Review of Cafe de la Paix in Paris
- Ava Lyn
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Cafe de la Paix
5 Pl. de l'Opéra,
75009 Paris, France
Cafe de la Paix is at the corner of Boulevard des Capucines and Place de l'Opera and was inaugurated in 1862 as part of the Le Grand Hotel. To say Cafe de la Paix is iconic, is an understatement. This restaurant has seen a dazzling array of guests from writers and composers like Victor Hugo, Tchaikovsky to royalty and celebrities. It is not difficult to see why. Cafe de la Paix is absolutely gorgeous. It's major renovation completed in 2021 and now the restaurant is beautifully and ornately decorated in Napolean III decor.

The food at Cafe de la Paix is French. There are many classic dishes to choose from including duck breast, foie gras, french onion soup amongst others. We were coming off a 14 hour flight and feeling slightly tired, so we went light for dinner, opting for a platter of oysters as well as a beef tartare. Our wine selection was a Condrieu AOC 2023 and a Crozes-Hermitage AOC 2023 by the glass.

The oysters we had were, were the Rolls Royce of what France to offer. Our platter included 3 Fines de Claire no. 3, 3 Gillardeau no. 3, 3 Belon no. 2 and 3 Isigny no. 3.
If you are interested:
Fines de Claire are French oysters are refined in shallow, clay bottomed ponds (called Claires) in the Marennes-Oleron region
Gillardeaus are grown in Normandy and refined in Marennes-Oleron and is creamy and nutty. Fun fact: Gillardeaus are so well regarded that there is a black market for Gillardeau fakes. So always check for the laser engraves G logo on the shell of your oyster (:
Belon oyster are European flat oysters which are rare and sought after for their robust and distinctive taste
Isignies are cultivated in Normandy which brings the rich briny flavour through in the oysters

Our beef tartare was quite the experience served table side. Our service staff came around a trolley of condiments and after checking our preference, proceeded to mix and serve up our beef tartare table side. The beef tartare was served with sucrine salad and was perfectly seasoned.

Before heading to Cafe de la Paix, we were reading very mixed reviews on Google, including inconsistent service. For us, we thought Cafe de la Paix had better service than most restaurants around Paris. If you are after a precise Michelin Starred dining experience where your water glass is never empty and you only have to lift your head to get the attention of the service staff, this is probably the wrong place. But in general, we were happy with our service staff. He always made us comfortable, conversing and by the end of the night was cracking jokes with us.
Booking
We were extremely lucky to walk in as staying guests for the restaurant to accomodate us. Even then, they had to do some reorg to enable this. It seems to be challenging to secure a table during peak hours and weekend brunches and during our visit, we saw many people waiting in line outside for walk in tables. We would highly recommend a reservation and you can do so via opentable or the Cafe de la Paix website and at the time of writing, there are still tables about a week out.
Accessibility
Cafe de la Paix is right opposite the Opera subway exit. When you head up, you cannot miss it, because it is right in your face.
The Damage
Our oyster platter, beef tartare and 2 wines came up to 149 Euroes. Pricey, but our meal was high quality.
Would We Recommend?
Definitely yes! Cafe de la Paix is absolutely gorgeous. It is opulent, beautiful and showcases Parisian grandeur. The food is of fantastic quality and the ambience is special. We would definitely visit again.
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