Café Varenne

If I could give 3.5 stars, I would. We had the French onion soup, escargot, foie gras, hanger steak with shallot sauce, and duck confit. Service was friendly. Not the greatest representation of each dish here but not the worst either. French onion soup (2/5) : was watery, beef stock not very rich, onions not very caramelized, overall flavour was lacking for a French onion soup but it was tasty enough (like a light onion-y broth) to drink. Escargot (4/5) : garlic parsley butter escargot, emphasis on the parsley with a hint of garlic - pretty good Foie gras (5/5) - on bread, delicious, flavour was great. fatty like butter, personally would not eat it off bread. Hanger steak (3/5) : not bad, not great. medium rare is more a medium between rare and bleu - order medium if you’re squeamish about rare. Salad was fresh, fries good not great. Duck confit (3.5/5) : some tender parts, edges of the duck tended to be tougher. Skin was crispy.

Visited here for lunch today and tried the famous roasted chicken which was excellent. Tight but comfortable seating outside. We did not have a reservation on a Saturday lunch and had a 5-10 minute wait for a table. Service excellent, clean restrooms on lower level. Realized after we were seated Barefoot Contessa likes to frequent. Would recommend.

Cafe Varenne was a great stop after the Rodin museum.Matthieu was our server and he was attentive and courteous. Duck confit, chicken, fish and steak tartare, plus a few starters and dessert were well received.

While it looks like a decent French restaurant the food quality does not match neither initial impression nor the prices. Eggs under mayonnaise were overcooked, onions in French onion soup were only slightly cooked and not caramelized, and the steaks were raw inside!! I did not expect such subpar quality from a French establishment. It feels like they are trying to serve as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time forgoing the quality of the food. Highly disappointing.

Nice cafe with great service. However food could have been better. I had the Onglet de Bœuf à l’échalote, and it was just ok.

**Update: Ask for Alex - Merci pour ce bon moment :) What more could you ask for than good food, drinks , staff and people watching. They welcome non-Parisians so please don’t be intimidated! Sit outside, have a glass of wine, order some food and PLEASE have some damn dessert! I came here in October 2025 after doing a whole lot of shopping and walking around the neighbourhood. I embarrassed myself in the first 10 minutes dropping my knife while trying to enjoy bread and butter and knowing 2 words of French. Trust me, as an awkward American if I can sit here for 3 hours after making a fool of myself, you can order some food! The staff are all so nice, professional and fast. Idk how they do it everyday, all day. I spent my night doing lots of people and dog watching while enjoying really yummy food. I think their desserts are the best part, so say yes to whatever they offer! There’s a good mix of regulars, locals and tourists so just give it a try because the place gets busy if you don’t. Trust me you won’t regret it, I went back multiple times!

Service was definitely great. The staff were fantastic, really friendly and on the ball. Unfortunately, the food was just okay. It did the job, but it wasn't particularly memorable or exciting.

We stopped in for lunch on a weekday without reservations and they immediately sat us. But within 15 minutes the place was packed! So, make reservations if possible. We enjoyed all the offerings in the menu and the items we opted for were quite tasty. The only issue was the chicken being too dry in their French Chicken entrée. The rest was excellent, including the petit cheese board. Their petit ravioli dish was INCREDIBLE! Very tasty and rich too! Service was great and they spoke adequate English, so ordering went perfectly smooth. Overall, it’s a nice quaint French Café with very nice food. We can see why it’s so popular.

I had the big salad with chicken which must have been poached perfectly beforehand because it was delicious. Lovely bib lettuce leaves and a hard-boiled egg. Really delicious salad. The waiter was prompt and efficient and friendly. The environment is "typically francais" with classic tables and chairs and vintage flooring and wall decorations. Really good food and a very special cafe.

This was on Ina Garten's fav list so I had to give it a try this trip. Not too far from St Germain, it's pretty easy to find. Upon arrival it's a very traditional cafe, just as pictured on their website. Very cute interior and outdoor dining are. Staff was very friendly, even for me who doesn't speak French. The menu on hand is in French, but you can access the English menu on their website. I ended up trying the duck confit, which was delicious. Duck cooked to perfection - meat just fell off the bone and was full of flavor. The sides hit the spot as well. They do have quite the variety so I'll likely be back next trip to try something different.

