Le Voltaire

I like to eat dinner early so I stopped in just as they opened. The restaurant was totally empty but I had to have a reservation. I was willing to eat outside and being American I don’t spend hours in a café. I was also travelling alone so I don’t take up much room but I wasn’t allowed to stay. Luckily this is Paris and there is always another café with nicer waiters just waiting to serve you. I think this restaurant is trying to be «exclusive» because people say they have good steak frites. But again there is great food all over Paris so they can keep their snooty café.

From another American in Paris — this is the stuff legends are made. We walked into this completely empty restaurant on a dark and rainy night. We couldn’t read the menu outside because it was dark and the menu was covered in rain. We walked in and asked nicely if the waiter spoke English (never assume!). He asked if we had a reservation, we said no and asked if we may see a menu. The menus were right at the stand next to us. He said «no, there’s a menu outside.» Really!?! We promptly walked out.

My 12-​year-​old daughter said that this is the best restaurant she had ever been to. That is good enough for me. We had the most amazing lunch… potato soup, fresh quiche, and amazing bowl of muscles, and a baguette that was to die for. And, we had three different delicious homemade desserts. Lemon meringue, a strawberry tart, and a chocolate mousse. it’s in a great location, right next to the musee d’orsay. It is rather cramped inside, but well worth a visit.

I love pâté and they had a simple French baguette with lettuce and pâté. It was cheap and an very fulfilling lunch

From an American in Paris–
Staff was beyond friendly even though we speak zero french.
Every single thing we ate was devine. Salads to desert. Quiche was out of this world. Highly recommended!!!

My husband, son, and I loved our lunch here on a gray, museum day in Paris. We had a small booth, and enjoyed wonderful service and lovely country food, including pâté salad, wine, hard cider, ham, and cheese. A perfect stop between the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay.

Beautiful tiny French restaurant reminiscent of a different age. This should be the restaurant you go to on your trip to Paris to INDULGE! This is near both the Orsay and the Louvre and makes for a decadent lunch at the end of a long museum haul.
You will be treated like honored guests– but! Make a reservation beforehand if you can.
Here is what we had: we started with the avocado and grapefruit salad, and the green bean, artichoke heart and fois gras plate-​hidden in the handwritten menu in french.
The fois gras was a thick generous slice, well season with cognac, served cold with hot toast points. Oh my god. Worth the price, high quality, worth the indulgence! The avocado and grapefruit salad was stunning and fresh and perfect in its simplicity.
For our plat principal, we ordered the salmon and a poussin– a little roast chicken. These came served with mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, vegetables, Bernaise sauce, and… frites!!! The waiter made our wine selection for us and it was perfect– one glass each… nice to have someone else make the decision!
The salmon was a perfectly seared steak about 1.5 inches thick, the poussin was tender served with a delicious tarragon gravy. The frites were the best I have ever had, honest. They were a surprise and just fun!
Dessert and coffee came, with a bowl of cookies to die for, and we tried the Tarte Tatin, served with crème fraîche– perfect!
This is a bit pricy and decadent and should be saved for a time to really indulge and enjoy a traditional Parisian meal! Merci Le Voltaire!
PS: They took my credit card no problem!

This place is pretty cute and is in a great location, right by the river (too bad there is no view of the river). The waitress we had was super nice and helpful. We ordered an omelette with cheese, which was around $ 13. It is a bit pricey but considering its location, I think this café charges reasonable prices. The menu is limited though.

J ai mangé au bar délicieux toutefois 11 euro pour une bière coup de fusil. Un problème dans le bar pas de carte de crédit

This was a poor experience in a previously excellent restaurant.
I’ve eaten here a number of times over the years, but this time we entered with a backpack and it was raining and were escorted to the right into the bar table area. There were still tables in the dining room, although, there may have been reservations for them. I don’t know. We were seated two small round tables down the banquette from a women in her 70’s or so that reeked from urine. I moved two tables down to get away from her and frankly should have gotten up and left. My MISTAKE.
In NY we would have asked the woman to leave, but they didn’t and kept seating people next to her who were freaking out.
I ordered fish soup and Bourgingoin boeuf and my friend had just the beef. She was done before I had to chase down the manager and have him actually get my order started. We saw many people standing waiting to pay, which is unheard of. So, they were completely understaffed with only two waiters and thirty tables and we all suffered except the house.
We both had a large glass of house Bordeaux, which really was tasty.
The potage poissonnière was clean, clear and intense and the boef was deep rich and plentiful. In all a very good $ 25 euro meal.
My friend had a chocolate crème and we got outta Dodge two hours after we got into town.
Unfortunately, within an hour she became ill.
Can’t tell if it was the rich dessert, but SHE BECAME ILL.
Maybe, it was a problem with the restaurant.
Sad on all accounts.
I liked this place for years.
I don’t think I’ll go back again.

Un des meilleurs bistro chic typiquement parisien malgré une forte influence étrangère, la carte est variée et traditionnelle, l accueil ainsi que le service irréprochable. Une clientèle d habitués également qui ce déplace pour l endroit qui a beaucoup de charme.

