I've not been to Le Bon Georges, so I can't comment on the food. But I couldn't agree more re: the wine list pricing, which is horrifying and lies somewhere between larcenous and extortionate. Virtually everything is marked up at least three times the restaurant's cost, and in many, many cases they're charging more than four times what they paid. And in the end, the restaurant is actually making even more: when LBG buys a bottle of Château Plonk for 120€, 20% of that, or 20€, is TVA (VAT in English, or "value added tax") which is passed on to the guest as part of whatever the wine list price is (which, given their rapacious pricing, will be at least 360€). On the restaurant's next TVA return, it gets to recover all the TVA it paid at the cellar door. Therefore, the restaurant not only banks a 240€ margin on the bottle sale, it also gets refunded the 20€ in TVA that Château collected from LBG at the time of initial purchase.
I'm sorry, Meg...but as a guy who was once a huge fan of Le Bon Georges, I must disagree with your take on what the place has become. I'd been going since it wasn't a 'luxury bistro' and most seats were filled with very happy neighborhood locals, like our friends who first introduced us to it. It was a time when while they had a larger wine list (not the bible their SIX sommeliers now trot out!) the smart move was to to look at the wines listed on the wall and you were guaranteed to find multiple bottles to choose from. Bottles that besides being great wines at reasonable prices, they simply 'made sense' for a place like this! Wines that paired with what was wonderfully prepared 'elevated' bistro fare. Yes, while Le Bon Georges was never a basic bistro, the jump from 'elevated' to the 'luxury' tier really took a lot of people by surprise. On my last...and I truly mean LAST...visit, I saw that one of my favorite Paris spots had been transformed into an Instagram influencer NIGHTMARE of trendy nitwits photographing their every movement! We brought along friends from Germany whom had heard of our love of the place for years, so they were shocked with how awful everything was. Every single dish was flawed...seriously flawed. Underseasoned entrees, a laughable vegetarian plate, an undercooked and unadorned duck breast (literally blue, served in a lump...no sauce...unsliced!), a pork 'special' that was more gristle & unrendered fat than meat (Mssr...that's how we French eat our pork!) and totally uninspired desserts...desserts that were comped after our complaints about all of our dishes! But let's get back to that wine book, shall we?!! I'm a wine geek...I have approximately 1200 bottles right now, down from a high of over 2500...so I know a thing or two about wine, but the last thing anyone wants, needs or expects to find in a bistro in the 9th is a three-inch thick wine list with 2000€+ bottles! This is a Michelin Three-Start list that somehow got dropped on a Bistro, for God's sake! And let's not kid ourselves...Wine Spectator and the Star Wine List tossing glowing reviews on any place with a deep cellar is nothing more than (paid) industry log-rolling and you should know that! Having Wine Spectator give your restaurant a pat on the back because you filled your basement with fancy bottles means absolutely nothing...anyone with a bit of sense knows that restaurants that get those 'Awards' pay for the privilege! All a Wine Spectator or Star Wine List badge of approval means is you had better prepare yourself for the insane prices you'll be paying to sample that top-shelf juice! I was rightfully shocked by the markups LBG was charging on their wines. Triple retail in restaurants is an American thing, so when I see that kind of grifting in Paris it demands to be called out!
So sadly, Le Bon Georges is off of my 'must visit' list in Paris, but hey...for you luxury bistro lovers with platinum card expense accounts, I guess that means you'll have an easier time getting a rez, right???
Regarding the Wine Spectator issue raised in Brad's post, a Grand Award carries substantially more credibility than do the two lower-tier awards (the Award of Excellence and the Best of Award of Excellence). I put together a Grand Award-winning wine list for a restaurant in Southern California a number of years ago and know how the system works. When applying for a Wine Spectator award, the restaurant is required to pay a fee of about $500-$600. This guarantees that it will win at least something. A modest list with, say, 75-100 reasonably solid wines (or worse) that are appropriate for the food (or not) will, for sure, garner an Award of Excellence. A joint with 350+ selections, showing regional depth, perhaps some verticals, and that (supposedly) has decent storage conditions, will earn a Best of Award of Excellence. However, that list can also be a complete work of fiction, and no one will be the wiser, since there's no effort by the Spectator to verify that everything on the list is, in fact, available, that there really is temperature-controlled storage, etc. (the same lack of vetting applies to the lowest tier as well, of course). So, yes, one essentially buys an Award of Excellence or a Best of Award of Excellence.
