Café Mabillon

I don’t know why the ratings for this place is so low. I stumbled upon this lovely restaurant after a day of walking, and was welcomed in kindly. I ordered a St germain / Hugo spritz and it’s honestly the best one I’ve ever had in my life - I’m a bartender, and I’ll need the recipe. Had the risotto with shrimp my first time in and it was delicious. I had to come back again for the amazing spritz and to try their other menu items - the calamari and hamburger was delicious. Thi restaurant will be on my favorites list and I’ll visit whenever I’m in Paris.

Your typical Parisian bistro, located in a pleasant spot with an elegant interior. The place gave me a tourist trap vibe, even though it’s not necessarily the case. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the slightly higher price point compared to other bistros or the robotic demeanor of the servers. Not that they weren’t good, but they lacked the warmth and personality. And here’s something I don’t like about this bistro, and it’s not just this one. I don’t appreciate it when people enter a bistro and are asked if they want to eat. This decision determines whether they’ll be seated at a nice table or not. It sours my experience at bistros like this, even though they’re playing by the rules and haven’t done anything wrong.

The location is very nice. We ordered an appetizer to share; no plates were brought, so we ate it for two on one plate. The mushroom cordon bleu was good; we'd asked for mashed potatoes, and they brought us fries. This happens when the waiter doesn't write down what customers order. I ordered the entrecote, which was very poor value for money. No one asked me how it was done; it arrived overcooked and tough. The waiter didn't even bring me the right knife, which I asked another kind waiter for. I left practically all the meat, but it didn't bother the waiter. Asking for a tip specifically after an evening like that didn't seem appropriate.

Sebastian was amazing — attentive, friendly, and professional throughout the entire experience. The steak was cooked to perfection, exactly as ordered, and absolutely delicious. A great dining experience overall. Highly recommended.

It’s a bit of a tourist trap these days, which I fully expected but it’s a beautiful space that reminds me a little of old st germain even if that experience is long gone. Now it’s just tourists and every once in a while, I don’t mind igoinf to places like this when I’m in the neighborhood looking at art or shopping. There are often lots of people sitting outside here so I thought I’d try it out. The meal was adequate. My friend says lunch time feels less like a party zone here.