Le Comptoir du Relais Bistro, Paris, France
The Hotel Moderne St. Germaine on the Rue des Ecoles is located in the 5th Arrondisement of Paris on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) of the Seine. Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements or districts. This makes finding your way around even easier because an address will say...5th Arrondisement, 10th Arrondisement, etc... The 1st through the 7th Arrondissements is where the majority of famous attractions and tourists are found.
We usually stay in the Latin Quarter for its vibe, trendy shops, restaurants and closeness to Notre Dame Cathedral, La Congiergerie where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned, the two natural islands in the Seine River - Ile de la Cite and Ile St-Louis The world-famous and historic Sorbonne University of Paris is also on the Rue des Ecoles (street of schools) along with its Schools of Medicine, Philosophy, Libraries and more. During the week you'll see students from all countries rushing to and from classes, sitting on curbs studying, eating fast food, and locked in embraces.
We began walking from the hotel down the Rue des Ecoles and stopped in front of a statue of the influential French Renaissance writer Michel Montaigne across the street from the Sorbonne in the Square Painleve. Montaigne wrote essays that had a direct influence on writers including Emerson, Nietzsche, Rousseau, Asimov and even Shakespeare. While ex-Marine and I wondered at the brightness of Montaigne's shoe, an elderly French man stopped and gave a lengthy explanation (in French). I did get the gist from his gestures that we were supposed to rub the shoe for luck. Found out on the Internet later (bless you, Internet) that Sorbonne students believe it brings good luck to touch Montaigne's shoe before an exam. It's been at least 40+ years since my last exam but now ex-Marine and I are ready for any new exam that may come along....
(Watch the video in another article that shows the Avenue du Montaigne (naturally named after Michel Montaigne), an exclusive street on the Right Bank of the Seine.)
It was about an easy six-block walk over to Le Comptoir du Relais Bistro, my first restaurant choice. Chef Yves Camdeborde has a another restaurant, La Regalade, that we did have dinner at over six years ago. Le Comptoir du Relais is his reinvention of a Paris Bistro, located at 9 Carrefour de l'Odeon, and was easy to find. There was a long line of people waiting in front on the sidewalk while every table both inside and out was jammed cheek-to-cheek (and, butt-to-butt) at miniscule tables with diners while servers rushed in and out of the restaurant.
The write-up and recommendation from Concierge (a Conde Nast website) said that ...the affable Camdeborde offers two distinct menus: bistro (or brassierie) from noon to 6 pm daily...the phenomenal bargain five-course "gastronomique" menu..." Ha! and fie on you, Concierge.com. There is an a la carte menu only during the day. The "gastronomique" menu is served at night, 50 Euros/person. That didn't sound like a phenomenal bargain to me.
Know this...
- Parisians, families and all, eat out on Sunday. The majority of restaurants will be packed. We did stand in line for five minutes reading the a la carte menu that is huge. For unfortunate, french language challenged people like us, there is no English menu and even with the aid of a French menu translated, it would have taken me an hour to work my way slowly through the menu. And I'm sure one of the English-speaking waiters would have thrown up their gallic hands in disgust translating the entire menu. The personnel is very friendly and pleasant though.
- They do not serve a menu du jour.
- Each and every entree and/or plat ran anywhere from 15 Euros on up. Yes, the 50 Euro degustation would be a bargain compared to ordering two separate items.
Extremely disappointed by both the prices and long wait, we did return during the week around 3:00 p.m. and could have easily gotten seated and served. If you don't have budgetary concerns and can translate a three-page, small print menu with at least 10 selections in all categories, walk in for a late lunch/early dinner during the week or make reservations well in advance for dinner at the Hotel Relais Saint-Germain next door to Le Comptoir du Relais Bistro and bon appetit.
Hindsight is always 20/20 and we should have just made reservations at La Regalade that does have a lunch prix fix menu of 32 Euros. At least that is what we were told but who knows if that's also true... Ah me, let's continue walking...
