Bastille Opera

[Max Frank]

We will be attending a ballet at the Opera Bastille on a Saturday night in March. I think the performance will finish by 10pm. Is there a reasonably lively brasserie/restaurant serving good food and which is within walking distance of the Opera? We'll probably only need a light supper given the time (I suspect 2 courses and a good bottle of wine should finish off the night nicely). I have been to Bofinger before but wasn't too impressed... that was probably because we were shunted off to the 'tourist section' upstairs, and the food was unremarkable.

Thank you.

[gariotin]

I sat downstairs at Bofinger in October and had the prix fixe menu w/some oysters to start. It was pretty fabulous.

Chez Paul on Rue de Charonne is fun - food can be really good.

Have not been to Le Temps des Cerises b/c it is closed on weekends, but is supposed to be great.

[John Talbott]

For convenience, I think I'd go to Bofinger too since Les Grandes Marches has not been reopened yet by the Bernard Group (which runs the Brasserie Lipp, Mood, Toastissimo, Quick etc.) and who knows which of those it'll be anyway; but only 1 km away is Le Repaire de Cartouche, open Saturdays and for the record for future searchers if you're going to the Opera on weekdays an equal distance walk takes you to Entre les Vignes that we really enjoyed last year. Again for the record, there was a neat Irish bar on the Place de la B. for a Guinness between acts.

[emsny]

I endorse the recommendation of Le Repaire de Cartouche, where last winter I had a most delicious pork chop - not something one sees in Paris restaurants all that often. Let me add a favorable memory of Le Passage - which, admittedly, I haven't been to in at least six or seven years. Address is: 18 passage de la Bonne-Graine, 11th. (01) 47 00 73 30. Specializes in andouillette: they have eight, nine, ten of them from charcutiers from different regions. Other things too, but don’t bother unless you’re willing to eat andouilette – some of them there are quite elegant, oddly. Excellent wine. Perhaps someone has been there more recently than I and can update this.

[TarteTatin]

Try Chez Janou near the Place Des Vosges, definitely walking distance.

Or, the Bar a Huitres is always reliable.

You'll probably need to book a table.

Also, if you book in advance at Bofinger, you get a better table. They can be really snobby if you haven't booked.

[Baggy]

It’s a really good idea to pick, and reserve your restaurant, around Bastille.

As you come out of the front entrance of the opera, there are many restaurants to the right and in the streets immediately behind. Many are open late. However, in polite parlance, this is an up-and-coming area, which means that it is still relatively inexpensive and attracts many students. Good for atmosphere but, in my experience the non-destination restaurants are generally pretty nasty around there.

On the other hand, Paris is compact and there are lots of taxis so it’s easily possible to get to a more central destination within 10 minutes. This might give you greater choice.

[Baggy]

Hey, Max Frank, purely by coincidence, I’m going to be in Paris in a couple of weeks and staying around Bastille. Do you have any experiences or recommendations to feed back?

[vserna]

Another option, just a three-minute walk up the boulevard de Beaumarchais and left into the rue du Pas-de-la-Mule: Chez Rosito is a country inn kind of place, specializing in the (infrequent in Paris!) cuisine and wines of Corsica. Good stuff.

Edited March 17, 2007 by vserna (log)

[Max Frank]

Hey, Max Frank, purely by coincidence, I’m going to be in Paris in a couple of weeks and staying around Bastille.  Do you have any experiences or recommendations to feed back?

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Ended up going back to Bofinger. Booked well ahead with preference for downstairs and was given that thankfully. Had a lovely brasserie meal after the superb ballet at the Bastille.