Les Ombres — Restaurant in Paris

It’s not uncommon to have disappointing dining experiences with the advent of AI-filtered food pictures and adverts optimized to manipulate our cravings, but few have caused me to feel anger—for very palpable, analog reasons—like tonight’s dinner at Les Ombres.

I will note that I wasn’t physically at this restaurant, but that doesn’t make my ire any less justified, as you will see. I booked a table at this Alain Ducasse establishment so that my parents—visiting Paris for nothing less than their 40th wedding anniversary—could celebrate their shared life journey with some of the best food and view that Paris has to offer. All I could offer to my parents after hearing about their experience were apologies.

Let’s forget about the food for now. The photo I attach with this review is that of the remnant of a spider that somehow made its way onto my parents’ table towards the end of their meal. My mother discovered it and immediately called for help, but they reported that the help only came after an excruciating minute when the arriving server nonchalantly squashed it on the spot, staining the white cloth with the inner contents of the bug. This occurrence by itself, while unfortunate, might not be considered a cause for indignation warranting a scathing public review. However, the staff inexplicably exacerbated the situation by placing new utensil right next to the spot where the spider was freshly killed. When this unhygienic juxtaposition was brought to attention, the server merely put a handkerchief on the stained site and continued serving. I was eager to hear from my parents what they thought of the culinary delights; instead, I learned that they were made to endure disgust. No apologies were offered by anyone at the restaurant.

According to my parents, most of the dishes in the five-course menu offered even prior to the unexpected arthropod mignardise were not in keeping with the expectations or the price of a fine dining institution:

The Grilled Amélie oysters had pungent fishy odor that couldn’t be present in fresh ingredients

The burnt bread pasta was the saltiest food that they have had in ages

The staff did not ask about dietary restrictions or preferences, while the description of the dessert ingredients was woefully generic (Kiwi, sea lettuce and fresh herb sorbet). It featured cilantro, which neither of my parents can eat

The “ice cream” arrived in a near-liquid form

They somehow maintained enough objectivity to tell me that they enjoyed the appetizer, but it’d be a gross understatement to say things went rapidly downhill. By the time my parents were apparently given a small, thin sheet of chocolate for their anniversary, it almost seemed like an insult.

Even after hearing all the ghastly details, I would have preferred to handle our collective displeasure discreetly through a private email to the Les Ombres management. Unfortunately, the listed address on the official website is no longer in service, and I feel that leaving this review is our only chance at a recourse. Regardless of the response, if we hear back at all, I think the mental damage is done.

I genuinely hoped that a night at Les Ombres would give my parents a happy memory to look back on. That hope was massacred like the spider that briefly joined my parents for a night they won’t forget, for all the...

Alright… no idea what the negative reviewers experienced or if they have realistic expectations, but here was our experience- we were totally thrilled. Expectations exceeded.

We were running late and could not reach the restaurant via telephone and were quite nervous to lose our reservation. However, to our surprise we were met by a hospitality staff, Mila, who had an immediate smile and exuberant attitude and assured us it was no issue because, “I had such a beautiful lady with me.” Immediately impressed by the warm and fun initial interaction. From there, we were seated with a gorgeous view of the tower in a comfortable and pretty indoor dining space surrounded entirely with glass.

The first staff member to take care of us was Manon- she was extremely kind, helpful, and accommodating. Smiles the entire time and very warm to us. Soloman was the next and he was fantastic. He graciously dealt with our request for accommodations for my pregnant wife and was going through all 8 plates recommending alternatives and asking for preferences… on a fixed menu. People that’s rare if you’ve dealt with any service industry recently. Professional, well dressed, and kind and respectful with a passion for making others experience special. We were also served and cared for by Juliet. Again, she was kind, fun, happy to engage and talk with us, and took pride in her work and herself. Then RIGHT when we thought it couldn’t get better, Soloman directed Mila to take pictures during the Eiffel’s light show at 11 and Mila went WAY above and beyond. WAY. Lol.

Waters were always refilled, table was kept clean, napkins folded and left on table if you left, my food was covered when I returned after leaving once momentarily, bread was always offered between courses, delivery of everything was smooth and well managed.

Food was excellent. It really was. We’ve had fine dining experiences and usually felt unimpressed but this was perfect. It was exactly right for the money you spend to have a 2-3 hour evening looking at the Eiffel Tower eating an 8 course meal while being graciously catered to.

Thank you Mila, Soloman, Manon, and Juliet for truly helping us have a rich and complete Paris experience. We are so grateful and hope you receive our dearest compliments. My wife and I are Christians, so we are called to hospitality and care for others, and you guys exemplified that to us beyond what we’ve experienced elsewhere and it made our experience all the more rich and wonderful.

Thank you so much for all your hard work and intentionality. It helped us have the perfect Paris vacation.

God...

Here’s your review rewritten in a Google-style format — polished, entertaining, and elegantly sarcastic, perfect for standing out among polite “3-star” reviews:

⸻

⭐☆☆☆☆ “Great view, disappointing everything else.”

The entrance—wow. A stroll through a lovely garden had us thinking we were in for something special. Then… confusion. The “entrance” was empty and silent, and after some self-guided detective work, we discovered the secret: take the elevator to the rooftop.

Two hosts greeted us and seated us quickly—right next to the service station, the restaurant’s least glamorous real estate. Thankfully, every table faces the Eiffel Tower, which was the highlight of our entire visit.

We ordered water (tap, please) and received a pricey bottle of still water instead. Not the end of the world, but the theme of “close, but not quite right” continued all afternoon.

The set menu looked promising—three courses, five choices each. Simple. Focused. Efficient… or so we thought. Fifteen minutes later, with no explanation or service in sight, I had to stand up and find someone. The sommelier appeared, realized we’d been given the wrong menus, and swapped them out. No apology, just quiet chaos.

The amuse-bouche arrived—an artichoke purée so flavorless it made water seem exciting. When our waiter cleared the dishes, he left a dirty spoon sitting on the table for the rest of the meal. A bold aesthetic choice.

Thirty minutes later, our “pâté” arrived. Except it was more like a dry, shredded sausage masquerading as a terrine. We buttered it out of pity. Bread and butter finally appeared after we’d nearly finished the dish. When clearing plates, our waiter reached between us, elbow grazing my lap—fine dining meets modern dance.

The wine list was all French (of course), but my €5 Bordeaux from the night before near the Eiffel Tower was honestly better than the €20 glass here.

The comedic finale came when our server dropped an entire tray of desserts in the middle of the restaurant, freezing the room. We felt for him, truly—but not enough to wait another twenty minutes for our overcooked beef and artistic-yet-tasteless potatoes.

We paid, skipped dessert, and left.

If you want a beautiful Eiffel Tower view, come for a photo. If you want great food and warm service, go to Café de Commerce—€5 wine, perfect steak, and staff who...