L’Étoile Venitienne

Kind of cheap service„ waitress didn’t come once to see if we were doing OK or if we needed anything else, place is OK quiet area. We didn’t other food for the same reason so can’t comment about it

A cute little Brasserie located across the street from the Peninsula Hotel. Not all of their wait staff speak English, but they were kind enough to assign us a waitress who did speak pretty good English. The service was friendly and not hurried.
Our party of 4 shared some escargot (excellent) and roasted beef bone marrow. (might have been good, but unfortunately not my favorite.)
My wife ordered their French onion soup, which had an incredibly flavorful broth. She also got their chicken sandwich, which she seemed to enjoy.
I ordered their ribeye steak, which is where things went south. Perhaps it was due to the language barrier, but my steak that I ordered medium-​rare came out very, very, very well done. I haven’t had a steak this tough and flavorless since I dined at the Skylon Tower revolving restaurant in Niagara Falls in 1992. Fortunately, their peppercorn sauce was good and added some flavor back to the steak. But the toughness of this meat was inexcusable.
If my steak was better, I would have given this place 5 stars. But the steak was sooooo bad, I need to knock 2 stars off. :(

Very nice brasserie just steps from the Arc de Triumphe. Reasonable prices, nice wine selection, excellent food and delightful staff. We stop here every time we’re in Paris. It’s not fancy, but we love it.

L’Etoile Venitienne was perfect for people watching if you can grab a table next to the windows. It has more of a diner-​y feel to it. They offer classic French meals – like the burger I ordered that came complete with fried egg on top – and they play American pop music. For sure not fine dining, but it was a great experience.

Charmante Brasserie Parisienne

Since we know the omnipresent crusty bread will be coming, I pass on an entrée (which is what they call an appetizer or salad). Instead, we order a French rosé and some sparkling mineral water. Juliet’s been wanting to try the pink wine since we got to Paris and now’s her chance. I don’t mind it once in a while, usually with food; this vintage arrives in a unique cooling bag, which is pretty nifty. The wine tastes much like the pink wines back at home, though. No great shakes but not bad. A rosé is a rosé is a rosé… It doesn’t really go very well with my meal, but at least Juliet is happy. (And if she’s happy, then I’m happy.)
It seems like I’m going to be on a meat kick here in Paris, because the Onglet Boeuf (beef tournedos) is the only dish that’s jumping out at me. You have to be careful when ordering beef or certain other meats, according to Rick Steves. If you order «medium» it’ll come out rarer than you’re used to, if you’re American. For me, that’s perfect. I order my medallions medium and they have just the right amount of pink for me inside. The beef is tender, easily cut with a serrated butter knife, and topped with still-​crunchy stewed onions and tomatoes. Now I see why they call it the Venetian Star! This combination of beef, onions, and tomatoes screams Italian. The chunky steak-​cut fries sop up the sauce and I unwisely try to finish all the potatoes. Too much good stuff!
While Juliet soldiers on with dessert (another apple tart), I must sit back and relax with a Grand Café (essentially a double shot of espresso), hoping somehow it will soothe the food on its journey.
The fun part is watching all the other people, as more and more diners drift in during their lunch break to completely fill the place. Skinny ladies in suits wolf down course after course of gigantic seafood salads and desserts without batting an eyelash. Hyperactive executives chow down on L’Entrée, Le Plat Principal, and Le Dessert while washing it down with glasses of wine, taking hours to complete their meal. I love this country.