Les Bascules — Restaurant in Paris

I was in France recently and went twice to this new exquisite Mediterranean restaurant in Paris called Les Bascules. Absolute gem. Location is central, close to Place de la Bourse or Opera metros. Honestly, this is one of the discoveries you almost don’t want to share because the experience was so special. The décor and cuisine are super refined, but the prices are absolutely reasonable. For lunch, I had roasted eggplants with a labneh (yogurt) and an olive crumble. It was both hot and cold, soft and crusty. Truly unique. For someone like me who travels all around the world, I did not expect to find the best salmon I’d ever had in a Parisian restaurant, but I did. It was crusty and melting in my mouth at the same time. The place also embodies what I like best about multicultural Paris. Patrons and people working there were from all over: West African, Lebanese, French, American. The owner is a music lover and the acoustics are top notch. The day when I went for lunch, a guy turned up and asked if he could play the piano. They let him and he started playing some old American classics beautifully. I liked it so much I went back for dinner when they were hosting a jazz concert. The star of the show was a woman saxophonist who turned out to be Geraldine Laurent (won two Victoire de la Musique awards – basically the French Grammys). Despite all this, the atmosphere was the same as at lunch - very unassuming and laid back.

I truly fell in love with that place. For me, this is the quintessential Paris. For drinks, I recommend the Lelio cocktail with vodka, white wine, lemon, roman syrup and ananas, and of course the Make America Love Again with Cognac, Kalhua and chocolate bitter.

If you go to Paris, don’t miss...

Very very bad experience. Went with my girlfriend to celebrate my birthday, we reserved a table 1 week before. They made us seat at a table that was so attached to another one ( with a big group of people ) that there was literally no space for the waiters to pass. The table was literally part of the other table, my girlfriend was sitting at 10cm from another random dude. When I asked the owner if he could move the table or give us another one he answered with arrogance and being rude. Never been so disrespected like this at a restaurant before. Results? We spent the whole night stretched in between people walking and rubbing their back on us trying to pass in a 10cm space with poor waiters asking several times to move because they couldn’t pass. The situation was so ridiculous that at a certain point we started laughing. It felt like being in a movie. The food is very small and overpriced. Thanks to the kind waiter that took care of us, he realised how uncomfortable our table was and offered us a dessert! He was very nice and professional, but unfortunately this can’t make up for a rude owner who disrespects his clients like this, considering also that you pay 20€ per person just for sitting down! Been living 3 years in Paris now, never had such a bad experience, definitely would not...

À défaut de pouvoir réponse au commentaire, j'écris ici la réponse : Nous avions réservé directement sur l'option de réservation Google, donc sans passer par le site internet ni par les réseaux sociaux concernant les 10€ remboursé, il s'agit de 9.5€ car vous nous aviez compté 4 verres de vin et nous en avions pris que 3. Donc rien à voir avec le concert - l'erreur est humaine, pour cela que je le mentionnais pas dans mon commentaire initial

Nous avons très bien mangé : les plats à partager, revisitant les cuisines méditerranéenne et libanaise, sont délicieux et pleins de saveurs. Comptez environ 15€ par plat, avec deux plats par personne en moyenne pour être rassasié. Le cadre est agréable, le patron chaleureux, et l’ambiance conviviale.

En revanche, les verres de vin sont assez chers : entre 9,50€ et 16€ selon le choix. Mais si c'était que ça, ça aurait mérité un 4 ou 5/5 Le GROS BÉMOL au moment de l’addition : un supplément de 10€ par personne pour un “concert” nous a été facturé, sans qu’aucune mention n’ait été faite lors de la réservation sur Google ou dans l’email de confirmation. Nous avons fait la remarque au serveur, qui s’est contenté de nous renvoyer à une affiche placée à l’entrée du restaurant, avec un ton assez sec du type : bah c’est affiché, vous aviez qu’à regarder.... Ce manque de transparence a franchement terni l’expérience, et nous ne reviendrons pas à...