SO glad we visited Café Varenne on our trip. I loved the views from the patio, the coffee, and being able to have conversations and people-watch with good food. It's also within walking distance to Le Bon Marché if you are interested in shopping afterward. Very tourist-friendly while also popular with the locals, and we didn't need a reservation. They don't start serving food until after 11am (drinks only before then). We ordered the steak & frites and creme ravioli. If you're getting the ravioli, definitely get the small since it is very filling. Escargot was my favorite dish that we ordered. If you're looking for a nice cafe for people watching, I highly recommend Café Varenne.

We were in Paris on a 24hr layover so we took advantage of the situation and went into the city to pick up a few thing to take home with us. We ended up here for dinner based on the Yelp review. My wife got the steak and I got the roasted chicken which were prepared in a very simple French preparation with lots of butter and herbs. The entree came with a simple salad and fries which were nice and crispy. Overall based on the price it was a decent value. The bread and butter were also nice, which we think actually came from the bakery across the street.

This place is very popular with the locals and was quite packed when we came there for lunch. Service is friendly, like local neighborhood pub. We stumbled upon this place after visiting the hotel Invalides and making our way to Jaques Genin to pick up some of the best chocolates and caramels in the world. The place was packed and we waited about 15 minutes to get a table. There is an English menu so that was good. The duck confit was the best I had on any visit I've had in France. It's not touristy and a good place to stop for a bite

We stopped in for lunch on a weekday without reservations and they immediately sat us. But within 15 minutes the place was packed! So, make reservations if possible. We enjoyed all the offerings in the menu and the items we opted for were quite tasty. The only issue was the chicken being too dry in their French Chicken entrée. The rest was excellent, including the petit cheese board. Their petit ravioli dish was INCREDIBLE! Very tasty and rich too! Service was great and they spoke adequate English, so ordering went perfectly smooth. Overall, it's a nice quaint French Café with very nice food. We can see why it's so popular.

Classic traditional neighborhood French Bistro with lovely ambience and occasional live jazz. Service is quick and menu has an option everyone will enjoy.

This was our first restaurant dining experience during our recent trip to Paris. We were a family of four; two adults and two children ages 3 and 4. Our children are at the age where they can be a bit picky about what they eat, or perhaps just less adventurous than older children and adults often are. We arrived to the restaurant with umbrella strollers and very little knowledge of French language. We were warmly greeted, and our strollers were kept near the front doors by the coat rack. We sat indoors, and our waiter knew enough English to help us navigate the menu and forgive us for the very little French we knew. Our children requested chicken nuggets, which of course is not something you're likely to find outside of the USA. The waiter instead offered what seemed to be a thin sautéed or stewed chicken breast and a large plate of French fries. I'm pretty sure my kids sustained themselves on fries and croissants during our five days in Paris. :) The plates that my husband and I ordered weren't particularly memorable but we enjoyed them nonetheless. For dessert, we shared a pot de creme, which was a first for all but me. Now THAT was yummy. The staff adored my children once they showed off their best "au revoir"!

I am not opposed to a place over run with Americans, as I am one of them! This restaurant had great reviews. It was simply one of the worst meals I have ever encountered. The portions were large, but the food did not have any flavor. The prices were twice as high as the place down the street. We quite possibly ordered the wrong food, we had French onion soup, beef tartar, and salmon tartar. The salmon was fishy, fortunately it did not make us sick. The service was good. I honestly would recommend that you pass on this restaurant and pop into an unknown place.

We enjoyed our appetizers of eggs with mayo, however the main dishes were not our favorite. We got the beef tartar and roasted chicken. Neither dish had much flavor to us. The side of French fries were just ok. I did enjoy the atmosphere and staff however. Would not eat here again with all the wonderful restaurant options in Paris.

