Mon Vieil Ami

Attention Vegetarians: Go elsewhere!
This is a cozy, little restaurant. I liked the ambiance. They have a female sommelier who knows her stuff and recommended to us a wonderful Bordeaux to accompany our meal. Service here is painfully slow, even by French standards. We weren’t asked about what we wanted to drink or eat for at least half an hour. Once we ordered, it took over 2 hours to get our food! Our table of 3 was the first one there at the opening of the restaurant, yet somehow, we got served last, after all of the other tables had been served. The nail in the coffin for me was the ‘vegetarian menu’ which consisted of one main dish that was vegetarian. This turned out to be a large bowl of porcini mushrooms that was upcharged an extra 3 Euros compared to the other meat dishes. It was literally just mushrooms with a couple of sprigs of rocket as garnish. So, I spent almost $ 30 for a bowl of fungus. This was disappointing, to say the least. I’ve never eaten so much fungus in one sitting. I don’t even like mushrooms, but it was the only ‘veggie’ choice on the menu. I waited two and a half hours for that! My friends both ordered chicken dishes, and both said that their chicken was okay but overcooked. They did like the sauce. Dessert was good but not great. This place is way, way overpriced for what it offers. I won’t be going back on my next trip to Paris.

This very small elegant bistro is not to be missed! A very good friend said to make sure to go and we are delighted we did. It’s a bit out of the way right behind Notre Dame on the I’sle de la Cité. I must confess, that after coming to Paris for years, I’ve never ventured to come here for dinner. What a wonderful surprise to find fine dining in a casually elegant setting. The food is delicious but done with the freshest of ingredients of the season. We started with a wonderful country pâté served with coleslaw made with freshly made mayonnaise along with caramelized onions, my husband ordered their roasted chicken with creamed spinach (absolutely delicious) I had the sea bream (wonderful). Our sommelier suggested a lovely Sancerre (a darling American girl) then we decided and splurge on dessert. The poached pears were a hit and also the millefuille. This little island is really magical at night and much more preferable than the Marais or Montmartre.

The cheapest meal in Paris, and one of the best in my life ever. Skipping this would be a mistake. The restaurant is absolutely perfect for anyone visiting Notre Dame, and who wants to avoid those trashy tourist «bistros». It’s five minutes more for walking, and is many many times better (and cheaper) than a comparable meal at a bistro. Service is nice, and without any French attitude or rudeness. The place is only locals, so you know you’re at the best restaurant around.

The name says it all: Mon Vieil Ami, or «My Old Friend», operates under the sign of friendship and friendliness. You don’t have to be a regular to feel welcome in this elegant American-​style bistro right in the heart of Paris: the friendly staff and inviting space will make you feel right at home.
The space is quite small but very well used: high ceilings with rafters give it a medieval feel, but the room is decorated with a modern touch, everything revolving around a gigantic bouquet of lilies right in the middle of the room. The room is divided in two: on the left, there is a large communal table, where people of different parties sit next to each other. It makes for a very convivial dinner, but if you prefer to spend a romantic moment, you can specify that you prefer an individual table in the other section of the room.
The chef takes pride in his vegetable creations: the veggie is the centerpoint of every dish (this is not a vegetarian restaurant however, even though there are many vegetarian options). The flavors are often paired in the most unusual and interesting way, at all stages of the meal, ranging from the apéritif (where you can find a white vermouth and basil cocktail, or a rosé wine mixed with lime juice) all the way to the dessert (with delicious combinations such as peach and verbena, or apricot and thyme). When the blending of flavors is less daring, it is for surprising re-​creations of more conventional dishes: for example, the gazpacho is served in a plate half-​filled with a clear tomato jelly. All in all, it makes for a very intriguing menu, but where everything is delicious (and made with fresh, quality products purchased from the upscale food stores on the street).
The staff, who speaks outstanding English and will be happy to bring you an English menu, provides outstanding service, friendly and attentive but non-​invasive. You’re welcome to take your time to enjoy a bottle of their fine selection of wine, before going on a romantic stroll around the island or hopping over to Ile de la Cité to see Notre Dame all lit up at night.
Dinner at Mon Vieil Ami are a bit pricey, but certainly not overpriced (unlike many of the tourist traps on the same street). The quality of the food, the atmosphere and the service makes if well worth it.
Reservations are strongly recommended, as this restaurant is quite popular and fairly small. And be sure to check out
(the web site has an English version), which has the recipes for some of its delicious creations!
Bön appétit!

