If you’re looking for restaurants in Paris that are outside of the main tourist areas then this post is for you!
I discovered this very special restaurant while I was staying in the 17th arrondissement. It’s an unassuming little restaurant tucked onto a little neighborhood side street. Most tourists, which there’s not many in this area, might have walked right past it. Not me, I somehow have an eye for these places. I knew the minute I laid eyes on it from the outside, that there might be something special on the inside. I looked them up online and saw that they had great reviews. The restaurant is highly rated, 9.2 on TheFork (if you don’t have this app and you travel in Europe, you should get it, its a booking platform but it’s also a great way to find restaurants), and also a 4.7 on Google. I made a reservation for me and my friend. From the moment we stepped inside, I knew it was going to be amazing, and that my intuition was right. The first person to greet us was the owner, Constantine, who was extremely warm and friendly, and spoke good English.
The interior is rustic, French bistro style with a gorgeous tile floor. Several large Haussmannian style windows, with crisp striped curtains, line the perimeter, allowing the light to come into the space.
Near the door you can see an old staircase going down to what is likely the wine cellar. A red leather banquette framed the far wall creating a space with four two tops. The walls were lined with framed vintage movie posters, infographics and agricultural maps along with several mirrors giving the place that cool old school feel. My friend and I were seated in a cozy little booth style nook near the bar.
What is on the menu at Le Paris 17?
We both ordered a simple mushroom salad to start and it was delicious. For a main course I ordered the special, which was grilled thon rouge, or bluefin tuna, with purĂ©e de patate douce, which is just a fancy French way of saying mashed sweet potato with lots of butter and salt and pepper. I usually opt for the fish when I go to restaurants, but often it’s overcooked with a spongy texture. This tuna was divinely delicious and cooked just right. My friend had the salmon with a butter and lemon sauce which was also cooked perfectly. Flavors were vibrant and fresh with a moist and juicy texture.
The menu had other things that you would expect to see in a traditional French bistro, like duck breast with green peppercorn sauce (which looked amazing and I’m definitely ordering it next time!), steak tartare, and an entrecĂ´te beef steak with blue cheese sauce and mashed potatoes. EntrecĂ´te is the French equivalent to what we call a ribeye in the US. There were also some pasta dishes like ravioli with a cream and pesto sauce, and rigatoni and morels. You could also order a Caesar salad for €20, keep in mind, in France, when you order a Caesar salad, it comes with chicken. Starters included things like charcuterie and cheese plates, escargot, bone marrow with grilled bread and oeufs en meurette. Oeufs en meurette is a traditional French dish from Burgundy, it’s poached eggs with a sauce made from red wine, bacon, onions and shallots, and it is absolutely delicious. I have often been known to just order this for lunch!
What Wines are on the Menu at Le Paris 17?
I was excited to see their wine list, they had several great choices by the glass. Reds included a Brouilly (€7) from the Beaujolais region, the grape is Gamay. This is a food wine and it goes great with almost anything including salmon, chicken and beef. Also a few more widely know varietals like a CĂ´tes du RhĂ´ne (€8), a Bordeaux (€8) and a red Burgundy, or Bourgogne rouge for €12. For the whites they had a CĂ´tes du RhĂ´ne blanc, a Bourgogne blanc and a Reuilly, not to be confused with Rully, which would be Chardonnay from Burgundy. Reuilly white is made from Sauvignon Blanc, and it’s a dry, crisp, mineral driven wine from the Loire Valley, and it’s delicious! Their bottle list had a really great variety and I could tell that it was expertly curated, with prices you don’t usually see in Paris. For example, there was a Santenay rouge (pinot noir) for €75, a Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin for €135 (pinot noir from Burgundy), a Saint-Joseph for €80 (Syrah from the Northern RhĂ´ne), a Margaux and a Saint-Estèphe, both €80. There were also dozens of bottles under €50.
Desserts were chocolate mousse, crème brĂ»lĂ©e, cheesecake, chocolate fondant, and Rhum Baba. We decided to end our meal with a CafĂ© Gourmand, which might be one of the best little secrets on a French dessert menu. A CafĂ© Gourmand is a trio of the menus desserts in mini sizes, perfect for when you can’t decide which one to order! It comes with an espresso, which Constantine graciously swapped out for a cafĂ© crème. Traditionally the French don’t put milk in their coffee in the afternoon, strictly espresso. When we mentioned we wanted to deviate from that, he said “no problem, you should have what you want!”.
We were the last people to leave, except a local Brit at the bar who was obviously a regular, and so we were able to chat with Constantine (and the Brit!) for a while. Constantine owns the restaurant with his brother, and told us it had been open for 14 years. I just have to say again, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
There was an older gentleman sitting alone in the corner of the restaurant. Constantine shared with us that the man was their 96 year old regular who comes in every day for lunch. When he got up to leave, several of the other patrons began to argue over who was going to pick up his tab! That was pretty priceless. When you get to witness those moments of humanity, in Paris no less, it’s like an extra little gift from the universe.
Le 17 is one of those restaurants you should go to if you’re seeking a high quality meal away from the crowds without a lot of fuss. Whenever people tell me they’ve had bad experiences with rude waiters in Paris, I tell them to venture to the outer arrondissements, the 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th. Things are different out here. It’s not as frenetic. And these areas are so easy to get to, theres no reason not to go. Let me also say that I don’t believe the rude waiter thing is a Paris thing, I think it’s a big city thing. Because you’ll find the exact same thing in New York, or L.A. I think that in any city, if you get out of the touristy areas, you’re going to find some magic.
How to get to Le Paris 17
To get to Le Paris 17 from the Marais you can catch metro line one towards La Defense and get off at Port Maillot, from there it’s a five minute walk. From the left bank you can catch the line three to Châtelet and then transfer to the line one. You can also catch line three at Saint-Michel if it’s closer. It’s also just over a half mile walk from the Arc de Triomphe, so if the Arc is on your itinerary, this could be a great restaurant for lunch or dinner after your meal.
Hours for Le Paris 17
Monday – Friday
Lunch Noon-2:30 Dinner 7:00 -10:30
Saturday dinner only 7:00-10:30
Sunday Closed
Le Paris 17
41 Rue Geursant
75017 Paris, France
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2 Responses
I wish that every restaurant offered a trio of mini desserts. My scale would thank me. 🙂