Vagenende — Restaurant in Paris

Went there a few days ago, wanted to give a little treat to my girls in an art deco style restaurant but I got things organised a bit late so there wasn't much choice available at the time, hence going to La Vagenende. The decor is somewhat very nice, unsure if this was original or recently redecorated but it was nice nevertheless. Unless I am mistaken, I got the impression that 'tourists' were seated at the front of the restaurant and the 'regulars' in the very nicely decorated and comfy seats/tables at the back. Food wise, a very nice selection of dishes, couldn't resist the snails as starter and I had to have a choucroute, something I haven't had in years, although the pavé of saumon looked very nice and a good portion size. Service was not that great, didn't find the staff very welcoming, rather like emotion less robots, and annoying when coming several times to clear my plate when I hadn't finished eating. Price wise, well I guess it's Paris and it's an Art Deco restaurant, yet I found it a bit expensive for what it is, they even tried to charge me for a 2nd beer I didn't have, quite naughty really. Even a place luke Julien Bouillon is cheaper and a much nicer place, so if it was my choice I would have gone there but it's in high demand and you need to book weeks in advance but it's worth the wait 😉 So in conclusion, La Vagenende was rather disappointing and my advice to however want to eat in an Art Deco style restaurant, you're most likely to have a better experience and value for money...

Our experience at this restaurant was disappointing from the moment we walked in. Despite the place being nearly empty (only one table occupied on a quiet Monday night), the maître d’ blatantly ignored us while seating two groups that arrived after us. It was clear that our lack of French fluency was an issue for them, as they seemed dismissive and uninterested in making us feel welcome.

Before we were seated, we were reprimanded for not having a reservation—again, the restaurant was mostly empty. We asked for tap water and the server insisted on getting us bottled still water for €7. The server also repeatedly ignored us when we tried to wave him down to settle the bill. This happened when he was standing by our table. The food was overpriced for its quality,and the unprofessional and rude service worsened the entire experience.

The final straw came after we politely shared our concerns about their behavior. Instead of apologizing, they made a snide remark in French about “Americans,” clearly assuming we wouldn’t understand.

If you’re looking for a welcoming dining experience, skip this place. A restaurant that treats its patrons with such disdain—especially over something as trivial as language—doesn’t deserve your...

AVOID if you want gracious , fine dining ; it does not exist here . Excellent, friendly staff , however they are grossly understaffed . It felt like a Russian cruise ship experience on a 8000 passenger vessel. I want to emphasize the friendliness of the staff , and their eagerness to please , but they were just overwhelmed with patrons and were not able to provide a seamless service . I waited 30 minutes for someone to take my wine order . My appetizer arrived before my wine or water . I requested on 5 occasions a bottle of water , but the wait staff was so busy , it took 45 minutes and 5 requests to receive water . I ordered Primer Cru Chablis, (88€) and it was served at room temperature. It took 20 minutes to chill and enjoy . My sole meunière was professionally pre-plated table-side by my waiter , when he noticed the fish was not properly cooked , and he sent it back . Fair . I was impressed . 15 minutes later it was presented tableside and it looked lovely . However, the sole was tepid and the steamed potatoes cold . My suggestion is either avoid this restaurant to avoid service / food disruption…. Or arrive later in evening during non peak dining hours . Tonight was a very expensive unpleasant dining...