No stress cafe - Paris 9eme

While i'm at it I figure I might as well get a double update in ! Do not be fooled - we didn't eat two brunches in the same day although some sundays I wish I could. This week it was time to discover a new area as we hadn't ever ventured this far away from the 20th to eat, and as we had friends in town who were staying there they suggested we try a place near their hotel: No stress cafe : https://plus.google.com/103632836476593282190/about?gl=fr&hl=en 

The restaurant is situated just away from the metro Saint-Georges and 5 minutes walk from Pigalle, hidden a bit away. 

There were 6 of us, and we were set on benches like when we were at school, albeit with cushions. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere with light music playing. 

When we first sat down we were a little confused by the menu, as there was seemingly no mention of a brunch deal. This was until one of us happened to glance outside and see the menu that was planted on a chair outside, interesting concept !! The deal was a fairly standard one, 21€ for tartine, bread and pain au chocolat, followed by a main dish of salmon with scrambled eggs or hams with fried eggs and both with salad. This was subsequently finished off with a fruit salad, and a choice of tea, coffee or (exceptionally) hot chocolate and orange juice. 

The main dishes were very filling, and actually had a nice touch with a jacket potato and cream on each one. We were overloaded with bread and mini vienoisserie and most of us struggled to finish everything off. 

The service was fine, they left us waiting a short while as they got busier but they were ok overall. 

A solid 3 out 5 as well for this one. Would come back again if I was hungry ! 

Le Bouillon Belge

It's been a few weeks since we had a new place to comment on, and now all of a sudden we have two new places that deserve a mention. The first is Le Bouillon Belge : http://www.lebouillonbelge.fr/ . This place is located just off the Rue d'Avron, near Buzenval / Nation / Avron metros.

Normally better known for their beers rather than their food, the belgian influence on this brunch was still clear for all to see.

They have one deal, 15€ all you can eat and drink from the buffet, as well as one main dish prepared by the chef. The main dish is either salmon with scrambled egg and salad and a belgian waffle, or bacon with boiled eggs and a waffle too. This was a good start !

In addition to this, you have the choice of little plates / bowls of salad, tomatoes, spinach with bacon and some other dishes (can't remember all of them). These were all really good and unique. Coupled with unlimited coffee or tea, orange juice and bread, the overall meal was fantastic value for money. To finish off they have 3 different options for dessert, normally a chocolate mousse, some yoghurt and an assortment of cheeses.

In terms of setting it was maybe not the most attractive place we have eaten at, but I was surprised by the value for money and quality of food supplied. As we started to leave it was really filling up so I imagine the people in the 20th are trying to keep it as one of their secrets.

Easily worth a 3 / 5. 

Chez Lili et Marcel - 13th

For a change, a French brunch place that was based just next to Quai de la gare in the 13th. If we were to judge this place based on how busy it was, then on first impression only we would have given it 5 stars.

The restaurant is nicely laid out with long tables and plenty of space. They have a brunch menu which is not too pricey, as well as a standard menu which means that each person pays 15 / 20 € max.

Half of us went for the immense burgers, that looked absolutely fantastic on the plates next to us and came with potatoes / fries and salad. The burgers were huge and definitely good value for money.

The other half of us had the brunch menu which was fairly standard for brunch in Paris; starter of coffee, fruit juice and bread with jam, nutella and honey. This is followed by a choice of egg (boiled, scrambled or fried) with salad, potato and bacon. This is finished off with a yoghurt (plain or vanilla) and is very filling.

Overall for the food it was fantastic, however, the service was possibly the worst I have ever experienced. Our waitress made us wait 20 minutes before she took our order (there were 8 of us). After this, we then waited over an hour to get our food and despite remaining patient, when we asked if she could chase up our food she became very rude and unhelpful. The poor Parisien service really ruined the experience and if we had based the place just on food we would have been a lot more positive.

I give this place 2 out of 5 and that's a generous 2.

En Attendant l'or - 11th

On the corner of rue Faidherbe, not far from the metro station, 'En Attendant L'or' has a slightly unconventional look to it, but this should not put people off.

Once inside (or even outside on the terrace in the sun) you are greeted by a small bar, long table in the middle for big groups, and small tables (2 / 4 people) around the outside.

The overall concept is very simple and perfectly suited to the bar : One option for brunch @ 21.50€. For this you get one freshly pressed fruit juice, unlimited hot drinks, unlimited access to the buffet and one starting plate.

The opening plate was formidable, with scrambled egg, salad, chicken leg, salmon, and bread. Considering this was the same plate delivered to everyone else this was very filling and well prepared.

Afterwards we proceeded to the 'buffet area' where there was plenty of choice. Pasta, Couscous, Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Fried squid, and plenty of other options. One plate of this was filling but some of us helped ourself to a second!

For dessert there were small brownies, chocolate mousse, mini creme brulee and pastries. All delicious !!

The service was good (so rare in Paris) and the atmosphere was good, with quite a young crowd of people (mainly in their 20s early 30s).

I would give this place a solid 4 out of 5 and this is definitely one of the best and most filling brunches I have had in Paris. 

