Polidor — Restaurant in Paris

I rarely write reviews, especially negative ones, but our recent experience at Polidor was so disappointing, especially as a pregnant guest hoping for a pleasant final night in Paris, I wanted to share it, so it’s going to be a long review.

From the moment we arrived, the service was inattentive and inconsiderate. Despite being visibly pregnant and the restaurant being far from full, we were seated outside on a chilly evening without any consideration for my condition. The staff made no effort to accommodate us inside, even though there were plenty of available tables. It took an unreasonably long time for anyone to bring us menus—so long, in fact, that my husband eventually went inside and fetched them himself. Once we were ready to order, we had to wait yet again for someone to come to our table to take our order. Throughout our meal, it was clear that the staff were not attentive to the outside tables at all.

We ordered both starters and main courses. Our starters arrived relatively quickly, but my husband’s foie gras was a minuscule portion, served without bread and with only a few drops of jam—hardly what you’d expect, especially for the price. Bread, which is customary in French restaurants, was not provided at all. The service was chaotic not just for us, but for other guests as well. A couple seated next to us, who arrived 30 minutes after we did, waited ages before their order was even taken. Shockingly, once they did order, their main dishes arrived almost immediately—dishes that, as we soon realized, were actually our mains. The staff served them their starters only after they had already started eating what should have been our food. This mix-up was never proactively addressed by the staff.

We sat outside growing colder, hungrier, and increasingly frustrated as we watched another table eat our food. The manager lady did eventually express surprise at the delay, but I refrained from explaining the situation in front of the other couple to avoid embarrassing them, it was not their fault.

After a long wait, and only after we had decided to leave, our main courses finally arrived lukewarm. My dish was bland and underseasoned, and by then I was so tired and cold that I just wanted to leave. The overall service to the outside tables was abysmal; we felt completely neglected throughout the meal.

This entire ordeal ruined our last night in Paris. We missed our plans to visit the Arc de Triomphe for the evening views due to the excessive delays. When it was time to pay, there was no offer of a discount for the poor service—just apologies and an offer of a complimentary dessert or drink, which we declined because we didn’t want to stay any longer. We were told the waiter responsible had been fired, as if that would make up for the experience, but the issues clearly ran deeper than a single staff member—the service overall was disorganized, inattentive and careless. To make matters worse, I woke up the next day with a sore throat, congestion and cough, likely from having to sit outside in the cold for so long. Polidor was overpriced, uncomfortable, and thoroughly disappointing. There are many better places in Paris that actually value...

Absolutely unacceptable treatment – worst dining experience in years of travel

I rarely leave negative reviews, but what I experienced tonight was appalling and cannot go unspoken. As a solo walk-in diner, I was seated at the group table with two French couples and an Italian couple. From the start, the waiter displayed blatant discrimination and double standards.

Despite arriving before the second French couple, I was not given a menu—yet they were. When it came time to take orders, the waiter went around the table: first the French couple who arrived first, then the second French couple, and then the Italian couple—completely skipping me. When bread was served, every other diner received some—except me.

The only redeeming aspect of the evening was the incredible kindness of the fellow diners. One French couple shared their bread with me and offered their menu. The Italian couple pointed out to the waiter that I had arrived before them and should have been served first. Their support highlighted the glaring disrespect shown by the staff.

If fellow diners can see and call out this unfair treatment, it’s shameful that an establishment with history and reputation condones such behavior from its staff. This was not just poor service—it was despicable treatment that no guest should endure. If I could give 0 stars, I would.

To the generous couples I shared the table with on the evening of 18 May at 7 PM—thank you for your kindness. It meant more...

I was extremely disappointed with my recent dining experience at Polidor. I had been looking forward to visiting this historic restaurant for quite some time.

I had made a reservation for lunch on October 21st and arrived 10 minutes early. The initial staff member was friendly and informed me that the restaurant opened at noon. I took a short walk nearby and returned at the designated time.

Upon my return, I was greeted by a female waitress who displayed a noticeably cold and indifferent attitude. When I inquired about the menu, her responses were curt, brief, and seemed impatient. When it came time to pay, she was slow to attend to me. I placed a 50 euro note on the table, hoping she would provide change so I could leave a tip, but she impatiently tapped on the table with her finger, indicating that she did not have enough change. I had to exchange the bill for smaller denominations. Her behavior was so unpleasant that I decided not to leave a tip.

As I was leaving, I politely asked if I could use the restroom. She ignored me completely. I repeated my request, but she still did not respond. I had to ask another staff member, who was fortunately more helpful.

I travel to Europe several times a year for business and have noticed a positive change in the attitudes of Parisians during this trip. However, the encounter with this particular waitress at Polidor was a stark contrast and left a very negative impression. It was a truly...