A day in Paris during the Fete du Travail

I was in Paris on May 1st 2018. I don't recall any place that I wanted to go being closed but May 1st that year was not a Sunday. What I do remember was that on May 4th and May 5th, it was ridiculously noisy at night near Bastille metro where I was staying for the final two nights of my trip. People were outside all night in some kind of 1960s style call and response dance/protest. As to Girafe, the food is okay maybe even good if you like seafood as much as I do but the service can be very obnoxious in the snooty, arrogant way that Americans think that French service will be but it usually is not. I would not eat there for a bucket list meal because I would not want to take a chance on getting that kind of service. Are you looking for a view with your meal? If so, the Eiffel Tower or just any good view? Do you want a formal setting or will an excellent meal in a very nice but less formal setting do the trick?

That gives me hope! Thanks for sharing your experience. For the dinner, definitely prefer a friendly experience. I had already scratched Girafe off my list just due to the menu not speaking to me. A view of the tower would be lovely, but not essential. Excellent meal in a less formal setting is an option. And I see you’re from Palo Alto — used to work there many years ago when I was a teen (grew up in Los Gatos)

May 1 is one of the three most reliable 'closed' days for most things in much of Europe. The labor day parade is however pretty interesting. We have experienced it twice. If demonstrations (and this one is unions and families pushing strollers, but the Black Block disrupters also usually get involved at some point ) make you nervous you just avoid that area -- generally Republic or so to Place Italie or so

There will be some things up and running you just have to double check your itinerary.

To be clear, I did not want to go to any museums or anything like that on May 1st so any official site closing would have had zero impact on my life. I think I went to Galeries Lafayette that day and then hung out in a cafe. I did see a lot of signs telling Macron to do anatomically impossible things to himself.

We were planning a fairly relaxed pace for Paris to begin with — more walking around enjoying the architecture, parks and cafes than hours in a museum with the masses. So mostly concerned about limited restaurants and crowded parks. It’s easier to work around if I know what to expect. For example, I should try to track down any parade routes so we can avoid them. It’s less fear and more that I just don’t want to deal with it if I can plan around it.

In addition to the good descriptions you have already received of what to expect, I would add that Le Pen’s National Front party (or whatever their name is now; they have rebranded) gathers around the Joan of Arc statue on the Rue de Rivoli — right almost at the western end of the Louvre, the location is Place des Pyramides, 75001.

For that reason, I would be tempted to go with your hotel choice in the 7th arrondissement rather than around the Louvre, but others may have different advice.

Yes, the 7th / left bank is likely to be less affected by protest-related annoyances such as closed metro stations and closed streets (except the streets around the Assemblée Nationale (parliament)).

Note that metro stations near the demonstration route are closed. That is how we discovered the route one year -- we planned to hop on the train at PLace Italie to head for where we wanted to do a city stroll and it was gated and barred so we just walked down the closed down Italie blvd which has lots of little pop ups playing union songs (and US protest songs) and passing out literature until we finally met the crowd coming up from Republic --we literally walked right into the Black Block which was at the head of the parade, pretty much. The started throwing tear gas and smoke bombs shortly after we passed them and it was fun to watch the police adroitly reroute the main demonstration down to the next bridge over the river and bypass the disturbance while they contained it. Lots of union banners and signs. Lots of family groups including kids in strollers.

Two of our favorite restaurants in Paris.
Ambiance in both are outstanding, as is the food.

https://www.bouillon-julien.com/

https://www.floderer-paris.com/contact

They’re in the 10th, in an upcoming neighborhood. Taking a taxi is the easiest.

Edit: our first trip to Paris was during May Day,
Everything was packed. We just ended up wandering around enjoying the beautiful city.

Staying on the left bank will be more relaxing. I don't know your preferences, but the Orsay might be worth a visit. If in the 7th, it's not far to a foveate of ours, Luxembourg Gardens.

Thank you everyone for the great info and suggestions. —I booked the Buillon Julian for Saturday and the Floderer for Sunday :-) — both look like wonderful options that don’t break the bank, so thank you so much for the recommendations Gerri.

We are planning on visiting the Luxembourg Gardens, greytop, looks lovely. We live in the high desert, so the gardens all over London and Paris really appeal to us :-).

And wow, janettravels44 — sounds like an experience. An entertaining “remember when that happened” kind of thing, that maybe wasn’t so entertaining in the moment?? Generally I love that kind of experience, but have to admit that I will be fine if this trip doesn’t include one, lol.

We just ate at Bouillon Julien 3 wks ago, we were not fans of the food. One dish was inedible. Would not go back.

Bouillons are fun, over the top art déco, but they are not known for quality food.

I certainly would not eat at Bouillon Julien or Brasserie Flo if I was looking for a bucket list meal. At best, their food is okay, especially Bouillon Julien. The settings are nice if you like traditional decor but you will get neither a view nor great food. Are you interested in traditional French or modern French? What is your budget for the bucket list meal?