I really enjoyed our lunch at this restaurant. I loved the décor and layout. If you are tired of the typical Paris bistro, I’d highly recommend this gem. We chatted with a local woman who lunches at this place every day.
The service was great. One woman runs the show during lunch and she is very efficient but also conversational. I love that your
wine-​by-​the-​glass is poured from the bottle at your table. Common in Paris but not in the US (except for CA wine region).
The daily specials are an excellent deal (€ 15,50) and there are some very creative appetizers, entrees, and many vegetable choices. I felt the food was a notch above anything we ate during our stay.
I’ll return for dinner.

Wow. Great lunch. My daughters vegetables roasted with thick cut bacon was the single best bite of food I had in a week eating in Paris.

Sadly this restaurant didn’t impress us. The food was semi-​traditional and tasted all right. It just wasn’t the type of atmosphere we envisioned. Although we did get a table (as our hotel, Hotel de Lutece, made reservations for us before we arrived in Paris) to ourselves (instead of being seated at the communal table) we did not like the initial ‘welcome’. Upon entering the restaurant, which had a heavy velvet curtain (typical to block the cold air) the man who received us had a frown and a gruff tone. Not at all welcoming to any patron. Of course, we were tourists and not regulars so that may be the reason. Otherwise, the service from the wait staff was all right.

Un délicieux petit coin d’Alsace rue Saint Louis en l’ile. Les légumes né sont pas toujours exceptionnels, mais les marmites de choucroute à deux sont fondantes et les blancs d’Alsace délicieux. Des plats abordables à l’heure du déjeuner et un service très soigné.

This place was suggested by a local for dinner. A fabulous dining experience.
It’s a small place and they pack as many people in as possible. It got super hot in there… Super quick.
It was sort of interesting that everyone dining in the restaurant (at least on the night we went) was American. Americans that had been referred by their local hosts.
Dinner was delicious. Polite & friendly service as well. The wine list was stellar… It’s amazing how they can have such a wine selection — being the place is so tiny.
I loved this place & would certainly plan to go again the next time I visit Paris!

This was our first dinner out in Paris so we were rightfully excited to eat. Sadly we did not have the best experience here. Highlights (if any): walkable from our apartment and the cauliflower soup. Lowlights (many): the server was colder than what we’ve come to expect from French servers, both fish dishes were basically steamed fish on a plate with overly salted vegetables. Overall, it was not worth what we paid for, which was a lot.
In conclusion, pass on this spot. There are much better places in Paris to dine at.

We had a delicious lunch here. The only problem being there was way too much food served. The spouse and I agreed we could have shared one prix fixe meal and maybe added a salad and been happy (and kept our wallets filled a while longer). Though I honestly don’t know if I would have agreed to share my plate of chanterelle mushrooms in light cream so perhaps I’m deluding myself by thinking I could share my food. The chanterelle plate was a spectacular dish, as was the first course – a shaved carrot and avocado and pesto on toast that was all very fresh and tasty and colorful. I was too full for dessert to say much about it, except that the ice cream was as smooth and vanilla-​y as I’ve every tasted. The custardy thingie was not to my liking, but I was really too full to give it a fair shake.
The server was working by herself, managing the entire restaurant, and she was running nonstop to keep the wine glasses filled and bring everyone their orders as they were produced by the kitchen. She was an excellent, efficient, and friendly waitress who helped make the experience wonderful. Brava!
I was under the impression that the vegetable dishes were vegetarian, but this is not the case, and I suppose I should have known by its flavorful cream sauce that the chanterelle dish had a homemade chicken stock flavored with cream, but I might have missed it except that there was a tiny bit of bone in the sauce. I’m a cook and I’m not complaining. I like it when food is made from real food and not from cubes of reconstituted something! But a word to vegetarians: Ask before assuming there isn’t a meat base to some of the dishes.
I would go back here in a minute. An added attraction is there is no patio seating and therefore no stench of tobacco. Really, this was the best meal we’ve enjoyed this trip. Merci!

Went for lunch. Chic room and food is very good though overpriced. Had two servers, who were aloof but efficient. One caution. When we asked for our bill I noted that one server, a lovely Black woman, had it prepared and then handed it to the other server, a slight Frenchman — and he reviewed for at least 30 seconds before handing it to us. I thought this seemed odd. When I reviewed the bill I noticed that there was an extra charge of 46 Euros — they billed us for two entrees we never had. When we pointed this out, they admitted that it was wrong but did not apologize. Just redid the bill. Hard to tell whether it was intentional or just carelessness. Either way it’s probably a good idea to check your bill carefully.

