Hi! Old time Chowhounder here. We’re planning our visit from SF for New Year’s week. We arrive in the afternoon on Year’s Eve from London, staying near Republique. Wondering where it might be possible to have an oyster snack that afternoon or early evening (booked at Massale for dinner) within a 30 minute walk from our hotel?
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Istr not too far away a great choice (recommended by Parn), and they have a happy hour as well.
There may well be other good choices closer, but it should be less than a 10 minute walk.
Is it possible to walk into Istr without a reservation?
It looks to me that Istr is closed that day. L’îlot would be my other top choice, but assuming it’s open on 31 December, it’s opening isn’t until 18h30.
Basically, OP’s requirements of (a) afternoon on New Year’s Eve, (b) 30 min walk from Place de la République don’t make for an easy solution. I checked the websites of several brasseries in the area, but they don’t have oysters. So I have no reliable suggestion at the moment and just suggest that OP google “oysters near Place de la République” or maybe “oysters in arrondissements 2, 3, 9, 10, 11” and then check the individual websites to see what’s open. This may mean relatively uninspiring (for Paris) oysters.
However, I fail to see why the transportation system can’t be used to get to anyplace in Paris, which then opens up a whole 'nother list of possibilities.
OK, forget the 30 minute walking requirement! Open to any and all suggestions.
Assuming that you can’t make a lunch service and so are looking for someplace open in off-hours, my top three (in order of arrondissement, not preference, but all will give an excellent, if different, experience) are:
Huguette in the 6th,
Clamato in the 11th (it is actually roughly within the 30-min walk radius from Pl de la République)
La Rotonde in the 14th
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Bofinger, a landmark brasserie just off the place Bastille on rue Bastille, has a wow Art-Déco interior and an excellent shellfish menu. Usually open from noon to 11pm on Sunday (but not continuous hours on other days) and probably your best bet. Just a quick ride on the 91 bus from place République to the Bastille-Beaumarchais stop. https://www.bofingerparis.com/
Because it’s New Year’s Day, I’d have your hotel concierge give them a ring to see if the usual Sunday hours remain the same. These things can change at the last moment because of chronic post-Covid labour shortages.
For other oyster fixes during your stay in Paris, google “Paris Oyster map”. Lots and lots of choices. But as onz has pointed out, Sunday is a difficult day.
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Not far from République, there’s L’Écailler du Bistrot, rue Paul-Bert. But I don’t know about the Jour de l’An. You may call them on the phone (number on their website) to find out. Otherwise, as Parn says, there’s Bofinger and many brasseries will be open.
Happy Holidays & “Thank You” to the previous 3 posters who, from CH days to today have made, & continue to make, our trips to Paris so much better. Much appreciated. Here’s to another year.
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Just to clarify, my understanding of OP’s request is that she seeks a location for oysters on Saturday afternoon 31 December, not Sunday 1 January.
Bofinger has lunch table available at 2:30 or 3 on the 31st, but similar on any given Sunday, so I’m with @ParnParis: call if that is your choice.
I’m with @SteveR, wishing old Chowhounders/new Hungry Onions Merry and Happy and Delicious! Like you, @Mrsbacon, I will be celebrating the New Year in Paris. Looking forward to many treats during my week, and hope you enjoy yours as well!
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Thanks so much for the help! My challenge will be finding a place with continuous service; Bofinger would be lovely but it closes between lunch and dinner (same with L’Écallier du Bistrot). I’m guessing we’d need something open around 5:00-6:00, very much an “in between” time. Hugette fits the bill, but no tables are available. Does anyone know whether they take walk-ins?
Well, Clamato takes no reservations and is open with continuous service on the weekends. Its website says it is closed on “Dec. 24 and 25 and from Jan. 2-Jan 9 inclusive,” but that sounds like it is open this coming week and through New Year’s (unless someone tells me I am reading it wrong). That might be the ticket for you.
For Huguette, you might try calling when you arrive in Paris (or from the train, if that’s how you are traveling) to see if they might have a table that opened up.
My experience with Huguette (admittedly from last summer and not on a holiday) is that tables are available at off hours.
As Ninkat already said, Clamato is continuous and takes no reservations. Around 17h00, I’d guess no real problem at Clamato.
I don’t imagine that there should be any problem at La Rotonde, either.
For selection of oysters, Clamato is going to be more limited than the other two, and also not as good for people-watching, but the quality of the food is topnotch (not that the other two are in any way lacking) and it is within a half-hour walk from République.
All three have very good selections of wines by the glass and bottle (and importantly for New Year’s Eve, good Champagne). Clamato will be exclusively natural.
How about looking into le marchė des Enfants Rouges on rue de Bretagne? There is definitely a poissonnerie inside and, from what I’m seeing online, the market is open until 5pm on both Christmas and New Year’s eves.
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So sorry I’m so late responding! Thanks so much for all the suggestions. We ended up walking into Hugette. Had a big platter of oysters, shrimp, langoustine, crab, clams and whelks. Everything was delicious, and it was a great start to our trip.
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