I don’t know about others, but we paid with a credit card this week for our lunch. We ate in the restaurant and not the bar next door.
The service was friendly and attentive. The ambiance traditional cozy French … tables literally touching each other … thankfully it wasn’t crowded so I had some personal space. I realize that Americans are used to much more personal space … it just takes getting used to each time I’m seated nearly on top of my neighboring table-​mates (as I was at the Village Vanguard in NYC when seeing Brad Mehldau).
We started with a bottle of Taittinger Rose Champagne and a venison pâté that was just fantastic — moist texture, not too gamey (but still «wild») and peppery seasoning — and served with a jar of cournishons, baby white onions, shallots, carrot slices and garlic cloves in a pickling liquid and soft white and toasted/​crispy dark bread slices.
My husband enjoyed his Filet au Poivre (filet in a pepper cream sauce) — cooked perfectly to medium-​rare. Our friend loved his Filet Moutarde (filet in a mustard cream sauce) — his was also cooked perfectly medium-​rare.
My Entrecôte (ribeye) was overcooked (I ordered it rare and it came between medium-​rare and medium) and not well seasoned. Didn’t send it back though — just «toughed it out» with the Bearnaise Sauce (a little too thick and tarragony for my liking). This was the only miss as far as I’m concerned.
We also had frites — hot, crisp and delicious — and flavorful green beans.
We finished by sharing the chocolate mousse and profiteroles. The chocolate mousse (made in the traditional, richer, manner) was possibly the best I’ve had in terms of texture and dark chocolate flavor. The profiteroles were good, but I am still not a fan of standard profiterole dough … if someone would make them with puff pastry dough (I know, that’s more like an ice cream éclair) I’d be all over them!
We would definitely come back — very centrally located for river-​related tourist activities. The bar next door is even smaller and very cute.

Jolie
Très bon restaurant de la rue de Bourgogne, déjeuner entre amis très correct, la salle un peu petite, mais la nourriture très bonnes des plats à la hauteur, un petit prix, bravo !

Charming! Very, very charming. A proper bistro on the river, this place had traditional French everything.
We stopped for a light lunch, and were delighted with both the food and the service. From my grapefruit and avocado salad to her duck confit, we came there hungry and left happy.
Added bonus — it’s across the river from Le Louvre.
Was surprised that they didn’t take credit cards. Was so happy with the food that I didn’t much care.

One of my favorite places to stop any time of the day or night.
The welcome is prompt and seating is quick, menus and waiters soon after.
Lovely cuisine, excellently sourced and prepared. Never an off taste. Each and every dish we’ve enjoyed for the past decade plus has been a delight, to the eye and the palate.
Heartily recommended. Enjoy! C’es tres bien!

This was my favorite place for lunch during our stay in Paris. It’s a lovely bistro right on the river.
Everything about it is traditional French, from the décor, to the menu, and the service. My husband had the grapefruit and avocado salad, and I had the duck confit. Both delicious.
And it’s also very close to The Louvre. So if you’ve been at The Louvre all morning this restaurant is a great place to eat and rest your legs.
P. S. Euros only. No credit cards.

Superb food. Luxury at a price.
An elegant restaurant with exceptional food. If not known to the establishment, one will likely be seated in the smaller, front room. However, the food there is just as good, and the service very good. The air is that of a genteel, luxurious restaurant with an upper class clientele. All at a rather stiff price.

Das Voltaire ist einfach immer einen Besuch wert. Ich war schon seit einigen Jahren nicht mehr hier (letzte Woche konnte ich nur daran vorbei laufen, keine Zeit zum schick Essen gehen) aber wenn man die Zeit hat, sollte man hier unbedingt hin gehen. Das Voltaire ist gerade keine Touristenabsteige und das Essen ist einfach köstlich. Das Voltaire ist etwas ganz BESONDERES…

Restaurant pas au top
Rapport qualité prix trop élevé pour ce restaurant, ambiance relativement triste. Accueil normal sans plus.

excellent bistrot traditionnel haut de gamme, cleintele étrangere ou BCBG un peu surannée, mais c’est une valeur sure.
Les prix sont élevés sauf l’oeuf mayo moins d’1 euro…
A tester

Un des meilleurs restaurant de Paris
Accueil toujours parfait, comme s’y l’on était des habitués. Restaurant sans prétention mais néanmoins excellent. Un large choix et ue carte qui fait baver !! Décor très «old fashion» toujours agréable.

Le meilleur restaurant de Paris
Une ambiance chaude et agréable, un service impeccable et une cuisine extraordinaire, c’est pour moi le meilleur restaurant de Paris. Vous y trouverez une cuisine française d’exception, tous les aliments étant d’une fraîcheur absolue, vous n’y trouverez que des produits de saison. On y va pour manger (si vous voulez de la «Nouvelle Cuisine» ce n’est pas là qu’il faut aller): les assiettes sont superbement garnies ! Je vous conseille le foie gras maison (là encore pour moi il n’existe pas mieux), les volailles et les gibiers. Touché historique: vous y trouverez des oeufs mayonnaise «James» dont le prix n’a pas évolué depuis la création du restaurant (0,90 cent). C’est une table remarquable et même si le prix est élevé (pas plus qu’un «grand» restaurant où vous n’aurez même pas le quart dans votre assiette), la qualité en vaut largement la peine.