I booked Julien’s for our arrival day - so should be ok for that, and Floderer’s for Sunday. We decided to do our more bucket list meal on Monday night, since our departure on Tuesday is much later than we originally anticipated, and technically, Monday will be the first in California where we live ;-)

I’m considering dining in the Eiffel, or Le Train Bleu, or……some as yet undetermined spot for Monday.

@JHK

I don’t have a preference for traditional or modern — and the budget is more dependent on perceived value. I am expecting €200+ for the meal (sans wine) although like I mentioned, if the venue is a good mix of quality and ambiance, I can go up or down. My husband particularly likes quirky, vintage venues, so both Julien’s and Floderers sort of fit that bill for the non bucket list nights. One of his favorite places is Lillie’s Victorian in NYC -not bucket list or gourmet, but we enjoy it.

@Susan

What did you have that was inedible?? Curious for more info. I know my husband would love the ambiance/decor, but inedible is not good.

Have you ever been to the Mission Inn in Riverside?? The courtyard dining is amazing for ambiance, but the food is mediocre and way over priced. We still enjoyed our meal there, but mostly because we really needed the ambiance at that point (had been caring for my dad 24/7, severe dementia)

You said Quirky-

Have not done this on but a friend did, had a wonderful time.

https://www.bustronome.com/en/paris/

eceteta, I don’t know the name of the dish but we asked our waiter what he recommended, he said it was their specialty… it was a very dark/black broth that looked like dirty dishwater and tasted really bad, with bits of unidentifiable pieces of meat full of fat - nothing else. We’re adventurous eaters in France, and we were starving, but it was disgusting, we could not eat it. The other dishes were barely ok.

We also ate at Bouillon Chartier which was better food than Julien but still not quality food.

But if the quality doesn’t matter, you all might really enjoy bouillons. We really enjoyed the experience of being there, the art déco, the speed of them seating and serving you (it was a wonder to watch, like herding cattle) after a 1 hr wait in line, the low prices, the old fashioned French dishes (very nostalgic for me as I grew up in Paris), the informality, the friendliness of people sitting next to us. It did feel claustrophobic because they really pack you in and there are no windows at Julien or fresh air, but we were so enthralled by the experience it was ok. I just wouldn’t go hoping for good/mediocre food and twice was enough for us.

And don’t forget Polidor, another famous bouillon. Oldest resto in Paris and in the movie Midnight in Paris.

We live very near Sausalito (north end of the GG Bridge) it has many tourist restos with very mediocre food. There’s one we take out of town friends to because it has a 5 miilion dollar view of SF, the Bay, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, etc, so I do understand ambiance is sometimes more important than quality. Plus, we all have different definitions of quality. But for us, there’s a difference between mediocre and not good… Julien was not good.

“Since "bouillon" means broth and is the whole point of these restaurants, it is probably delicious”

Ah, ok kerouac, because broth is the whole point of a bouillon the only possibility is that what was put in front of us that night was probably delicious. Got it.

Fyi, we saw no pasta in this probably delicious broth.

These new places have nothing to do with the traditional bouillons that fed working people at lunch. Bouillon Julien, which started around 1978, was a high-end restaurant until recent years, but is now owned by a multi-million euro company that buys up charming old places. I haven't been to a bouillon in 20 years so can't comment on the food, but whenever there's a huge menu with a variety of meat and fishes in sauces, you can suspect frozen and factory prepared food.

For your special night, janettravels who posts here, spots excellent restaurants. Her best find is Restaurant l'Initial in the 5th. https://restaurant-linitial.fr/ She's been there several times, we've been there fewer but agree that it is excellent with a good price/quality balance. But reserve early. It is tiny, the word is out, and dinner reserves early. She found it before the Michelin Guide did.

Hello! Just returned from our trip last week and Hyatt Hotel du Louvre was exceptional. We would return to stay there every time without question. We are World of Hyatt members and the member rate was excellent and included an upgrade to suite and breakfast. The hotel was gorgeous and has been newly renovated. Super nice super clean. The location cannot be beat as you can wander from this spot and see the most beautiful sights of Paris. My husband is not a museum person but found the actual Palace and grounds of the Louve to be mind blowing... we strolled through Louvre and Tuileries Gardens every day. Walking down the Boulevard from the hotel to Opera Garnier and actually going inside is a fabulous half day and then going to Galleries Lafayette. A day to remember.

For your bucket list dinner, I HIGHLY recommend changing it to a lunch and applying for the Web Table at Guy Savoy. This is one of the finest restaurants in the world yet they offer a single table for lunch every day a discounted price for a three course meal. Its a once in lifetime meal at a 3 Michelin star that is worth every penny and calorie. You can apply for this table in advance on their website. You can walk to the restaurant from Hotel du Louvre so its a perfectly romantic special day.