Les mondes Bohemes, 31 Rue des vignoles, 75020 Paris

From the sublime to the ... ridiculously cool ! Les mondes Bohemes, a small hidden away cafe in the 20th Arrondissement, wedged between Avron and Alexandre Dumas on the line 2, is a real gem of a place and somewhere I hope to return to soon.

View from outside

The last time we had brunch together we were disappointed with the service, the food, and the ambiance. Here the service was great (two French ladies who were very friendly), the food was better than the service, and the place has a really cool, bohemian feel to it, fitting to a relaxed sunday brunch/lunch.

We sat inside next to the bookshelves, where they have poker sets, dominos, as well as books/guides that you can just pick up and look through. There is a great terrace that I imagine is full in the summer, and has heating for the colder periods for those who like a cheeky tab.

The bar

The brunch menu was very good value for money, and very filling. We started with a Pain au chocolat or Croissant each, served with a glass of fruit juice (Grapefruit, Apple, Orange, Mango) as well as a tea or coffee. Moving on to the main course, we had scrambled egg that was perfectly fluffy, salad, as well as jambon du pays. This wasn't too filling but we of course had bread that complimented the meal, as in France : sans pain, rien ne va !

Part of the Brunch deal gives you a dessert as well, which isn't necessarily ideal for those of us training for marathons next year, but 5 of the 7 people at our table had the Creme Brulee which was tasty, and the other two of us had the 'Cremeux de chocolat' which had cream made in-house, and a thick chocolate mousse that went down a treat.


Overall this was a really nice experience, nice people, good food and a cool atmosphere. I would definitely return here. A strong 4 out of 5 !

Twinkie, 167 Rue Saint-Denis, 75002, Paris

Nestled deep amongst the sex-shops of Rue Saint-Denis sits Twinkie, an Anglo -style breakfast brunch cafe offering a generous handful of brunch formulas, perfect for us British and American Sunday brunch club-bers. 

The decor is done up in a canteen style with minimal formica tables, exposed walls and an open kitchen that looks out on to the restaurant floor. Kitch, Americana style toys and accessories dot the walls bringing a touch of quirkiness. 

On the menu we had a wide choice of dishes including a full English breakfast (beans, sausage, bacon and scones), the American breakfast (hash browns, bacon, pancakes) or the Frokost (eggs benedict with salmon and hollandaise sauce). Having left England's fair shores 3 months ago I was VERY excited to get my hands on some real HEINZ baked beans and though the interior was slicker than your usual high street 'greasy spoon' the menu looked promising. 

I really want to love this place especially as the restaurant itself is so cute and the menu so promising and I thought it a positive sign that the place was absolutely heaving with customers. Unfortunately, Twinkie seems to have become a victim of its own success and was a let-down (in my opinion) in both food and service. 

I opted for the English breakfast which though sufficient wasn't quite right. You just can't beat a Wall's cumberland and the bacon was too thin, too dry and too crispy. The scrambled egg was fine. Thank god for the beans. 

The scones that accompanied our breakfast were good but I was a little disappointed that they came with whipped cream, not the real stuff. Nevertheless, I was willing to overlook this as they were otherwise delicious. 

My fellow American brunch clubber opted for the Frokost which admittedly looked delicious: 

And our guest brunch clubber took the American breakfast which was apparently a bit of a disappointment too. 

Unfortunately, on top of this we experienced the WORST service which was a disappointment as last week we had been treated really well at The Yard. I know this is Paris and it's to be expected but there is a difference between 'bad' service and being served by someone who is just plain rude. 

Our waiter ignored us for 40 minutes between courses, having also forgotten to bring us the bread which was to accompany our main meal, then proceeded to snap at us when we asked for water/glasses/anything that required him to do his job. 

I hope this was a one-off experience. As I said the place was packed so they are doing something right, however, the disappointing food combined with the rubbish service just left me with a bad taste (har har) in my mouth. 

The Yard, 6 rue de Mont Louis, 75011 Paris

To start this blog, we have with an amazing little spot in the 11th, near the metro Philippe Auguste, on the line 2.

The restaurant has a nice exterior, white with wooden beams, a kind of classic English farmhouse look. The place is even nicer as it is on a road that isn't full of opposing restaurants or bars, and can probably accommodate a maximum of 50 people, maybe more.

First thing you need to know is that you can't eat their brunch on a Sunday without reserving. It's a really popular spot, serving brunch from 11 am to 4 pm, with a unique formula that is bound to guarantee that people want to come back time and time again !

Once you're sat down, the service was really good (a rarity in Paris!), with two quite young, dynamic waiters looking after us, whilst the kitchen is open so you can see the chefs whilst they are cooking and putting the finishing touches on the brunch.

The set menu (formule in French) costs 25 euro, and is more than value for money. We started with toast with jam and butter, followed by pear cake and cookies, as well as home made ice tea, all topped off with English breakfast tea or coffee.

The main course was a choice between Scrambled egg with salmon, burger with potatoes, or a quiche with spinach. Of the three I had the Salmon, although the burger was in a proper fresh bread bun (not like the sub-standard buns you get at some places in Paris).

To follow this up we had Fresh fruit salad, and then another coffee just to finish off.

Overall this was a great start, although I hope to be able to find some places to rival !


                                                             Brunch Club Rating : 3.5/5

Details : http://www.restoparis.com/restaurant-PARIS-YARD-26099.html