The French are extremely serious about eating and the mid-day meal is sacred. Even children at school get a long lunch break, between one and a half to two hours. The French believe that eating slowly is an essential part of eating properly. Perhaps a sit down lunch would be great to watch how the French spend their time during lunch. When we were choosing a restaurant, we were worried that there would be some miscommunication since none of us knew French.
Worse still, we have heard of stories in Paris where "the customers is not always right" or "people in Paris are always angry" if we spoke in English.
Having visited the Notre-Dame earlier on, we decided to seek advice from the Paris Tripadvisor app for a place to have lunch. We found the Relais du Pont Neuf.
A restaurant close to the Seine River, the Louvre and the Notre Dame sounds like an expensive place to have lunch.
However, this restaurant is a complete opposite of what I have stated. The staff are friendly and polite!
They have menus in English if you do not know French and the menu is reasonable priced.
In June 2016, a plate of steak cost 10.00€. The set meals are of better value but I can't remember the price. It was around 12.50€ for a two course meal and a drink. Prices are all written down on the menu and chalk boards. Pretty sure any tourists won't get ripped off!
It is easy to spot them with red umbrellas advertising for coke and the Tripadvisor sticker on their door!
Service:
What makes this place special is the service. You will be served as soon as the food is cooked! This is unusual as service is generally slow in Paris. The English speaking waiters are an extra plus point!
Recommended:
- Smoked Salmon Salad
- Fish of the day
Food Review:
The smoked salmon was delightful. A good balance of saltiness and sweetness. A definite classic.
Smoked Salmon Salad
The complimentary baguette but they are unfortunately store bought.
Complementary Baugette
The Fish of the day was well cooked where the fish is flaky and flavourful. More importantly, it is not fishy. The rice was pretty good for France standards as it actually moist! MUST TRY.
Fish of the Day
The steak was kept simple and cooked to our liking. The steak was thin but thankfully was juicy and tender.
Steak frites
The chocolate mousse was creamy, simple and elegant. IT did not have the egg smell which is a plus point.
Chocolate Mousse
Unfortunately, the custard pudding felt like it was made out of store bought custard pudding quick mix. I would stick to the appetisers for the 2 course menu or the chocolate mousse if I am craving for desserts.
Custard Pudding
What you need to know:
- It is probably the cheapest place to have a meal in this district.
- The service was excellent which made this place stand out
- The smoked salmon was delightful
Price:
12.50€/S$21.75 per person for a 2 course lunch (June 2016).
Do leave a message or email me if anyone has an updated price. Thanks!
Relais du Pont Neuf
18 Quai du Louvre,
75001 Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 42 33 98 17
Tripadvisor link: Click here