@susanmaria123 — I’ve heard great things about the Hotel du Louvre, and I have a good rate reserved. We are also World of Hyatt members — just discoverist though, so not sure how much of an upgrade we would garner. I’m certainly conflicted about which place to stay. Both have pros and cons. I will take your recommendation into serious consideration. And… I will also look into the Guy Savoy option. We were just discussing the option of doing a pre dinner cocktail somewhere with a sunset view, then going to dinner, so that we can let go of the “dinner with a view” concept. There are just soooo many places, it’s a bit overwhelming. We would also consider lunch over bucket list dinner. Trying very hard to not get mentally set on a concept, but just consider lots of venues until the right one presents.

@Susanmarie123 — seems they are closed Sunday and Monday, our primary days in Paris. I was thinking we could have lunch on the 3rd since we are leaving later in the day than I originally planned, but realizing the logistics of checking out of our hotel, dealing with luggage, dressing for lunch while wanting to be in more comfortable travel clothes for our long, overnight trains to Venice is going to be too difficult. But it looks amazing, and I’m very sorry we won’t be able to try for that slot. I love that they offer such an opportunity as I certainly couldn’t afford the evening rates, but the lunch spot would be possible for such a special trip.

In some ways, Paris can be overwhelming -- so many bucket list restaurants and so many great hotels. For years, I have been meaning to try Le Tour d'Argent which could be a choice for the bucket list dinner but I have not gotten there yet. If you like wines from Burgundy, you may want to look at Les Climats for that special dinner. I also really like Contraste in the 8th for a sublime dining experience. If you want a drink with a great view, check out Le Terrace atop the Hotel Raphael though I am not sure if it is open in early May.

It's slightly off-topic, but you mention "overnight trains to Venice". I am sorry to report that these no longer run and will not resume by May 2022...
Edited: yes I was referring to Thello. Your route via Munich is the best alternative.

@balso — we’ve already booked our train — it’s not on the now defunct Thello if that is the overnight you were referring to— we take the TGV Inoui Duplex to Munich, and then the OBB Nightjet to Venice. Sadly, we couldn’t squeak any real time in Germany or Austria — I was fortunate to spend a month in a Viennese flat in my early 20’s and it was so wonderful.

JHK, great recs, thank you.

@JHK —- most of this trip planning has been overwhelming, trying to work out the itinerary skeleton, and then flesh in the cities one by one. Just grasping the train network and how the various city, country and international trains work was a challenge, although now I have that part all booked/planned. We are visiting 7 cities in 4 countries over the course of 5 weeks, and meeting up with friends at various points. Lot of moving parts, but trip planning is the kind of overwhelming I like :-)

I will have a look at your suggestions tomorrow ;-)

We have eaten in the Chartier bouillons and they are beautiful rooms, have lots of charm especially for a tourist looking for old style (waiters in black with white towels around their waist, figuring up l'addition on the table covering etc) and are very inexpensive.

We have also eaten at Bouilion PIgalle which has a very plain room -- but the same long lines as there are no reservations. We ate on the balcony which was quite nice.

The food at these places is inexpensive, traditional, pretty good and definitely airplane food. i.e. this is mass produced reheated food from central kitchens. In our experience Pigalle had better food. We ate with a French friend who loves the place -- he had boeuf bourguignon, I had a lamb stew and my husband had a lentils and sausage dish. We all had appetizers and dessert. And the liter of decent enough rose was 9 Euro. With careful ordering i.e. not the lamb stew, you could easily have a meal for 15 Euro a head. The food at Chartier was not quite as good, but similar traditional dishes and similarly cheap.

Another cheap traditional place is the Basque chain Chez Gladines. We went to the one in the 13th -- Butte aux Cailles -- and although there was a huge line, it turned out most were groups of students and we were a couple and so they could immediately move us into two empty spots at a table while those waiting for tables for 4 or 6 had to wait. Huge portions of pretty good food.

Bets mentioned l'Initial which is out go to for celebratory meals but the room is entirely plain. We recently had a very nice meal at Coreta which is locted on Martin Luther King park in the 17th. Our best combo of ambience and food was lunch at L'Tour d'Argent a few years ago. I booked very early and got the best table in the place to my astonishment. The damage to Notre Dame means the view of course is not exactly what it was.

https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/anniversary-lunch-at-la-tour-dargent/
Les Ombres has the great view but I thought the food was just okay and certainly not in the league with L'Initial -- and both less good and also much more expensive. L'Initial's tasting menu is 58 Euro. And that is 7 course plus amuse and mignardises.

@Bets —

Thank you for recommending L’Initial — I was finally able to make dinner reservations there for the day before our anniversary (they aren’t open on Sundays so had to adjust). I’ve read quite a few reviews for them and they are so consistently stellar, I am very much looking forward to our dinner there.

Hard to believe we leave in just over 3 weeks. My planning is in the end stages (mostly all that is left is the places that only book a few weeks out). Thank you to everyone that helped focus my search :-)

You are welcome, but janettravels is really who discovered this little gem. Bonne anniversaire de mariage and bon appétit.