ Food: The food was excellent — we loved everything we ordered and the quality was spot on. Unfortunately, the kitchen forgot our salad and one of the mains, and we weren’t able to flag it as our waitstaff was quite busy. By the time we could, the lunch seating time was nearly up.

🧑‍🍳 Service: Our waitstaff was very sweet and welcoming. Although she was clearly stretched, she stayed kind and had a genuine smile throughout and even let us order dessert close to the end of our seating time, which we really appreciated.

🌿 Atmosphere: Charming and pleasant vibe, though the 1.5-hour seating limit for lunch felt a bit rushed.

📌 Note on dress code & reservations: We had seen some reviews mentioning strict or selective entry, but we saw several guests in casual wear with backpacks being let in without issue — it seems as long as you have a reservation, you’re good.

Overall, a great spot with amazing food — we’d happily come back, hopefully with more time to...

If I could give zero stars, I would. We were deeply disappointed and frankly appalled by the treatment we received. Upon arrival, we were made to wait, only to be told by a young hostess that my husband—dressed impeccably in Hugo Boss—was not chic enough to be allowed entry. This was not only insulting, but also completely unjustified, especially as it’s the first time he’s ever encountered such a comment.

To make matters worse, as we waited outside, we watched several guests—clearly known to the staff and greeted with kisses on the cheek—being welcomed in wearing casual shorts and sandals. When I challenged this clear double standard, we were reluctantly told, “Okay, you can sit inside only.”

The experience left us feeling humiliated and unwelcome. We’ve never been treated so poorly, and it’s certainly not an environment where we’d choose to spend our time or money. Absolutely...