A few years ago my wife and I ate at Bouillon Racine because it was highly recommended to us by the new owners of the hotel we had been staying at for over 10 years. It was a 10-minute walk from the hotel. We enjoyed it very much. There was no wait to get in.
Bouillon Racine hasn’t been a bouillon for decades (unlike Chartier) and wasn’t created from scratch as is the case of other recent bouillons in Paris like Bouillon Pigalle or République (formerly Brasserie Jenny). So it wasn’t a bouillon at all when you went there. That’s also why there was no waiting line.
It was created as a bouillon in the early 20th century and remained one until the late 1990s. When I discovered it in 1991, it was still a bouillon but renamed “restaurant d’entreprise” and the tables were shared by employees from various companies, all around the neighborhood, which had contracts with the bouillon. The publishing company I was working for in he same street, at that time, also had a contract with the bouillon Racine and all its employees could eat there for insanely low prices through a ticket system. Tickets were paid by the employers and we got them at the beginning of every month. One meal for 5 or 6 francs at the time. The food was served by the cooks in white aprons, directly from large stainless steel pans they carried on their hips into our plates with big ladles. It was very simple and very good.
A few years later the Bouillon Racine was sold to a Belgian group of restaurant entrepreneurs and entirely renovated. The beautiful Art Nouveau decor was painted from pure white to sea green, and the food was traditional Belgian. It was no longer a bouillon, it was a restaurant with prices on the high side, but it kept the name “Bouillon Racine”, which was a bit misleading. As a restaurant, it experienced ups and downs from the beginning to recent years, and I remember the downs were very low indeed. It may have taken off since then, since you enjoyed it. I haven’t visited the place for a couple of decades. I don’t know where it’s standing now, but one thing is sure, it hasn’t been a bouillon for nearly 30 years.
As far as I know, the only traditional bouillon remaining in Paris is Chartier.
1 Like
We were there in 2022.
That still doesn’t make it a bouillon, but was it good? Do you remember what you ate there?
I’m afraid I don’t remember what we ate there. But it was good.
Thanks, I may give it another try.
Don’t expect too much. We enjoyed it, but it’s not Alliance!
For Paris maybe Le Reminet on rue Grands Degres. Small, casual may fit what you are looking for.
Bayeux - Bonbonne, really good quality and charming staff. L’angle St. Laurent, lovely room, dinners were wonderful, service was slow though.
Been running a little crazy since returning home from France but I wanted to at least give a few thoughts on our dining experiences as well as a couple of places we visited.
Paris
Overall our Paris meals were forgettable. Due to some timing issues we just didn’t get to places I had noted and instead were stuck with less than stellar options that just happened to be available. I think this was partly because we were trying to cram in so much we just didn’t have time to suss out neighborhoods; primarily due to my husband who just doesn’t really care about where we eat. Also weather was not our friend so we ducked into the closest spot when the rain began more than once.
Our standout meals were at Hestia in the Latin Quarter (great food, excellent service) and Le Coq & Fils in Monmartre. (I had spent over an hour searching at Galeries Lafayette for a roast chicken meal the day before, with zero success so I was inclined to love Le Coq anyway, but it was really delicious in its own right.).
The croissant at Maison Isabelle near the Sorbonne was worth the walk in the rain! Le Coupe Chou in the same neighborhood was good and service was excellent (a rarity in our experiences).
My husband is a chocolate mousse fanatic so we made a special trip to Chapon only to be told they were out of chocolate mousse. WTF?!?
On our final night we happened upon Le Septieme Vin not far from ET, and it was delightful. Our only really lucky stab in the dark.
Normandy
Not too much success in Normandy, our lunch in Honfleur was super rushed and we ended up with basic crepes, which were good but nothing special. Our dinners in Bayeux were ok, most of the places we wanted to try were closed midweek. We did have a surprisingly good meal at like a truck stop brasserie and I simply cannot find the name, will edit if I locate that. Not a destination but perfectly acceptable while driving.
In Marseille we had the “bouillabaisse” from the carry out spot Turfu. It was inexpensive and tasty. We again just didn’t have time (or financial inclination) to go to FonFon though I’m sure we would have enjoyed that experience. We snacked somewhere on the main waterfront drag in Marseille before heading to our Springsteen concert. Very interesting small Holocaust memorial museum in Marseille.
Aix en Provence and surrounding areas
Highlight in Provence was lunch at Omma in Rousillon. Really outstanding food and service, with a beautiful view as well. We did not eat in Il Sur le Sogue but enjoyed their market in particular. Dinner in Aix was at La Mado at the recommendation of our guide. We weren’t impressed, nothing wrong with it, just average. And as lovely as the evenings were (vs the cold and rain in Paris) the smoking really affects us, so we ate indoors quite a few times throughout the trip to avoid it. I understand they’ve changed the law so any restaurant will be no smoking, even outdoors, but I can’t fathom how that will succeed there!)
Will add more but hoping some of the words will come up in searches in the future (even though not much to speak of).
5 Likes
I’m not really a croissant person, but I agree on this one.
My theory why they are so particularly good is that given the popularity, they sell so many that most people get theirs warm out of the oven.
Ours were. And they were excellent.
I thought restaurant/cafe terraces and outdoor spaces were exempt and the law applied to public spaces like parks and beaches.
1 Like
The irony is that, across the boulevard (corner rue de Bièvre), Boulangerie La Parisienne makes croissants that are at least as good. But they don’t have a huge sign “meilleur croissant en 2018” outside.
I love the baguettes at La Parisienne.
I tried the croissant there once. It wasn’t warm. It was fine, but to me nothing special.
I actually believe you that if eaten the same number of minutes out of the oven, the one from La Parisienne would be about as good, just as good, or even a little better.
But that is actually my point. At Maison Isabelle, the croissant the woman handed to me was warm, and I watched her take it out of the machine just a few feet away.
I do not know for certain whether the croissant was baked in the machine she took it out of, or was just kept warm there. But either way, the net effect on my consuming pleasure was substantial. And even 15 minutes later at the apartment the one I brought back for my wife was better than almost all of the ones purchased room temperature from the various better bakeries I’ve tried.
I was told more than once that there’s a new law going into effect (no idea when) that eliminates those exemptions at restaurants (maybe other spots as well). Didn’t research it, just sharing what I heard.
Per ChatGPT, so could be wrong but I suspect it’s correct:
“There is indeed a new nationwide smoking ban in France that took effect on July 1, 2025, but it does not extend to outdoor seating at restaurants and cafés (‘terrasses’).
What the ban does cover
- Smoking is now banned across France in most outdoor public spaces where children are likely to be present, including parks, beaches, public gardens, sports venues, bus shelters, school entrances, libraries—you name it.
- Fines for violation run about €135 (approx. $150 – $160) .
What the ban does not cover
- Outdoor cafés and restaurant terraces remain exempt—you can still smoke while seated on a terrace enjoying a meal or drink .
- E‑cigarettes/vaping are also not included in this new regulation.”
