Le Symposium — Restaurant in Paris

This is the first bad reaview I write. However, I believe I have to do so to warn from this restaurant due to its positive appeal.

We were extremely tired looking for a restaurant in the zone and were attracted by a seemingly very nice french man with a big white moustache at the entrance. We also confirmed the review score and it seemed good.

It seems like the classic tourist restaurant, however the food was quite bad, rather than the normal “average” for this type of restaurant.

The fries especially, which are priced above the avg for the small plate it is, actually tasted bad. We ordered 2 plates of fries. They looked quite appetising, however we could not even eat them. We expressed that they did not taste good and how we could not eat them, and they only replied that they were homemade, which is on itself not very encouraging of the kitchens quality. Despite vouching so much for them they did not try them to see if there was any problem with them or offer a new batch. Rather, they just aggressively defended the quality of them, as if our palates were not refined enough to appreciate these simple fries.

Besides that, the oil in the fondue was very dirty on arrival. They probably reuse it too many times.

If you can go through the meal without stumbling on any bad dishes or on the bad side of someone at the restaurant you might be lucky to conclude your day with an average meal and service. However, with the risk of getting an experience like ours, I would seriously avoid this place. We were already extremely tired, and it was...

honestly don’t understand how this place has a 4.4 rating.

If you care even a little about hygiene, avoid this restaurant. Nothing here feels clean. Staff handle forks, spoons, and even the rims of glasses with bare hands that don’t look washed. I even saw them touch something on the floor and then continue serving. They grab bread with their hands and move it between baskets while you’re still eating.

The food was just as bad. The vegetables were spoiled. The mussels not only tasted terrible, they even had small stones inside. The onion soup came with bread that was completely burned and black, making it inedible. Thankfully, I had tried onion soup and fondue at proper restaurants before, so I know how good they can actually taste—otherwise this place would have ruined those dishes for me.

Also, don’t be fooled by the “menu deals” they push. The portions are tiny compared to ordering dishes separately, and the quality is terrible either way.

Paris has amazing food—but definitely not here.

P.s:

We were there just for a small meal since we had already had lunch and only wanted to try some of the famous French dishes.

I also suggest paying attention to how they reply to reviews, as it really shows how much respect they have for their customers when facing any kind of criticism.

Anyone who has ever eaten oysters knows they should definitely not be full of...

This is a very good restaurant — the food is delicious and the vast majority of the staff are witty and friendly. However, I would like to point out that one of the waiters, an older white man with a white handlebar mustache, appeared to be quite rude. I’m not sure if he holds any racial bias, but several of his actions made me uncomfortable.

First, he deliberately accused me of blocking the aisle by sitting too far out — even though no one else had any difficulty passing by me beforehand. He insisted on speaking French despite me clearly stating that I do not speak the language, and his tone was condescending.

Second, when we tried to ask about our dessert, which had been delayed for quite a long time, he completely ignored us and walked away as if he hadn’t heard.

Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, the overall serving time for our table was 1.5 to 2 times longer than for other guests. I’m not sure whether this was due to this particular waiter, but it’s worth noting.

In conclusion, while I truly appreciate the excellent qualities of your restaurant, I regret that our experience was affected by the behavior of this particular...