France Trip Restaurant Review

Bistrot Victoires

Bistrot Victoires
6 rue de la Vrilliere 1st, Paris
Area: Louvre
Phone: 01.42.6143.78
Open Hours: Open noon-3pm, 7-11pm daily.
Cuisine type: Local, Seafood, French, European
Price: Moderately Priced

Bistros with vintage decor serving no-nonsense food at generous prices are growing thin on the ground in Paris, so it’s no surprise that Bistrot Victoires is packed to the gills with bargain-loving office workers and locals every day. Even we travellers found it interesting. Located not far from The Louvre, it brought me and my friends to the heart of Parisian dining experience. This classic bistro seems to have it all, the cozy feeling, the ambience, the reasonable price, good food, and not-so-hard-to-be-found location. The first time we entered the restaurant, nobody was around as it was still 11.30am in the afternoon. Not long after that while we were eating our lunch, more and more people showed up for lunch. Lucky for us to came earlier so we did not have to wait for a seat. People queued just for lunch, there were mostly French, American, and even a Japanese woman was there. This shows how well-known the bistro is.

What I felt the first time I entered the restaurant was a not too big, cozy, and homey place for people to gather and have a chat with each other while enjoying the food. This may be caused by brown colors surrounding the restaurant from the wall, the bar, the table and the chair. Believe it or not, the atmosphere made me feel relax and it feels like home to me.

The menu was presented in a simple and clean way using white carton covered by plastic with only names of foods, drinks, and prices written on it. Luckily we understand basic French so we had no hard time picking what we wanted to eat and drink. It comprised of series of appetizers, main courses (or we can call it Plat du Jour in French), desserts, and choices of alcoholic beverages as well as non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee and tea. They also had some English menu so that tourists like us can read from it because not all tourists that come to France can speak French.

The service given was pretty well. Ordered were taken fast, without delay and with a smile. Not every restaurant has a waitress to receive an order with a friendly smile on her face. No sir! Also, I might add, for French people I would say that they had very warm attitude towards the guest. I said this because most French people in Paris were not that warm and welcoming to tourists.

The price was moderately priced around 8 to 15 Euros and for a restaurant that served this type of food with this level or service, I would say this amount of money was worth it. I also would definitely come back for more of their ducks. I may have not try lots of restaurant in my life, but still as far as it is, this duck salad was the best one that I have ever tasted.

Overall, I must say that I am quite satisfied with the food and service given by Bistrot Victoires. If you ever go to Paris and wandering what to eat in the Louvre area, try to drop by and stay for a while in this warm and welcoming bistro.