Le Petit Lutetia

We were a family of four and we had pre booked a table . One of our party was running a little late so we didn’t take our seats immediately. Be very careful not to annoy the front of house because they actually cancelled our table as we waited!!! Luckily we were just yards away from the restaurant we we were able to reinstate our booking! Once we had sat down it was time to enjoy the food experience..the meal was very good indeed!! Great food Good traditional Cuisine. We will definitely return. A very busy restaurant and superb atmosphere too.

I truly never write a review, but tonight was so awful I have to warn off anyone considering booking this terrible restaurant. I came with my daughter for our last night in Paris she is 23 and a fluent French speaker. She handled all of our ordering and the waitress made her feel awful, to the point where now she is self conscious about her French (after spending a week here, hanging out with French friends, etc etc). She was in tears and I realized that they had sat us in the back with all the other Americans in kind of an American ghetto right next to the bathroom. All the French people were seated in the front. And to top it off the food sucks. So please, avoid this awful restaurant there are so many better places in Paris!!!

Our family had eaten at Le Petite Lutetia several times before the pandemic, wholeheartedly enjoying the food, service and ambiance. Returning now with a French friend for the first time since 2019 it was delightful to recognize the familiar decor, but the enjoyment of the evening stopped there. We were seated in the empty restaurant at the narrow center where both staff and arriving clients created busy traffic at our back. The first half hour was relatively peaceful with a glass of wine and conversation. After that the noise level of the full restaurant became so loud we could not carry on a simple exchange over a small table. The Pepper Steak was okay, though drowned in thick gravy, and the bread was inedible. We ordered two recommended desserts. The Ile Flottant was not the traditional version I was assured it would be, the Ile being covered in ground nuts and the flottant being a syrupy soup. My friend 's Tarte Citron Meringuée was far from the light confection one hopes for, but rather heavy and pudding-like, with little lemon flavor, and a crust that was soft and damp. If you like conversation and excellent French food I would sadly avoid Le Petite Lutetia.

Our meals were quite good, the atmosphere was busy but friendly, and our server was very good at his job. When we were ready for our check, the server stunned me speechless by asking my husband what amount we were tipping him (so he could add it to our charges). In France there is a law that servers must be paid a living wage and, therefore, restaurants are “service compris” and tips are not expected. You can leave a small tip if you wish, but it is not a common practice like in the USA. Before I could get myself together with a response, the generous tip was added and we were leaving. We will never go there again. Be warned, fellow travelers.

Tasty dishes (excellent mashed potatoes). Polite and efficient personnel. Desserts (at least those we tried) were peculiar but tasteful. Stays open late at night. Prices are significantly higher and do not correspond to what you get