Bring your appetite and wallet to Josephine Chez Dumonet – a perennial favorite for old-fashioned dishes like boeuf bourguignon, duck confit and gigot d’agneau. It’s the French bistro you’ve always imagined right down to the communal pot of pickled herring, the gruff waiters and red gingham toilet. They make a mean Grand Marnier soufflé as big as your head that must (and should) be ordered at the beginning of the meal. The millefeuille is worth saving room for, too. When half portions are available, order those as they tend to be the size of any other restaurant’s normal portions. There’s an excellent selection of Armagnac and other digestifs to help wash down all the duck fat.
JOSEPHINE CHEZ DUMONET
117 rue du Cherche Midi, 75006
Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Reservations online or at +33 1 45 48 52 40
Their Instagram / Our Instagram
OUR PHOTOS OF CHEZ DUMONET
Most recent visit (2024)
Previous visit (2015)
IN OTHER WORDS
Emily Monaco (2023) “No matter if you opt for the early bird seating or a later dining time, most of your dining room companions will be Anglophones. This isn’t a complaint; in a nod, perhaps, to the foreign clientele, the service is far friendlier than you might be used to in Paris, which is a bonus in a spot that has such a hefty price tag. Indeed, in the grand tradition of fellow bistro stalwart l’Ami Louis, Joséphine Chez Dumonet pairs exorbitant prices with massive portions – kind of contrary to what most people think of when they think of French dining. Luckily, here, you’re encouraged to share.”
Simon Says (2015) “Il s’agit d’un feuilleté de pigeon. L’intitulé vous fait peur? Tant mieux. Et cette sauce marron glacé (matez son brillant), lourde comme du pétrole? Et ce feuilleté de pommes de terre?! C’est un vrai délice scélérat. J’étais venu debout sur les freins, avaler une salade de gringalet, je me suis retrouvé en train de saucer religieusement, piéger les dernières traces de ce plat magique.”
David Lebovitz (2015) “All the meals that I’ve had at Chez Dumonet, a spot-on classic Parisian bistro, have been memorable…The memories last long after that feeling of being absolutely stuffed have diminished — the next few days after a meal here are invariably ‘salad days.'”
Goop “Chez Dumonet has been serving up classic bistro fare (beef bourguignon, a delectable duck confit) for decades, in a dining room that dates back over a century (to 1880 to be exact). Its Belle Epoque vibe is totally charming, made even better by the clientele: You can be assured that everyone in the dining room is likely a grandparent a few times over. Keep in mind that Chez Dumonet offers many half orders, which is key if you’re not staying in a spot that can accommodate leftovers (portions tend to be generous).”
Condé Nast Traveler (2015) “With its lace curtains and old-fashioned duck confit and sole bonne femme, this classic bistro feels like the kind of place you’d take your grandmother. I like to dress up a little to go here.”
Time Out (2013) “After a slab of excellent homemade terrine, we tried the often-abused tournedos Rossini. Here, the fresh truffles and slice of foie gras on a tender fillet might have found favour with the great musician.”
Bon Appétit (2012) “Josephine “Chez Dumonet” crackles with that uniquely Parisian atmosphere created by the collision of serious power and seriously good food (and maybe more than a little sex–this Belle Epoque beauty is mistress central). Eat the most sublime terrine de foie gras you’ve ever had, then scarf down a casserole of what, for our euros, is the world’s ultimate beef bourguignonne.”
The Guardian (2011) “… a delicious sepia-toned experience of pre-war Paris… if you’re craving old-school dishes like morel mushrooms stuffed with foie gras, truffles and country ham…and bœuf bourguignon, you won’t do better than this…”
Hi Jeannine – I’m so sorry that you were unwell! But I’m not entirely sure I understand… when you order Boeuf Bourguignon is there a communal serving dish that is brought to many different tables? Did you actual see people eating directly out of serving vessels that were then brought to other tables? What you’re describing sounds terrible but it’s not something I’ve ever seen before in France so I’m just asking for clarification. I hope you feel better soon.
Outrageously expensive and the manner of serving guaranteed I would be sick that night and the next day. I saw my partner remove items from broth and I asked if he was going to eat all the soup. No, he said, they’ll put that back in the pot. The same thing must be done with the boeuf de b sauce …. scoup out the meat you want then they return the rest to the main service pot. Some innocents who eat out of that serving pot are contaminating it for everyone. I was extremely unwell. My Fr partner tougher than I was not unwel It seemed standard to him to serve and NOT put your personal spoon or fork in the serving bowl. I noticed others doing that … so contaminated!
You can easily book by phone in English. It’s no problem at all.
We ate here. Literally the best food experience I have ever had in my life. Ever.
We left full and decided to fast for the 24 hours afterwards because this place raised the standard for food too high.
Service was excellent. Folks got all the important touches down. We would visit Paris again, for the opportunity to dine here.
We love Paris. We’ve been coming to Paris every year for 15 years for a month each time and we speak French. We’ve been to Josephine many times before, but something has happened to the staff. Maybe it’s too much blog exposure, like what happened over the years to Balzar and to Robert & Louise. We had a very ordinary unmemorable meal there tonight – and paid almost 400 euros for our food & wine. The staff was very unwelcoming even though we had reserved in advance and we were seated in the rear room next to the toilettes, which was unpleasantly interruptive. The soufflé was as big as ever, but no better than a Grand Marnier souffle at many other restaurants. The duck confit was no bigger or better than confit at our other favorite restaurants. No one even noticed or said au revoir when we left. They’ve got a valet out front now, probably to handle the crowds of Americans – it was so impersonal that we will not be going back.
Since I am traveling alone only for a week and planning on visiting diff restaurants everyday, I can’t manage to doggy bag and eat left overs the next day…
It’s such a pity!
Do you know by any chance any classic bistro types that stays open during August which is recommendable?
Cheers,
!!!
They’re pretty big! And doggie bags aren’t really a practice in Paris (neither is splitting a dish). You could always forgo the starter and just do a main (plat) if you’re concerned.
How big are the portions here?
I’m a solo diner, and I can’t do big portions – been reading reviews here and there the portions are huge here.
We love Chez Dumonet. But we also like many of the new chefs in Paris. It would be great to go to dinner with a reviewer from Paris by Mouth like Carherine Down. We come could even tell jokes about Rachel M
Bob
Hi Steven, Unfortunately, as far as I know, they only accept reservations via phone and not online. You can reach them at +33 1 45 48 52 40. Cheers,
Catherine
Do you have an email for Josephine Chez Dumonet in order to make a reservation? Thank you.