Les Ministeres

[Pan]

We happened upon this place when the cafeteria at the Musee Rodin ran out of food completely and we had to find a place that was still open at what ultimately turned out to be 3:20 or 3:30 P.M.

Here's the info:

30, rue du Bac

Paris (7e)

Tel.: 01 42 61 22 37

The slogan in the topic description is also from their business card.

The room is a beautiful Beaux-Arts ballroom with brass railings and crystal chandeliers.

Their lunch special was inexpensive and a very good value. You get kir or cardinale with the meal. We enjoyed their gazpacho very much, and their magret de canard cooked with morello cherries was really tasty. I forget what dessert was.

We went a second time on our return trip to Paris, showing up at a normal lunch time. I enjoyed the food that time, as well, but the other three members of my family were convinced that the food had been better the first time, so they reasoned that it might be better to show up off-hours, when the kitchen can devote itself to you completely. Regardless, it is a very pleasant restaurant. No Michelin listing, though it seems to me that they probably deserve a bib for value.

[fresh_a]

Not to rain on the party or anything, but "Les Ministeres", although very well preserved, is one of the worst restaurants I've been to in Paris. The food was sub-standard, as was the service. There's much better, believe me...

[Pan]

All I can say is we clearly ate at different times and the food you received was no good, while mine was. Either that, or it may have deteriorated since June. Or I guess it's possible that our tastes are different.

As far as their being much better, there's no doubt about it. I did, after all, go to Grand Vefour on my trip!

Edited January 11, 2003 by Pan (log)

[VivreManger]

Not too far from that neighborhood is the Ferme Saint-Simon where I have consistently eaten well a number of times, both lunch and dinner, with both large and small parties. It is on the small side street, rue Saint-Simon.

I am curious if any others know it.

The difficulty is finding a decent restaurant that serves its full menu at 3:00 PM. One of the attractions of Willi's Wine Bar is that you can order from the full list, anytime at the bar counter (comptoir) itself, but that does not solve the problem near the Musee Rodin.