In the heart of the Marais district in the centre of town, not always the calmest of places or the easiest for finding a decent place to eat, a restaurant where you’ll be protected from the bustle of the city and assured of a (really) good meal…

photos : jasonw



We have been back to eat at the Fous d’en Face (a term used to talk about « the crazy people opposite » by people who don’t know that they are a bit bonkers themselves) several times now, generally a sign of a dependably good meal. The team is attentive and even amusing (great cheeky banter if you speak a little French), which makes for a refreshing change. Personally, being English, their terribly translated franglais menu always makes me laugh too. I wonder if they do it on purpose?

The wine cellar is purported to contain 15,000 bouteilles, and you’ll find some bargains in there if you look hard enough. Careful though; if you get the waiter to choose for you, you’ll generally be served something a little pricey!…

The restaurant is known for its simple food made with high-quality produce, but you’ll be surprised when served as the presentation of the dishes is always inventive. The (fairly short) menu is mainly meat-based, with a famous pot au feu that one of our guests enjoyed tremendously. For vegetarians the choice is a little more difficult (you could always ask to eat another starter as a main dish, as they are always excellent), but if you eat fish the organic salmon won’t disappoint and there’s usually an extra fish dish in the day’s specials. One of the best things about the restaurant (especially as summer is round the corner) is the great terrace surrounded by plants. However the restaurant’s reputation means that reserving a table is probably a good idea.

To get your tastebuds going, here are the photos of the dishes we tasted. Hopefully they speak for themselves! A special mention for the dessert of the day (always irresistible), which for us was a strawberry and raspberry tartlet that we supposed to be shared out between but got wolfed down before we had time to grab it!

The goat’s cheese salad (filling for a first course), served in two dishes with the salad separate.

Corsican cold meat dish. This is the small version. They do a large one too, but I don’t know how abyone could eat it as a first dish.

Poached eggs with Fourme d’Ambert cheese… very rich.

The pot au feu, a house speciality.

A salad of tiny Royan-style raviolis with slivers of cheese rolled into flowers.

Monkfish rolled up in bacon with a capsicum sauce.

An organic salmon tartar.

The chocolate cake.

The succulent strawberry and raspberry tartlet with whipped cream. More than 10 euros, but delicious

You may have gathered that « Les Fous d’en Face » is on our list of favourite Parisian restaurants. The prices are a but high though. Expect to pay around 50 euros per person including wine.

You’ll find all our photos (only a few are shown here) in our Flickr gallery.

Les Fous d’en Face, 3 rue Bourg Tibourg, Paris 4th arrondissement. Métro Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 & 11). Tel. +33 (0)1 48 87 03 75. Open Monday – Saturday for lunch (12pm – 3pm) and dinner (7pm – 10.30pm) plus Sunday lunch.

Bigger map here