Rainy day at Brasserie Lipp
My favorite Parisian brasserie focuses on Alsatian cuisine and serves a healthy dose of attitude, which is something I usually despise.
Brasserie Lipp is located in the 6th arrondissement, close to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-Des-Prés. It’s practically across the street from some of the most famous cafés in Paris– Cafe de Flore (which was undergoing renovations during my recent visit) and the literary and artistic centric Les Deux Magots. But it’s Brasserie Lipp that I return to time and again. You’ll find it on several lists for the best brasseries in Paris, but it’s not for everyone… or the easily offended.
The 1920s deco atmosphere feels straight out of a time warp (or at least Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds), with snobbery that is so in-your-face I have to stifle a giggle. As soon as you enter you see a sign stating that shorts are not allowed. You can be a tourist and eat here, but you sure can’t dress like one. Once my waiter went all TMZ on me and blocked my shot with his hand when I attempted to photograph my frisée salad. For some reason, I didn’t find this annoying. At Brasserie Lipp, it’s indeed part of the charm. Plus the food is so delicious.
Left: The Frisee salad is delicious Right: My waiter went all TMZ when I attempted to photograph my food
The crowd at Brasserie Lipp is a good one if you like people watching– a mix of wealthy Real Housewives of Paris, older men rocking professorial sweaters with leather elbow patches and some assorted foreigners. I once sat next to an American rock star here who spoke French and noticed he got just as much attitude as I did (but ordered the steak tartare).
What to order: steak tartare, steak frites, ham with lentils, frisee salad, with lardons, Dover sole. If you’re craving something sweet, I’ve heard the baba au rhum is good, but I’ve never eaten dessert here because it’s so close to Ladurée and I’m always going to prefer macarons.
This ain’t California– no salad as meal at Brasserie Lipp