Katie S.
Yelp
A lot has been said about the Closerie des Lilacs. It is one of my go-to places in Paris for lunch and bar action.
It is stunning, first of all. I mean you know it's good when Ernst Hemingway was a regular. Also, that speaks to the drinks. I kid. My mother and I had an interesting absinthe experience (they do the whole fun setup) here, and she took over the piano and started playing ballads from "Les Mis", but that is a story for another time, perhaps. It is really nice to have a live piano player, even if it is your mother. (Sidebar: turns out my mother is allergic to wormwood, which is an ingredient in absinthe. So we also had a nice tour of French medicine, three cheers for free and impressive health-care).
Here are some helpful hints. The brasserie at lunch is the time and the place to go. They don't accept reservations (only the main restaurant does). The brasserie is in a delicate garden and very chic Parisians frequent. The dish to get is the steak tartare. Je t'aime steak tartare. Remember this is only served at the brasserie. It is clearly one of the best steak tartares in the world. The locals dine on it as lunch is intended, slowly and gloriously, whilst looking glamorous, drinking and smoking. Boy, that's living.
The restaurant is different. It is very elegant and has very classic French fair. No steak tartare, not as many Parisians, and higher prices. It is still a good choice, and it is great that they accept reservations, but I still prefer the garden of the brasserie.
Clearly, you must stay and have a drink at the very famous bar!