The Grand Award is in another universe. The list must have at least 1000+ line items, deep verticals, rare wines, excellent cellar conditions, actual possession of the wines listed, and proper wine service. But here's the kicker: a Wine Spectator writer will actually visit the restaurant anonymously, order wines from the list to confirm availability, request a cellar tour, etc., all before anointing a Grand Award...in other words, the magazine does, in fact, set (and uphold) very high standards for its Grand Award and does the due diligence to ensure that the kudos are deserved.
Whether a bistro, even of the "luxury" ilk, needs a "trophy" list worthy of a Michelin three-star (with three-star prices, no less!) is another discussion...
David...as a photographer who used to work for Spectator, I can guarantee that is how things work. It's a joke. But people are sheep and are very easily steered by sparkly things like 'awards' and 'recognition' by the media...even if that 'media' only exists to sell soap!
My wife and I went there with friends after our African safari...Paris was the perfect place to cut our travel in half by staying a few days...we loved it for all the reasons you mention: Le Bon Georges is friendly, engaged and lively - a terrific wine list and delicious food - with a big giant chalkboard too! Great reviews as always...cheers!
Several years ago we ate at Le Bon Georges and returned to our hotel 30 minutes later with the worst case of "le gastro" we've ever had. We were sick as dogs and only recovered four days later, ruining a week's visit to see our daughter. I wrote the restaurant a restrained note – I understand these things happen – and was incredibly disappointed by their dismissive response. Zero graciousness. We'll never go back and cringed walking by on a recent visit.
I'm so sorry that happened, Jane. Just curious - what would have been the ideal response, or the response you were hoping to get? I never know what to do in these situations myself (if I suspect food poisoning).
Good question. I suppose sympathetic acknowledgement more than anything. Possibly come for a champagne next time you're in town? The source of our malaise was definitely their kitchen. One missed hand wash and there goes the week.
Beautiful critique as always. The prices are high but the wine list is interesting. When in Paris I used to go to La Truffe restaurant where they had a huge wine list and their sommelier was brilliant in choosing a wine for each dish.
Interesting comment on the tartare - to me it's the best in Paris by some margin. I would recommend it (barely dressed, just salt and pepper) to any beef lover because it is unadulterated pure high quality Polmard beef in all its glory.
It should be noted that it's been 29€ (as has the steak hache) for at least 5 years - the entire time I've been living on that street and going regularly - while all the other items are up c.50%. Very thankful for that. Brilliant restaurant if only very hard to book these days.
How cool that they've kept those prices low since the pandemic (even while offering higher priced luxury dishes). As for the tartare, I hear you. The garnishes are, for me, a big part of the fun. But I understand that purists might find them superfluous.
Wow! I think you hit a nerve Meg...
Guess so! :)
I did not even know that luxury bistros were a thing, but it’s a perfect way to describe the vibe. Let's eat!
I've not been to Le Bon Georges, so I can't comment on the food. But I couldn't agree more re: the wine list pricing, which is horrifying and lies somewhere between larcenous and extortionate. Virtually everything is marked up at least three times the restaurant's cost, and in many, many cases they're charging more than four times what they paid. And in the end, the restaurant is actually making even more: when LBG buys a bottle of Château Plonk for 120€, 20% of that, or 20€, is TVA (VAT in English, or "value added tax") which is passed on to the guest as part of whatever the wine list price is (which, given their rapacious pricing, will be at least 360€). On the restaurant's next TVA return, it gets to recover all the TVA it paid at the cellar door. Therefore, the restaurant not only banks a 240€ margin on the bottle sale, it also gets refunded the 20€ in TVA that Château collected from LBG at the time of initial purchase.
