Cool Paris

Most of the classic Paris Brasseries have sold their souls. In the few that survive, the old order is maintained by the waiters and the maîtere d’.

Lipp has its own snobberies. It tend to put tourists upstairs and refuses entry to those wearing shorts. Certain tables of this beautiful Art Nouveau brasserier are more prestigious than others. Upstairs has an elegant sobriety but for some reason you feel distinctly left out. Although it’s perfectly nice upstairs ( Elton John and Roger Moore prefer it). This may be true but everyone, on the Left Bank at least, knows that being led upstairs is social death.

That happenend to one of my colleagues, he was seated upstairs, the waiter was rude ( the couvert was almost trown at their table) and … the food was not upscale : the potatoes had to much water and were cold , the fish was cooked to much. He was so disappointed that he intented to write to Michelin and won’t set a foot in brasserie Lipp for the next ten years.

Brasserie Lipp, 151, Boulevard St Germain, 75006 Paris, tel 01 45 48 53 91, M° St Germain