Petit Zinc (Le), Paris

My wife and I live in Paris and speak fluent French, which is why we stay away from restaurants that overcharge and underserve, so to speak. Well, we blew it last night, for sure, by giving in to the temptation to try this neighborhood restaurant that always seemed attractive and lively, from the outside. Once inside, I have to admit, the decor was encouraging, and there is no doubt that this is a beautiful and romantic place. But that's where the pleasure stops. The food ranges from average to mediocre, the prices are way out of proportion for what they give you, and the service is, to put it politely, inept and uncaring. In fact, they did something I never encountered in a restaurant before: The waiter made a mistake in taking one of the orders, and when he started to place the silverware for the main course, this alerted us as to the mistake (he wrote down a veal dish, instead of fish). We pointed out the mistake, but nonetheless, when he showed up ten minutes later with our three meals, he still brought the wrong dish for our guest, saying that he realized it was an error, but that if she wished, she could change it. Of course, faced with the prospect of two of us having already been served and having to wait for a new order while we either ate without her, or let our dishes get cold while we waited for hers, we accepted it. The waiter, also of course, knew perfectly well what he was doing, manipulating us in a completely unacceptable way. It was a totally repulsive experience, and I had to apologize profusely to our guest for putting her though this. I strongly recommend that you stay away from this one.

My husband & I went for a romantic dinner. While the location and decor is fabulous, it was our least favorite dinner in our whole trip to France! My meat was tough and grainy. Nothing spectacular about the food considering the price. I would not recommend it.

My girlfriend and i stumbled upon this place. we went back for dinner that night, and had a great time. At first we were worried that we were younger than most in the place, slightly underdressed compared to most inside, and both know very little french. The staff were very nice, made us feel comfortable, and the food was good (not amazing though). The place is amazing looking, and we had a nice conversation with both the hostess and our waiter. Thanks

At dinner last fall we were continually pestered to have the house special of the evening. When presented with the bill..our waiter said "sir, a tip is included only if you pay cash....not when using a credit card". We spend 6 months in Paris every year and will never return to what had been one of our favorites, but has become a tourist trap!!!

I waited for one hour and 10 minutes for my first course-the waiter forgot our wine-the main course was cold and tasteless.When we got up after the main course to pay the bill and leave the staff couldnt have cared less. If the food was outstanding it might be worth it but a slice of liver with a dry baked potato really didnt do it for me. I love the french -have only ever had positive experiences in Paris so I would advise you to leave it alone. There are so many much much better restaurants nearby.

This is a wonderful place for tourists that is not too touristy. I eat there every time I go to Paris. Food is excellent, although it is not to be confused with one of the top restaurants in the city. The menu is limited to traditional French fare that most visitors are looking for, at least for a meal or two. The food is competently prepared, with occassional flashes of excellence. I'd recommend the duck breast. The location and decor, however, are top notch. You'll feel transported to the Belle Epoch, and for the price, it's worth it. Service is simply outstanding, and the restaurant is friendly to foreigners without being patronizing. Only downside is that, likely, it is not a place for small children. I'd also note that the restuarant's website is very good, and they are part of a 12 restuarant operation that serve largely the same fare but in different locales and with slightly different takes. So if you're looking for multiple meals, or elsewhere in the city, check out the website to find other potential venues.

Not a typical bistro, that is it is an elegant restaurant, but really really good food. For desert lovers, they should try the soufflé with a touch of liqueur.

First of all we were seated at a table with a stained table cloth which the waitress attempted to hide with a reservation card-not fooled. Secondly the food was of a poor standard, although the beef from the entree menu was average. A huge disappointment was the selection of cheeses-a heap of salad with only three varieties one of which was still in it's wrapper all served in a very uncaring way on a plate. Proffita rolls were disgusting. The service was consistently poor and found the waiting staff in the main rude and arrogant-service to neighbouring tables of french customers was significantly better. To add insult to injury, at the end of the night we were presented with two bills, one of which was not ours, and then on closer inspection we found we were charged for items we did not have. To be fair the decor and ambience was pleasant but by the time we left the restaurant it was only the negative aspects of the place we remembered and walked off feeling cheated. Visit at your peril!

Normally I like touristy places. There is a reason why places get packed with tourists, they are good. In this case, the place is just OK. There are better places in the same neighborhood for the same price level. The restaurant at L'Hotel and Alcazar are better for example. Petit Zinc was jammed with Americans who obviously don't go to nice places at home either: loud, rude, poor dress, poor manners, etc. The food was good, but not great. In fact, the place seems to be just a slightly fancier brasserie, and there are many great brasseries in the 6th. Very attentive service though. Speed was normal for France, as they have different expectations.

I loved this restaurant, the ambience and the food is wonderful. I've been there 3 times and loved the duck in raspberry sauce, it melts in your mouth. Service is a little slow for harried Americans but if you can relax and soak in the atmosphere you will want to go back again and again.