LE CHATEAUBRIAND

Beau lieux

SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR AN AMERICAN IN PARIS…I cannot emphasize how horrible this experience was that tainted my first ever Parisian dining experience. My traveling companion and I decided to try this restaurant because of the reviews and location. We ordered a simple burger well done and were sure to clarify, no pink! We received burgers with red, bloody centers. We alerted the restauranteur and intended to just eat our fries, leave some money for what we ate and leave. He purposely ignored us so that we could inform him of our intentions and made us wait until he brought the burgers again, still undercooked for a second time. He then threw a hand written check on the table and proceeded to bad mouth us in French to other customers. We asked if it was customary in French culture for well done to be that undercooked and the couple next to us said “not that rare.”

We then offered money for what we ate and asked him to please stop insulting us to other guests and not in a language we understood. He then said that he would not accept our American money and announced to us and another American couple that he did not accept credit card! We had no money to pay and we told him the options we could extend to make it right for both parties. He denied both and told us to go to the ATM while the other person waited. When my friend left, I wanted to get up and move closer to the other Americans who were equally as outraged and in a similar predicament with limited French euros to pay. He jumped up and yelled at me to sit down and pointed to my shopping bag indicating that I had money - for which I reminded him that those retailers accept credit cards! He then reached out to pick up my package and take it so that I would not leave. I told him no and that I had no intention of leaving...he just kept shouting No! and threatened to call the police. He even went so far as to take his keys and lock me and the other diners in the restaurant so I wouldn’t leave. I patiently waited until my friend returned with the cash and he executed and equally nasty transaction with her so that we could finally leave.

Needless to say this is the most rude, ignorant and disappointing dining experience I have ever had and to top it all off it happened in Paris on holiday! I’d I could rate this in negative stars, I would. I am also a bit concerned that he had racist tendencies as he did not mistreat the other Americans of a different ethnicity the same way when they announced that they did not have enough cash. He continued to serve them and pour them more wine.

Increible fusion culinaria, de las manos del chef Leo Riginni. Nos encantó la explosión de sabores y la frescura de sus platos.

Flavor rush, happy team!

At these prices?
One thing I’ve noticed about restaurant reviews is that most people focus on either the food or on the service. It’s a personal preference. I tend to be in the food camp. If the food is great, and the wait staff doesn’t fawn over me I don’t usually care. However, when you’re paying a premium for your experience, as at Le Chateaubriand, it’s fair to expect at least a balance between the two, and it’s unsettling when you start to feel no one gives a damn.
We chose Le Chateaubriand as our “special” meal at the end of our Paris trip. It’s not dear on the level of a 5-star, 400 per head situation, but it’s not cheap either. It’s where you go for something elevated, and it came recommended for just that. We were excited.
We arrived at opening, and were welcomed formally if not warmly to a nearly empty dining room. At first, we received visits from what seemed to be the whole waitstaff who explained the tasting menu system. We opted out of the wine pairing but the sommelier helped us choose a lovely bottle to accompany. The food overall was delicious and inventive, though some courses were less exciting than others. The menu here changes nightly.
Around the time our food started arriving, another party came in and sat down at the table next to ours. Here’s where things changed. By the flurry of attention the group received It became clear they were known by the staff and possibly the chef. Suddenly it was as if we were no longer in the room. Finishing our 1st bottle, we flagged someone down to ask for the sommelier so we could purchase another and were told she was too busy. The waiter could help us instead. Uh. What?
After that, someone who appeared to be the chef came out and stood chatting with his friends at the next table, never even glancing around to see who else was in the dining room. I get it, friends are friends, but it was a strange feeling to be neglected in this way. During the second half of the meal, nobody checked in to see how we were doing, all of the staff we had encountered early on had disappeared, and we were left with one lone server, doing his best but clearly stuck with us while the others attended to more important matters.
Finally, we waited and waited for the check, but nobody ever came so we stood and put our coats on. The (pricey) bill arrived as we got to the door, and when I said to the staff that we felt they’d forgotten about us they acted shocked, shocked I tell you, as if this wasn’t possible.
It’s a shame, because the food here is whimsical, sometimes even inspired. But ultimately what we went home with wasn’t the memory of the food, but that sinking feeling of having been forgotten.