Five Great for Last Minute Booking

In a similar vein to last week’s Five Great list, in which we offered alternatives to a particularly difficult restaurant to reserve which shall remain nameless (O.K., it’s Frenchie), this week we’re serving up our contributors’ suggestions for good addresses that you can probably book at the last minute.

Why is this a big deal? Well, in Paris, reservations are all but obligatory at most decent restaurants. Even some über-casual spots (I’m looking at you, Verre Volé) require a call, and it’s easy to get the squeeze if you haven’t planned ahead.

With that in mind, here’s a list of favorites where, chances are, you’ll be able to call for a same day reservation (and we do recommend calling). It’s not that these restaurants aren’t well-trafficked. They just manage to fly a little off the radar, or have a more local clientele, the kind that isn’t necessarily going to make their dinner plans a full month in advance. I mean, who does that?

1. Philou - Outdoor tables and a laid back, local crowd means that you should be able to call in the afternoon for a table the same evening at this bistro near the Canal.
2. Fines Gueules - At off hours, you might even get away without booking (might, we say), and the fact that Fines Gueules is open continuously means that off hours are a real option.
3. Chez Casimir - Locals and Eurostar passengers cram into this bistro (the sibling to Chez Michel, next door) for great, Breton-influenced fare at a very fair price which includes a pass at the cheese tray.
4. Christophe - Carnivores in particular will appreciate this bistro near the Pantheon, where the chef/owner is passionate about his ingredients. (No energy has been put into the décor, however.)
5. Dans les Landes - You might be able to get away with walking into this casual Southwestern small plates address from Julien Duboué, where fried food, pork in many forms, communal tables, outdoor café seating, and a non-stop Rugby broadcast add up to a whole lot of fun.

Runners Up: L’Hedoniste, Le Bouchon et l’Assiette, Le Cornichon, Le Grand 8, Jeanne A., Albion
Random Write-in: Le Bistrot du Dôme
Rejects: L’Epi Dupin

About our process: For each topic, we begin with a little research to identify options. We then ask our readers, by posting a question in the forum, to offer additional suggestions. From that discussion, we compile a list of candidates and ask our panel of contributing advisors to rank their top choices and identify any rejects. Their rankings are weighted, analyzed, and compiled into a new Five Great post every week. Runners up are places who received more positive votes than negative comments. Rejects are places that received only negative comments with no positive votes.