Le Hibou - Paris — Restaurant in Paris

Went here yesterday and had a DISTURBING experience. The waitress who tended to us completely ignored us for the first 15 minutes at least. And then when another couple showed up near us, she goes to them and takes their order first and then comes to us. She noticed I wasn't happy but simply couldn't be bothered (She made it very clear through her demeanour!). Another waiter offered to call the manager and while I was speaking to the manager, the waitress was so angry, she was pacing up and down right behind the manager while muttering and saying all sorts of things. Then she makes a show of storming out, goes across the restaurant, feverishly smoking and speaking on the phone and was clearly mad at me for having an issue with her conduct and attitude. Later, my French speaking friend went to use the bathroom and she said the waitress was bitching about me to the other staff loudly. This establishment clearly doesn't have any control over the attitude and conduct of their staff. Her demeanour and behaviour felt very thuggish and menacing!!! Strangely, she kept repeating that she can't control how long the order takes to arrive. My problem was NOT how long the order took to arrive, it was HOW LONG SHE TOOK TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PRESENCE AND TAKE OUR ORDER!!!! Bearing in mind, it was early evening like 4ish or 5PM. Non peak hour thus not crowded!! Good thing my friends and I have tiktok to let the world know about this menacing, highly uncomfortable experience...

This used to be one of our favorite places in Paris pre-COVID. But we will never go back. The waitress brought us a mineral water we didn’t ask for but had to pay for… no biggie … I guess we can let that one slide. But then she had to come back and ask again what we ordered - and still got one of the dishes wrong. Then she over charged us - well I’m pretty sure she did. she printed out our ticket and placed it on the table €168. When I handed her my credit card, she picked up the ticket while speaking to me, ran the card and had me sign a check for €186. Now I can’t be 100% sure because she destroyed the original ticket, but the fact she took it tells a lot about her and therefore the establishment. She didn’t give me a final receipt so I have no recourse either. I know, I know: buyer beware. But there are too many other places that give great service and respect the customer.

By the way I am not one to write negative reviews all the time. My usual approach is better to say nothing. But this was not a matter of mediocre food; when I feel taken advantage of, others need to know to steer clear. They seem to have plenty of French guests and don’t need international clientele. Sorry to say it, but goodbye Le Hibou. It’s not me, it’s you. It was great while it lasted. We’ll always...

In The Conjurer, the famous painting kept in a safe at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye Municipal Museum, the painter Hieronymus Bosch denounces the credulity of his contemporaries. In the same vein of hidden things, the owl, hero of the Egyptian symbolism reveals what escapes the gaze and which only wisdom can grasp. Thus this place named the Owl («Hibou»), a stone’s throw from métro Odéon, is a mythical meeting place for passionate adventurers. Could it be said that this dashing terrace, with a décor halfway between a Cuban bar and a circus curiosity show, hides other mysteries that elude even its creators?

Accompanied by this volatile night owl, after enjoying such fresh cuisine, finished up with a molten chocolate cake or a roof pie pastry from Saint-Tropez made by chef Jérémy Février, you can’t let yourself get carried away in the Nest upstairs, by the quaint atmosphere created by Clémence Goutal, somewhere between a vintage English bar and a Jamaica Inn, then indulging in a gentle slide with a “Commandante, Brazooka ou Hasta Siempre” cocktail by the expert barman Stéphane Picaut. In the laziness which gives in to everything trendy these days might be found the dawn of an...