So, so, so, so good. This intimate gem has been «found» but regardless, it remains a joy to visit. Great service and incredible food (even if the chef changed in 2013 for a fancier place leaving 2 of his «students» in his stead). Can’t wait to return. Note that one of the tables is communal but for the complete experience, that’s the best place to sit.

We indeed confirmed via telephone and dined at the restaurant at 22h last night though the restaurant seems to believe otherwise.
I have to tell you, in all candor… that I had been looking forward to dining there for a long time. I could NOT secure a reservation before 22h though I tried, as I was told the restaurant was booked. When we arrived promptly at 22h we were 2 out of 4 diners at a empty restaurant and the staff was clearly disappointed that they needed to serve late when it was the restaurant that offered the reservation. The service was beyond RUDE — we felt completely rushed in and out. The food was uninspired and disappointing — tasted like it came out of a can. As a vegetarian and as someone who writes and recommends restaurants for concierges world wide under a pseudonym (you never know who is dining with you), the review is going to be extremely unfavorable. I have been coming to Paris for 30+ years, several times a year and have never had an experience as unfortunate as the one experienced last night. It left a rather bitter taste on my palate. What a colossal waste of time and energy and money.

Testé le plat du jour à 15 euros, ce jour là brandade de cabillaud et son jus de persil.
Très bon pain et beurre offerts ainsi qu’une truffe en chocolat avec l’addition.
Menus à partir de 40 euros autrement.

Had some trepidation this would be a tourist trap — but we were surrounded by french speaking people at the communal table. Space is pretty tight, but if you book early (we booked 2 weeks previously) you might get a table which would make the experience a heap better. Ambience is more modern than a typical french bistro.
Communal table was ok — but not if you are looking for an intimate romantic date. We got given the worst seats at the table, where the table legs were so little leg room and my wife banged her knee trying to let a fat woman pass behind her.
The food is pretty good — with large servings — so that we didn’t make it to dessert. The entrecôte special was a little chewy, even done rare, which was a little disappointing. Butternut pumpkin soup with hazelnuts and raw scallop was AMAZING. The smoked pork (pot au feu) was also fantastic but vegetables a little too starchy.
Service was fine — though english was limited, they at least smiled and were not snobby.
Short walk (5−10min) from Port Marie metro stop.

Côte de boeuf excellente et copiéuse
Ce restaurant est surtout connu pour la préparation sophistiquée des légumes mais je dois recommander la côte de bieuf Simmenthal de 1 kg à partager à deux avec de plus un excellent accompagenement.

Agréable du début jusqu’à la fin
Accueil souriant et très agréable, personnel au petit soin, cuisine française revisitée avec de bons produits. Déco et environnement très agréables. En revanche quelques inégalités entre les plats, heureusement rattrapé par la qualité des vins. A recommander mais entre amis (plus qu’en amoureux), la salle est un peu bruyante.

Une excellente adresse
Je dois avouer que lorsqu’on m’a indiqué ce resto, au beau milieu du touriste-​land de l’Ile Saint-​Louis, j’ai un peu tiqué. Grave erreur: dans le style cuisine copieuse-​inventive, c’est difficile de trouver mieux dans ce genre de prix. L’accueil est très sympa, la déco sobre mais chaleureuse, et la tambouille, sans chichi, parfois même un peu lourde, est délicieuse. Courez-​y (enfin, après avoir réservé, quand même) !

Great find — this is probably the best place to eat on the island.
Atmosphere is hip, dim-​lit & welcoming. The food was excellent — I’m almost sure I saw it featured on a Food Network show a year ago, and for good reason.
Wait staff is friendly as is the chef! He came out & met us, and we ended up making friends & snapping a photo.
Make a reservation, the locals know it’s here!

Ich frequentiere dieses Restraunt seit ein paar Jahre — leider muss ich sagen, dass die Qualität vom Essen und die Atmosphäre des Ladens immer grober und weniger raffiniert werden. Wenn ich mich gut erinnere, gab es keinen hohen Platz-​sparenden langen Tisch für «Gruppentouristen», als ich das Restaurant zum ersten Mal besucht habe.
Die Weinliste ist wunderbar. Dafür könnte man eigentlich immer noch wieder dahin zurühkkehren.
Bedienung ist normalerweise freundlich aber oft gestresst von der Hektik im kleinen Laden.
Nächstes Mal wenn ich in Paris bin, werde ich aber ein anderes Restaurant probieren statt Mon Vieil Ami.

