Le Bellerive

If you're visiting or staying in the 19th Arrondissement, I highly recommend this bistro, which is an authentic neighborhood hangout in a real Paris neighborhood. The crowd is a mix of regulars and tourists like me who come to experience this pleasant and lesser known part of the city, alongside a canal that feels more like a beach resort than a big city. I sometimes stop in for a quick coffee in the morning, and I'm greeted by the friendly owner, Samir, and his wife Mathilde. I've been here for lunch and dinner and in the years I've been coming here, the food has gotten even better. Today, we were welcomed warmly by Samir and by the waitstaff who seated us at a pleasant table with classic red-checked tablecloths. All three of us ordered the daily specials: boeuf bourguignon over linguine, liver and shallots in a balsamic glaze with mashed potatoes, and roast chicken with fries and salad. All delicious, simple cuisine, nicely presented, inexpensive, and served with care. This is a place where you can experience the diversity of a special neighborhood and the quintessentially French atmosphere of a local bistro.

The service was great, some food options were not that good. The poke bowl should definitely be deleted from the menu, even the waitress didn't recommend it.

So fun for an American wanting some French-esque food. Try the Spritz St Germain for a fun aperitif. In the US I call this an elf drink but no one knows it. The arancini is a must! Steak and pasta were great but that arancini.... Hmmmmmmm!

This was quite literally the worst steak I've ever had in my life. Thin cut and well, well, WELL done. Chili's in America makes way better steak than this. The meat was so dry, overcooked, and unseasoned I had to choke it down after chewing for half a minute. The lettuce in the salad also looks like the kind they have in McDonald's burgers. It tastes like it too. Clearly the shredded lettuce came out of a bag. I came here to try French food but they didn't have their signature onion soup or escargot or anything fun. Very limited menu. Awful service - when I told my server about the steak, he said "cut into it and you'll see" -- but it was bone dry all the way through. I'm no steak connoisseur and actually not a very picky eater but this restaurant is terrible. I keep imagining Gordon Ramsay yelling at whoever cooked this sad meal. Also I really am not that Karen who care about customer service but this was... nonexistent? I think my servers have forgotten about me. Please let me leave so I can put this sad meal behind me. Props to the one server who pitied me gave me a little cheesecake to make up for it, but the cheesecake ended up being so salty. Salty?? I'm speechless. I'll look back on this with humor. 1 star

Great spot to grab lunch with reasonable prices for a set that includes multiple items. The roast beef was good, the burger was delicious, and the frites were cooked perfectly. The waitress was outstanding and very accommodating. If you’re in the area, check this place out.