This is the spot to go if you're feeling like you want a home cooked meal. It has a lot of tasty, stews, meat, dishes, and other foods that feel perfect on a cold, chilly day, or a rainy day out. It is well love by locals, and I noticed that most of the people eating there we're locals. It feels like an establishment that has been around for a very long time and it's shoot a tradition and classical French cuisine. You will not be disappointed if you come, and there is lots of seating, and they are very accommodating and helpful with choosing from my wde variety of items on the menu

The ambiance was social and friendly. The service was professional and cheerful. The food was delicious. This was our first meal in Paris and it was a synecdoche for perfect visit.

We were looking for dinner around our hotel as it was ~33 celsius in Paris. We wanted somewhere close by. So we searched up on Yelp and Google, this place showed up as the place to go. We walked over and got to the restaurant. The maître d then saw us, decked out in a suit and tie (in 33 celsius weather mind you and he didn't break a sweat). He asked us in English how many and said, wait a few mins. And he was correct, it's only a few minutes after he cleaned up a table outside for my wife and I. Then he got us 2 sets of menu, French and English... thanks!!! My French is now non-existent. So we were seated shortly after. We peaked into our menu and ordered skirt steak with fries and salad, duck confit and chocolate cream. The mains came out shortly after. Oh man! It's flavourful yet not salty. This restaurant really has that French bistro flair: great service from the wait staff, super professional. The server who helped us was friendly and has a good sense of humour. Great atmosphere in a quiet street and I can see many people coming still as we were leaving. Highly recommended!

Steak tartare was delicious, our waiter was awesome - great little place with street side dining

Recommend for Americans! Lol Very freindly staffs. Magnager or the owner was very kind. We ordered Duck confit, Ribeye steak, Salmon tartar, Creame Ravioli and onion soup. Ingredients were fresh but Duck confit seems dry and salmon tartar was too raw for me. Food is ok. But the service is the best I had in Paris. They have an english menu too. I wil definitely visit here again!

In a word, delicious! Every bit of it. The bread, the super fresh radishes, the butter! Loved the frites; perfectly cooked. The roasted chicken in jus was very good and the chicken Caesar was fantastic. Top it off with a perfectly velvety chocolate pot de creme. This is a place worthy of another visit or two while in Paris. Good idea to make a reservation, this place is busy. They squeezed us in but, next time I now know to call ahead.

Service was nice but the server took a really long time to get things we asked during the meal such as more water and an extra plate for our child. He never brought her utensils so I reused a tiny escargot fork for her. Even seeing that he still didn't bring her utensils. Anyhow, the duck was dry but the sauce was good. Although the side salad was basic, the vinegarette made it good. the gnocchi was not very fluffy, on the dense side. The tomato sauce for the gnocchi was delicious. The escargot was over done so they were a bit dried out and chewy instead of delicate. The terrine was good though nothing spectacular to go out of the way for. Prices are reasonable. If you are in the neighborhood by le bon marche I'd say stop by but don't go out of your way to come here.

Café Varenne is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Paris. After living here for about 5 months, it's hard to find a dining experience as good as Café Varenne. The food is amazing and the traditional French bistro atmosphere is fantastic. The service is exceptional and the entire staff is respectful, energetic, and pleasant to be around. Our waiter was wonderful and the duck and lamb shoulder we ordered were so tasty. Cannot recommend this restaurant enough!!

Parisians don't typically eat dinner until 8 or later. So,as an American this could get difficult. So we started poping in places for some wine,bread,meat,cheese. You know, lite plates to hold you over. These guys did a great job of killing my appetite but not too much. The house wine was better than what I usually drink at home.

Ina said to go, so I went. She recommended the warm goat cheese salad and I'd love to return for that in the future but I only had the chance to go for breakfast. It was the perfect, yet basic, European/French breakfast.

Great food and friendly service! We will be back! The duck confit was so tender and one of my favorite dishes in Paris. We were so fortunate to walk up and get seated within 10 minutes.

My family lived in Paris for 2 years and this is our absolute favorite classic French bistro! The food is outstanding and the service is fabulously friendly. My husband says "Best confit de canard ever!" It comes with a perfect green salad and crispy but not greasy fries. I love the chicken salad and also the poulet rôti which comes with a green salad and fries. The service is always super prompt and very professional with a smile! You cannot do better in Paris!!