I'm sorry, Meg...but as a guy who was once a huge fan of Le Bon Georges, I must disagree with your take on what the place has become. I'd been going since it wasn't a 'luxury bistro' and most seats were filled with very happy neighborhood locals, like our friends who first introduced us to it. It was a time when while they had a larger wine list (not the bible their SIX sommeliers now trot out!) the smart move was to to look at the wines listed on the wall and you were guaranteed to find multiple bottles to choose from. Bottles that besides being great wines at reasonable prices, they simply 'made sense' for a place like this! Wines that paired with what was wonderfully prepared 'elevated' bistro fare. Yes, while Le Bon Georges was never a basic bistro, the jump from 'elevated' to the 'luxury' tier really took a lot of people by surprise. On my last...and I truly mean LAST...visit, I saw that one of my favorite Paris spots had been transformed into an Instagram influencer NIGHTMARE of trendy nitwits photographing their every movement! We brought along friends from Germany whom had heard of our love of the place for years, so they were shocked with how awful everything was. Every single dish was flawed...seriously flawed. Underseasoned entrees, a laughable vegetarian plate, an undercooked and unadorned duck breast (literally blue, served in a lump...no sauce...unsliced!), a pork 'special' that was more gristle & unrendered fat than meat (Mssr...that's how we French eat our pork!) and totally uninspired desserts...desserts that were comped after our complaints about all of our dishes! But let's get back to that wine book, shall we?!! I'm a wine geek...I have approximately 1200 bottles right now, down from a high of over 2500...so I know a thing or two about wine, but the last thing anyone wants, needs or expects to find in a bistro in the 9th is a three-inch thick wine list with 2000€+ bottles! This is a Michelin Three-Start list that somehow got dropped on a Bistro, for God's sake! And let's not kid ourselves...Wine Spectator and the Star Wine List tossing glowing reviews on any place with a deep cellar is nothing more than (paid) industry log-rolling and you should know that! Having Wine Spectator give your restaurant a pat on the back because you filled your basement with fancy bottles means absolutely nothing...anyone with a bit of sense knows that restaurants that get those 'Awards' pay for the privilege! All a Wine Spectator or Star Wine List badge of approval means is you had better prepare yourself for the insane prices you'll be paying to sample that top-shelf juice! I was rightfully shocked by the markups LBG was charging on their wines. Triple retail in restaurants is an American thing, so when I see that kind of grifting in Paris it demands to be called out!
So sadly, Le Bon Georges is off of my 'must visit' list in Paris, but hey...for you luxury bistro lovers with platinum card expense accounts, I guess that means you'll have an easier time getting a rez, right???
I have never been to this restaurant but agree with you about the wine spectator awards, those are well known to be something of a sham.
And what I mean by sham is the restaurant sends in their wine list and pays a fee and boom they are a place of distinction!
So interesting!
Regarding the Wine Spectator issue raised in Brad's post, a Grand Award carries substantially more credibility than do the two lower-tier awards (the Award of Excellence and the Best of Award of Excellence). I put together a Grand Award-winning wine list for a restaurant in Southern California a number of years ago and know how the system works. When applying for a Wine Spectator award, the restaurant is required to pay a fee of about $500-$600. This guarantees that it will win at least something. A modest list with, say, 75-100 reasonably solid wines (or worse) that are appropriate for the food (or not) will, for sure, garner an Award of Excellence. A joint with 350+ selections, showing regional depth, perhaps some verticals, and that (supposedly) has decent storage conditions, will earn a Best of Award of Excellence. However, that list can also be a complete work of fiction, and no one will be the wiser, since there's no effort by the Spectator to verify that everything on the list is, in fact, available, that there really is temperature-controlled storage, etc. (the same lack of vetting applies to the lowest tier as well, of course). So, yes, one essentially buys an Award of Excellence or a Best of Award of Excellence.
