Les Deux Magots is nothing more than a money-making venture this year. While it holds a fascinating history, commercialization has completely tarnished its reputation. This feedback comes from someone who has dined at several reputable restaurants around Paris. The same experience we encountered three years ago persists today.

Upon arriving with our reservation, we informed the waiter about having a vegan diner in our party. The reservation seemed to surprise the waiter, who then directed us outside, clearly among the tourists. Despite dressing appropriately to respect the place’s history, we were left dining with others dressed in hoodies and shorts. One neighboring group had members sleeping on the table, sipping on Sprite. Another table had loud Americans wearing baseball caps and sports jerseys.

Maintaining their reputation should prompt them to welcome guests who appreciate the place through their attire. The disposable cardboard tablecloths were scattered on the terrace, along with a dreadful mess of dirty dishes and food remnants on the floor and tables. The service itself was painfully slow. The waiter opened the wine bottle at our table and left it there for half an hour before pouring into our glasses. The glasses and cutlery were dirty, and we had to send them back to the kitchen.

Despite mentioning the vegan dietary preference, there was no preparation for it. My appetizer arrived with eggs, despite ordering it as vegan. For the main course, I was served a salad because apparently, there were no other options. It’s astonishing that a renowned restaurant like this in the present day fails to recognize vegans.

The asparagus appetizer was watery and slimy. The salad, my main course, was decent but not satisfying in any way. My partner, who eats fish, received a clearly meat-specific steak knife, and my wine glasses were haphazardly mismatched with different wines.

It’s utterly disheartening that such a place struggles to comprehend the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian, which is absurd in this day and age. The overall experience was quite disappointing, and we had hoped that the establishment would maintain its reputation by demanding a more respectful dress code, providing better service, and catering to diverse dietary preferences appropriately.