We visited this cafe based on other reviews, and it lived up to our expectations. We had an evening time slot at the Musee d'Orsay so we went before for dinner, around 5:30pm(gasp! I know, so early) so, it wasn't busy. We were seated, placed a drink order, then the food; the radish toast, a chicken dish and the goat cheese salad, all were delicious! Overall, great service, classic dishes done well!

Food is pretty good here and reasonable price. However, service was just okay probably they are not dependent on gratuity.

This place was just okay and priced a bit higher. We got snails and they were on a smaller side and some were missing. Service was great. They have hand written English menus which I found cute but also how hard is it to print one? Their charcuterie plate was also okay but for 25 euro I would expect either more cheese variety or bigger amount, it was heavier on the meats side. Overall not bad but a few things could improve.

best onion soup i have ever had! atmospheres is out of a story book... just the perfect Parisian cafe

Delicioussssssss. Server was amazing. The food was very very good. Escargot...steak...duck confit......Normandy oysters....highly recommend

I loved it. This taught me "the dirty little secret to all French cafes that owners don't want you to know." When you are in a tourist trap, the seats and tables face outward. Food is mediocre as the service. When you go to a place like this, where the service is good and the food is delish, the tables are set where someone has their back the the street- like a normal restaurant. This is worth the effort to find it. You're welcome!

Came here on our first visit to Paris. My husband wanted Duck Confit and our hotel concierge @The Signature Saint Germain recommended it. We sat outside since it was a beautiful day. We had 6 persons in our party. 2 ordered the Duck Confit that came with French fries and salad. They both said it was the best Duck confit they had ever had, and one is a foodie. I ordered the roast chicken, which also came with fries and salad. The chicken was very soft and fell off the bone. Fries were amazing! Our two other friends had the chicken Cesar salad and said it was very good. One friend had the lamb and loved it as well. Overall, very good service, however if we had to sit outside again, we would probably prefer not to because someone was smoking on both sides of us. The French love to smoke. Except for the smoking, an amazing meal.

Amazing! First night in Paris and we could not have asked for a better place. It was one of those dining experiences called up from central casting. Just perfect. From the wait staff to the food to the wine and beer, everything was exactly what we wanted. Wonderful pate, pome frites to die for, rotisserie chicken that melted in my mouth and a selection of French cheeses that would make even the most pristine of cheese mongers cheer with delight. The food was . . . Well, perfectly French and bistro style. Add to the mix, the waitstaff speak English and are ever so polite with my very poor French - this is a place worth making your first stop in the city that offers more food for foodies than any other place in the EU. We will be back! This was the perfect night and I can't stress this strongly enough.

Horrible !! Préparation extrêmement médiocre !! Le tartare est simplement du steak haché!! La honte

I am only reviewing this place for the Croissants, as that's the only thing I got here. I had Croissants from 10+ places in Paris during my stay there, and this was hands-down the best. Perfect ration of flaky, buttery, and warm. Make sure to get there early or there won't be any left :)

First time here and was totally blown away. Great service from very friendly staff and very easy to make reservation over the phone. Food is superb - much better in all respects compared to Cafe Constant which we have been going to for years. Could not speak highly enough and will be back multiple times over the next week that we are here in Paris. Special thanks to David's for his attention!

What a wonderful ending to our trip in Paris. The pate was homemade and the bread hot and fresh, a soft boule with a thin crispy edge). The service was great too. We will be trying recreate their fish broth with fennel and tomatoes when we get home.

Not the best not the worst French in Paris. We came the service was great the steak tartar was ok a bit dull. The ratatouille was perfect and the rum cake great to share. We were ready to eat and this location worked out well

A brasserie nearby Musee D' Orsay with outdoor seating that's packed to the brim when we came by for lunch. It seems to be popular to both locals and tourists alike. They offer handwritten menus in english and the servers are friendly vs other places we've been to. I find the pricing more apt for dinner though they do offer a hefty serving so I'm glad I did not over order. I knew the DUCK CONFIT was going to be phenomenal but I also knew how heavy and rich that dish is so I steered away from it and got the ROAST CHICKEN (€19.50) with mushrooms and bacon instead. This poultry may have been the juiciest and most flavorful I've had. It's served with some sort of beignets on the side and that was spectacular. I had a hard time finishing my plate even after sharing a piece of leg with my daughter. A shame, I know. She, on the other hand had FUSILLI pasta in tomato sauce (€17). As simple as it sounds, it actually tasted pretty darn good. Try sticking with water, coffee, or wine. I got a Coke and was charged (€5.50)

I dined alone here on one of my first nights in Paris and was warmly welcomed to Cafe Varenne. Each table receives a small plate of freshly sliced charcuterie upon arriving, which was a lovely touch. The duck confit was wonderful, though just a touch salty for me (but I'm learning that is typical of French cuisine). The profiterole dessert, served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce was delectable.