The Grand Award is in another universe. The list must have at least 1000+ line items, deep verticals, rare wines, excellent cellar conditions, actual possession of the wines listed, and proper wine service. But here's the kicker: a Wine Spectator writer will actually visit the restaurant anonymously, order wines from the list to confirm availability, request a cellar tour, etc., all before anointing a Grand Award...in other words, the magazine does, in fact, set (and uphold) very high standards for its Grand Award and does the due diligence to ensure that the kudos are deserved.
Whether a bistro, even of the "luxury" ilk, needs a "trophy" list worthy of a Michelin three-star (with three-star prices, no less!) is another discussion...
I'm so excited to read all this detail - thanks for bringing us inside the award structure!
David...as a photographer who used to work for Spectator, I can guarantee that is how things work. It's a joke. But people are sheep and are very easily steered by sparkly things like 'awards' and 'recognition' by the media...even if that 'media' only exists to sell soap!
I'll admit that it worked on me. Very interested to read all this detail.
Oh yes Le Bon Georges is truly amazing!
This is beautifully written. I could almost taste the food given your wonderful detailed descriptions. Need to try it in April.
Merci Janet!
I’m rather over ‘tweezer food’ so this sounds perfect!
Definitely not tweezer food :)
My wife and I went there with friends after our African safari...Paris was the perfect place to cut our travel in half by staying a few days...we loved it for all the reasons you mention: Le Bon Georges is friendly, engaged and lively - a terrific wine list and delicious food - with a big giant chalkboard too! Great reviews as always...cheers!
So glad you loved it, John!
Several years ago we ate at Le Bon Georges and returned to our hotel 30 minutes later with the worst case of "le gastro" we've ever had. We were sick as dogs and only recovered four days later, ruining a week's visit to see our daughter. I wrote the restaurant a restrained note – I understand these things happen – and was incredibly disappointed by their dismissive response. Zero graciousness. We'll never go back and cringed walking by on a recent visit.
I'm so sorry that happened, Jane. Just curious - what would have been the ideal response, or the response you were hoping to get? I never know what to do in these situations myself (if I suspect food poisoning).
Good question. I suppose sympathetic acknowledgement more than anything. Possibly come for a champagne next time you're in town? The source of our malaise was definitely their kitchen. One missed hand wash and there goes the week.
Ah that's unfortunate. I go about once a month and they are usually very gracious. Disappointing to hear that.
Been twice and agree with every sentence in the review, save one: by Las Vegas standards, the prices are a bargain. 😉😋🥂
Ha!
We dined here yesterday after many years, and agree it’s still so fabulous! The cauldron of rice pudding really hit the spot.
Oh that's great to know, Brittany! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful critique as always. The prices are high but the wine list is interesting. When in Paris I used to go to La Truffe restaurant where they had a huge wine list and their sommelier was brilliant in choosing a wine for each dish.
Thanks for sharing that, Colin!
I love this place for lunch. In the colder months: A long lunch with all the courses and too much wine… followed by a nap.
In the warmer months: Tartare, a nice rose then on with my day. No rush, just a great meal in a beautiful spot that’s nice to walk to as well.
Ooh, I do love a wine soaked lunch and then a nap!
Am going Friday for exactly that.
Ooh, have fun!
Interesting comment on the tartare - to me it's the best in Paris by some margin. I would recommend it (barely dressed, just salt and pepper) to any beef lover because it is unadulterated pure high quality Polmard beef in all its glory.
It should be noted that it's been 29€ (as has the steak hache) for at least 5 years - the entire time I've been living on that street and going regularly - while all the other items are up c.50%. Very thankful for that. Brilliant restaurant if only very hard to book these days.
How cool that they've kept those prices low since the pandemic (even while offering higher priced luxury dishes). As for the tartare, I hear you. The garnishes are, for me, a big part of the fun. But I understand that purists might find them superfluous.