Si vous cherchez de la cuisine étoilée, passez votre chemin. Mon vieil ami, c’est de la très bonne cuisine de bistrot, assez chère dans l’absolu (50 – 55 euros), mais c’est probablement le meilleur rapport qualité-​prix de ce quartier très touristique. De façon surprenante, l’accueil est beaucoup plus simple et sympathique que la déco et la carte un peu branchouilles laisseraient penser. Les vins sont bons et biens conseillés. Gigondas 2007 excellent. Je recommande également le carré de porc aux jeunes carottes (pour 2). Attention la carte du site internet n’est pas à jour. Les non francophones sont bien reçus. Un bon moment.

Cuisine bistrot chic mais que j’ai trouvé décevante.
Le soir, formule entrée-​plat-​dessert à 43EUR (modulable)
Entrée bien assaisonnée (celeri remoulade et crepinette), pot-​au-​feu de légumes (les navets étaient délicieux) et cabillaud qui font la part belle à la fraîcheur et au goût des légumes.
Le baba au rhum était en dessous avec un gâteau trop dense à mon goût pour faire un bon baba.
Donc globalement bon, mais un sentiment qu’il manqué une petit quelque chose à chaque plat pour que ce soit parfait

mon vieil ami is a cute little French restaurant on ile saint-​louis. The restaurant is very small and the tables are packed together but it’s a fun ambience. There is a large communal table to the left.
Reservations are mandatory so please call at least a few days ahead. If you are lucky you can get a table walking in but it’s highly unusual.
I first started coming here a few years ago before the restaurant got popular. It was a great small place that felt like a family run restaurant. They had daily specials that were innovative and fresh.
It looks like in recent years they have begun to emphasize vegetables. They still serve pork, beef, etc.
I recently made a trip out there and had the terrine as my appetizer and the wild boar as my main dish. The terrine was excellent. The wild boar was good but I’ve had better. It was served under mashed potatoes and 2 pears.
Overall, another good meal at mon vieil ami… my old friend.

Une bonne adresse… De bons produits cuisinés avec rigueur… Les légumes sont à l’honneur. Seul bémol, notre poitrine de veau braisée était un peu sèche. Il faut oublier qu’il s’agit du bistrot d’un grand chef étoilé pour né retenir qu’une bonne adresse de quartier. Probablement la meilleure de l’île Saint-​Louis.

Un bon ami
Un cadre idéal dans un lieu idéal (bon, l’Ile Saint Louis serait idéale avec 80% de visiteurs en moins). La déco est moderne chic, l’accueil impeccable, le service sans faute. L’ambiance est un assez internationale, genre touristes chics qui ont été rencardés sur les bonnes adresses. La carte est originale et bien travaillée, les assiettes bien présentées et étonnamment copieuses pour ce type d’endroit. Comme le tout est une vraie réussite, les prix sont un peu élevés (env 60 € par pers menu complet + eau + vin). Toujours les 2 services à 19h30 et 21h30/​22h qui sont une petite contrainte.

a small, chic-​y bistro in the heart of touristy ile saint louis serving updated Alsatian classics. very popular with expats and visitors so do reserve. do not miss: pâté en croûte, pot-​au-​feu and risotto aux champignons-​poulet fermier. menu du jour is a steal at 13 €, as is the 43 € dinner prix fixe. the after-​dinner stroll through the island… priceless.

Bistrot contemporain d’Antoine Westermann ou l’Alsace revisitée au coeur de Paris. Carte changeante au fil des saisons, et de l’inspiration de Frédéric le chef qui né travaille qu’avec le meilleur de la terre et de la mer !
Une des rares bonnes adresses de ce quartier plus que touristique !

Sentiment très mitigé
Bistrot moderne à la tendance avec la déco plutôt minimaliste. Par contre, la cuisine est relativement traditionnelle et copieuse. On regrette que le dessert est très quelconque, dit «dessert de cuisiner (= sans pâtissier)» et que l’heure de réservation est imposée: 19h30 ou 21h30. Moi, j’aimerais manger à 20h30 !

Des plats de qualité, en particulier le canard cuit d’une manière remarquable avec des légumes de très bonne qualité, mis en avant par les cuisiniers sur le site internet. Par contre: décoration triste, vins chers et service un peu rapide et pressant à mon gout.