This was one of our favorite meals in Paris. All food was cooked to perfection and the service was outstanding. We wish certainly be back. I strongly recommend this place.

An exceptional bistro. The prices are reasonable and the value is high. I had the asparagus which was topped with cheese and a poached egg. The lamb shoulder is excellent and is clearly cooked for a long time. She had the ravioli du creme - freshly seasoned and quite tasty. We also had the carrot soup. All the food came out hot. The staff was pleasant. English menus available. Lots of locals. Comfortable. Traditional food. Generous portions. Wonderful street views. You cannot go wrong. A Paris Dream!!!

Had a fantastic late lunch here. My friend went with a salami board and green beans with tomatoes as her meal, and I had the duck confit. Everything was delicious, but the salami really stood out to me. Thanks for the recc, Ina Garten!

This was our last dinner in Paris. We were in the area and were hungry for some roast chicken. If the place was good enough for Ina Garten, it's good enough for us. I was a bit worried about not having a reservation since Paris restaurants are known for turning away people with no reservations. But, we were enthusiastically greeted by the host (really awesome guy) and all fears were allayed. Service was beyond nice from EVERYONE. I loved that the place had a nice stream of locals rather than tourists (though nothing wrong with sitting next to fellow tourists). Most of the locals were older and very elegant. We ordered the poulet facon grand mere (roast chicken) and the confit de canard (duck confit). The roast chicken came with a VERY generous portion of roast potatoes that went very well with the mustard. I also loved how when we ordered, the waiter made us say the French names of the dishes. "You have to say it...confit de...CANARD". So charming! We also got the "Spongy Bob" cake. It's the Baba au rhum de la Martinique A.O.P. I overdid it on the self-pour rum and it was still really great. Afterwards, we walked over to the Seine to take in our last night in Paris.

The best restaurant in town. We had salmon lasagna with spinach, homemade lemon pie, steak, two ratatouille, chocolate cake,etc. Everything was amazing!!!

The menu is all cold plates or cheese and bread place. Not much special after we tried it out. They don't like american very much. The ham tasted the best. Pricey.

GREAT atmosphere indoors and outdoors, delicious Duck Confit and escargot, close to Musee D'Orsay, reasonable prices, and very sweet staff! Highly recommended!

Ile Flottant and Foie Gras were fabulous. A great spot which will surely give you great memories

Just our luck that they ran out of the duck confit. We tried the country pate: fantastic. As were the truffle ravioli. Also had the lamb shank which was very tender but a little gamey for me. The rice pudding rounded out our meal and was fantastic. Loved the experience and will have to come back to try the duck confit.

Cute spot in a great neighborhood. Perfect for lunch after the musee d'Orsay. I noticed most of the other patrons were speaking French and appeared to be locals which is typically a good sign. The waiter was nice, brought us menus in English which was helpful. We started with the meat and cheese plate and had the chicken for our main course, both were very tasty. Really enjoyed Cafe Varenne for some good, classic French food! Lastly, clean modern restroom that didn't cost anything to use

Recommended by Patricia Wells and Ina Garten (do I need to say more) this lovely cafe did not disappoint. The manager was attentive and very helpful, not to mention funny. The food was delicious!!!

Pretty excited. Found out it is not that good. General French Food. This place is nothing special. It has friendly waiters and decent food but is nothing more than a generic French cafe restaurant that somehow got itself on yelp. Most of the reviews are tourists who do not know much about French cuisine. I guess if it is your first or second night in Paris you will probably think it is great, but if you have a taste for French food I would try elsewhere. Their potatoes were pretty decent.