In this video, I take you to one of the most iconic crossroads in Paris: Carrefour Vavin, in the heart of Montparnasse.
This is where four legendary Parisian brasseries — Le Dôme, La Rotonde, Le Select, and La Coupole — have shaped over a century of Parisian life, welcoming artists, writers, and intellectuals from around the world.
Today, I’m dining at La Rotonde to see if it still lives up to its reputation. From classic brasserie dishes to atmosphere, service, and value for money — here is my full review.
👉 Is it worth it? Or should you choose La Coupole instead?
📍 Location: Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris
💬 Have you tried La Rotonde or La Coupole? Let me know your experience in the comments!
👍 If you enjoy discovering Paris like a local, don’t forget to like and subscribe to Paris Top Tips for more restaurant reviews and insider guides.
25 Comments
We have dined at all four.
Our favorite is Le Dome. Always go for dinner once per trip, and always have oysters and sole.
We also love La Rotonde. The last time I had the veal chop and my wife the sole. Both were outstanding.
We like to go to La Coupole for lunch. A seafood tower and a bottle of Champagne. Maybe profiteroles if we have room.
We don’t care for Le Select. We had a terrible meal there years ago and will not return.
There are two more great restaurants the general area for us: Closerie and Le Duc. You went to the Closerie’s brasserie, as we have for lunch. But the restaurant is even better. Le Duc is seafood for dinner only and excellent but spendy.
My wife and I just left Paris about a week ago. Le Dome is my favorite! I have eaten at all 4 but on this last trip we did more of a street food/casual trip. Our best meal was actually Pho at a Vietnamese place also in Montparnasse.
Thank you for returning memories from my first Paris visit in May 2001 . I was in this Brasserie because this place was very popular for Russian emigrants , who visited Paris in beginning 20th century. I was sitting out side . Prices was much cheaper !!! 8 francs was equal $1 . I took from
table plastic tablemat , because it was with signature of a lot of famous people, who visited this
place. Few I remember , they was Ilya Ehrenburg, Lenin , L. Trotsky and many , many others.
I once ate at the Rotonde near the Marmottan museum. They served me a duck breast I could not cut with the table knife or the steak knife I had to request.
I wouldn’t set foot in any of these ‘big name’ places. They exist solely to keep other tourists out of and away from the places I enjoy. Therefore always table free.
For me.
Ah! 35 years in France and I had not realised that l'oeuf cocotte was prepared in the oven. But it makes perfect sense.
My issue with la coupole is that the room is way too big and the interaction with the waiter are minimal, it's less cozy and the waiter does not have the time to talk to you like in smaller settings ( like at the vaudeville). I went to the rotonde once and it was ok but I indeed prefer the vaudeville
On my first trip to Paris last fall I went to La Rotonde for the historic Paris of the past vibe. Not impressed with the service upon entry but my server was pleasant. I had the same opinion that the food was just adequate and definitely over priced. Tamara de Lempicka had her car stolen outside of this restaurant in the 1920s and I felt a bit robbed too. Happy I went but never again. I am starting the next trip in a couple weeks the same as last. Day one is dinner at La Coupole across the street. Good food and Art Deco interior. My server had character. I enjoyed looking at the food on the tables of other diners which looked very good too. Even with jet lag I enjoyed the evening. Went downstairs to see where Josephine Baker had performed.
I'm fortunate to have been to them all. Possibly my favorite restaurant corner in the world. Didn't know it was called "Le Carrefour Vavin," but that's no surprise. Meanwhile, dans le coin. don't forget L'Auberge de Venise and Le Relais de l'Entrecôte.
Love your channel. Thanks for this honest review.
Always the best clips 🎉
My collection of restaurants to try in Paris continues with every episode!! I can’t wait for my return!!
Watching your videos. I often notice that I share your judgement if I have my own experience from the restaurant you visit. So, now on my 22nd trip to Paris, six weeks this time, I have included many of your recommendations on my to do-list. For me, your reviews have become a must-watch. Thanks!
ou mange le president macro? dans au pied de couchon?
💙💙💙
I’m sure the food at those 4 restaurants is outstanding for traditional French cuisine, what’s changed in nearly 100 years is the Michelin quality restaurants, but if you want authentic French cuisine then these 4 restaurants, I’m sure will meet your expectations!
Red awning – it’s a warning!
I enjoy your reviews. I wonder how much more insight able they would be it you went multiple times. There will always be inconsistencies from day to day.
You both had inexpensive wines so the meals should definitely not have been so much. If you had gotten out of there with an 85 dollar to $100 bill I think that would have been more appropriate and even that seems expensive. 75.00 a piece for lunch is just too much. I guess the good thing is that the tipping culture is different because you would have to put another $20 on top of that if it were here in the United States. That's minimum. You would probably be expected to tip closer to $30 especially if it's a nice restaurant which this clearly is though I did notice some flaws. I don't like that you walk in past a service station that has a rag out on a platter. That isn't what you do at expensive restaurants. Also I don't like the butter being served in a pre-packaged way. On top of that the napkins were not presented uniformly on your table setting. I'm sorry but I worked as a chef for many years and even did a training tour of Montpelier when I was just getting started. I tend to notice front of the house issues a lot in some of these videos. Beef dishes also were very expensive and they didn't seem to have a lower cost option. I almost always look for a beef dish when I'm eating in a restaurant because I don't cook a lot of it at home. I'm solo so a hole steak is going to end up being half leftovers and never as good as when I first cook it. Anyhow I don't think I'm going to ever get back to Paris again but it's nice to see it. A country where the leadership has yet to go insane like ours.
I went in January. The food was delicious.
Thanks! I hope to be able to be in Paris in 2027 …. if the donald doesn't wreck the world even more than he already has.
I just love the Art Deco that you show us throughout Parisian eateries. If I get to Paris, I'll enjoy the ambiance as much or more than the food. Thank you again, for the work you do .
Hi Alain! Sorry to hijack this post to ask about something else. I understand the current newly elected mayor has got some stricter rules on airbnb… If you have new info regarding this can share with us please? 🙂 Merci beaucoup!
Very nice. Thank you. I think I've commented before that I very much avoid the popular places and their accompanying hoards of unruly tourists. I just spent eight nights in Paris with my eight year old and with the exception of Au Pied du Cochon we dined at beautiful places far from the tourist trail and the shrieking of foreigners. The crowd at Au Pied du Cochon, while mostly tourists, was well behaved. We had a wonderful visit with several classic dining experiences. Thank you again.
I was thinking about your channel today & dining in Paris.
I remember, decades ago going with my MIL to different types of restaurants around Paris. Interestingly, she enjoyed different cuisines, although born near Le Puy.
We went to a great Afghani restaurant. The chef’s wife was a French diplomat, married to the Afghani chef & was a friend of hers.
We ate Moroccan, Tunisian & Algerian food. I hadn’t tasted any of them in the U.S. I also remember an Ethiopian restaurant.
France has great exposure to many cuisines, largely due to colonialism.
Your viewers might enjoy seeing a couscous with merguez & so many other things they can experience in Paris. I certainly loved it & still do.