This Paris Bistro Has Michelin Quality (For Half Price)

In this video we have lunch at Rosemarie, a Michelin Bib Gourmand bistro in Paris just up the street from Les Invalides, across the river from the Eiffel Tower. If you want Michelin-quality food without the fuss or the big bill, this kind of neighborhood bistro is exactly what we look for.

The menu and prices

Bib Gourmand means Michelin recognition for good food at a moderate price, without tablecloths and formalities. The short menu is a good sign: a few starters and three mains of fish, chicken and beef. The “formule” was 35 euros or less for two or three courses when we filmed. House wine comes by the pichet, a small carafe, in 25 or 50 cl.

What we ate

• The dish of the day: toast with a fine pesto, melted mozzarella, ham and sweet tomatoes.
• Steak tartare with homemade potato chips, perfect for a hot day.
• Roasted chicken on a pea risotto, moist and buttery.
• Strawberry soup with mint, strawberry sorbet and meringue sticks.
• Profiteroles with real vanilla ice cream, swimming in hot chocolate sauce, Antoine’s all-time favorite.

Our verdict

Five stars across the board for food, service, ambiance and value. The food is simple and done extraordinarily well, the staff were attentive and spoke several languages, and the room felt small, family-owned and less crowded than many bistros. You pay maybe 10 euros more per meal than at an ordinary spot, and you get a lot more. We would go back again and again.

Find Rosemarie on the map here. For more bistros like this, see our guide to 125 Paris restaurants and our Paris Guide Bundle, or explore the food scene with a local on a Devour food tour.