Brillant mais bruyant
Excellente adresse. Simplicité dans l’assiette mais une fraicheur qui se sent avant même de commencer son plat. Le menu offre un rapport qualité prix très agréable dans un quartier où les restaurants sont de qualité inégale. Acceuil ¹⁰⁄₁₀ service ¹⁰⁄₁₀.

Westermann touch
Un lieu: un bistrot sur l’ile saint louis, une salle bondée Un carte: assez courte et simple d’insparation westerman et realisé par un jeune chef Un acceuil pro et sympa le menu: entrée, plat, dessert, et deux verres d’un pinot d’alsace (excellent) l’addition 60euros /​personne Entrée: un paté en croute, simple mais savoureux avec du celeri rave en salade Plat: pommes de terre et poireaux en baekehoffe avec pintade (la viande peut etre un peu seche) Dessert: Crème de chataignes et mandarine (rafraissant et tres fin) Bref c’est une adresse simple qui à mon sens doit etre garder pour sa simplicité et la fraicheure des produits… idéal plus pour un dejeuner qu’un diner.

L’accueil est très sympa dans ce neo-​bistrot tendance à la déco plutôt minimaliste. Par contre, la cuisine est relativement traditionnelle et copieuse !! A la carte: confit de légumes et d’oignon, sardines marinées et tartines grillées, Légumes de saison confits, carré et poitrine de cochon rôtis au jus, Tarte au chocolat.
Pas vraiment l’adresse pour un tete à tete je pense… mais le midi ou le soir entre amis.

Inégal
Beau restaurant, personnel aimable, bon conseil de vin, mais de l’inégalité dans les plats. Terrine maison en entrée, délicieuse, viande succulente en plat, mais alors un dessert tellement simple avec un long bout de cake desseché, sans aucun goût. Vraiment la mauvaise surprise, totalement inattendue en fin de repas. Ambiance agréable, pas vraiment pour un tete à tete je pense.

Très bel endroit. Beaucoup de charme
Une cuisine fine et raffinée dans le coeur de Paris. Avec son décor moderne et à la fois typique de l’Ile St Louis, on né peut que tomber sous le charme.

Bön mais décevant
Devant tant d’avis positifs et attirée par la renommée du jeune chef, je suis venue goûter aux spécialités de Mon Vieil Ami. Salle pleine un dimanche soir, accueil prévenant et apéritif offert, la soirée commençait bien. Nous avons opté pour le menu-​carte à 39 euros et goûté avec plaisir aux différents plats, dont la fameuse tarte au chocolat en dessert. Alors, certes, la cuisine est bonne, mais quel manqué d’originalité ! Pour ce prix et avec un tel chef, on attendait une pointe d’étincelle, un soupçon d’épice. Le paleron avec sa purée pour deux personnes est honnête mais très banal (on mange de bien meilleurs plats typiques dans les Winstub alsaciennes), la tarte au chocolat est servie «brute» sans même une pointe de glacé dans une assiette blanche sans charme. Il faut ajouter à cela un service ultra rapide (dommage, on n’a pas le temps d’apprécier les pauses entre chaque plat), très maladroit (erreurs en tout genre et à toutes les tables autour de nous) et une atmosphère très bruyante (et essentiellement anglo-​saxonne, ce qui n’est pas forcément un mal car vu le peu de distance entre chaque convive, au moins on n’écoute pas la discussion du voisin). En résumé, ce restaurant souffre à mon avis de n’avoir pas choisi entre la formule «table d’hôtes» (conviviale et qui nécessiterait de baisser les prix) et «cuisine design chic» (à ce prix, on demande un service plus expert et un peu plus de calme).

Mon vieil ami
Un restaurant inspirant. Tout y est amoureusement concocté. Juste en passant le seuil de la porte, on peut humer les fumets subtils, des viandes qui frémissent sous un bouillon des plus délicieux. Je suis dithyrambique et rien de moins. A bientôt, Mon vieil ami !

Drôle d’ami !
C’est un très grand chef qui a ouvert ce bistrot parisien dans un quartier ultra touristique. Les articles de journaux et les guides gastronomiques le placent au sommet et les touristes adorent l’endroit. Pourtant… quelle déception ! Le plat vedette: volaille purée et choucroute caramélisée est le plus beau ratage du moment; même pas digne d’un restaurant d’autoroute en Sibérie (y’a t-​il des restaurants sur des autoroutes en Sibérie ?) et la choucroute s’accroche au client durant plusieurs jours en dépit de remèdes aidant à la digestion; horrible !!