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Fish la Boissonnerie

Fish la Boissonerie restaurant in Saint-Germain in Paris

This popular restaurant and wine bar run by Drew Harre and Juan Sanchez is a sort of Anglo haven, excellent for a quick glass, a solo dinner at the bar, or for those times when you’re just tired of speaking French. The wine list at Fish la Boissonnerie is populated by small producers, many of them organic and bio-dynamic, with fair prices and plenty of options by the glass. They’re open every day, and we often find ourselves here on a Sunday or Monday when so many other restaurants are closed. Compared to their sister restaurant Semilla, the more gastronomic option across the street, Fish is the reliable bistro and a genuine Saint-Germain institution.

We’ve included Fish among the best spots for solo dining and favorite restaurants in Saint-Germain.

FISH LA BOISSONNERIE

69 rue de Seine, 75006
Open every day for lunch & dinner
Reservations online or at +33 1 43 54 34 69

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OUR PHOTOS OF FISH LA BOISSONNERIE

Most recent visit

Previous visits

IN OTHER WORDS

Patricia Wells (2015) “Chef Clark does not shy away from ingredients you are unlikely find on menus elsewhere: such as lamb’s liver, Bambi (baby white-tailed deer), or baby goat (chevreaux). He weaves these ingredients into his repertoire with grace, roasting lamb’s liver and pairing it with apples, delicately flavored, crunchy sucrine lettuce, and hazelnuts. My cooking mind would never think of combining goat and beets, but Clark brilliantly pairs them on the plate, seasoning the warm dish with the aromatic Moroccan spice mix of ras el hanout, mint, and leeks. What I love here as well, is that vegetables are never an afterthought, never a simple accompaniment, they are there on their own turf, with their own power to surprise as well as please.”

Le Fooding (2015) “Première adresse de Drew Harré et Juan Sanchez (devenus depuis les proprios de Semilla, Cosi et Freddy’s), ce bar à vins avec long bar et plafond poutré sert de terrain de jeu à l’Anglais Ollie Clarke, pas encore trentenaire, pour titiller les codes bistrot: foie d’agneau rôti, cerises et navets; filets de maquereau marinés tranchants avec chou rouge et pomme; veau de lait très rosé et compotée d’aubergines au sésame; tarte à l’orange et crème crue…”

The Financial Times (2014) “Clarke delivers characterful dishes such as a pungent fish soup with mussels, fillet of mackerel with harissa, and hake with fregola, a Sardinian pasta, and walnut relish. Best of all was a fillet of John Dory with salsify – two ingredients that are particularly fiddly to prepare at home. But most inspiring to me was the sight of Clarke and his two chefs as they sat by the bar preparing for that night and the following day’s business. They were full of enthusiasm and delight in their profession, cognisant of the hard work it involves but aware too that it brings huge pleasure.”

TimeOut (2014) “The cosmopolitan set-up makes the restaurant particularly popular with English speakers (front of house tend to be ex-pats, too) – but plenty of locals also come for the menu of fresh ingredients and confident flavours. And all visitors must be charmed by the attention to detail, from thoughtful presentation on the plate to the tiny silver sea urchins that stud the narrow wooden stairs to the bathrooms. The vibe is relaxed and friendly, especially at the bar – a perfect place for solo diners.”

Alexander Lobrano (2013) “Our meal began with Chawanmushi with cockles, a sublime and very delicate steamed Japanese egg custard with tiny salty shellfish, and a complimentary starter of lamb sweetbreads with green asparagus in a brilliant sauce of cider and pan drippings.”

Not Drinking Poison in Paris (2012) “… if, thirteen years on, the restaurant’s cuisine and its wine list both show their age, great hospitality, thankfully, remains timeless…We knew we were being taken care of.”

John Talbott (2011) “Friendly… one of the few places where English does not seem out of place… a tad above average.”

Le Figaro (2011) “… ambiance survitaminée… flacons bien gaulés et une assiette étonnamment plaisante…”

Patricia Wells (2011) “I confess that I could easily lunch or dine at the wine bar/restaurant Fish La Boissonerie once a week, and would be totally happy just sipping some delicious wine (our own Clos Chanteduc Cotes du Rhone is on the list now!) and eating the warm and golden brick oven bread from Cosi, just across the street. The friendly Anglophone spot reminds me of the coffee shop from Friends, where you always run into someone you know and always feel at home.”

Simon Says (2010) “Pour tout vous dire, lorsque je suis seul le soir, j’aime bien aller en début de service… Plat direct (ici un pigeonneau), et un petite carafe d’un vin bienveillant.”

Simon Says (2009) “Toujours aussi british (quel plaisir parfois de ne pas entendre parler français à Paris) avec des plats chamarrés, pas loupés comme ce bar avec ses légumes. Que demandez de plus? Des bons vins comme ce domaine d’Aupilhac, en Languedoc Roussillon (38€) et zou!”

Le Fooding “Boire donne soif, mais il faut être raisonnable et manger aussi. Formule à 12,50€ au déjeuner (salade Caesar + pâtes) ou en quelque sorte un « Passion-boisson-poisson » (pas facile à dire) avec un menu à 25,50€ au déjeuner et 31,50-35€ le soir, déclinant velouté de céleri, œuf poché, filet de bar de ligne sur un risotto en fine émulsion « huile d’O et citron » pour suivre (+ 6€ au menu), et indéboulonnable panna cotta en bout de ligne. Pas si mal…”

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9 thoughts on “Fish la Boissonnerie”

  1. I have been eating here for more than 10 years and something changed

    The meal was lackluster and it was empty! The pretty waitresses gone
    The bar empty

    What happened. It can be hit or miss but this was miss and the entire vibe was changed

    What’s up ???

  2. We had a wonderful experience at Fish. Delicious food, beautiful presentation, excellent service. We wanted for nothing and would return in a heartbeat. Very cozy on a cold Paris evening.

  3. Tonight we dinned at Fish Boissonnierie.
    Well there were actually only 2 “fish” mains . . . Cod or Tuna.
    I tried their Steak Tatare. Now, the magic of this dish is surely in the “add-ons”. This was this most boring version I have ever encountered.
    Diced beef, parsley & egg yolk; that’s about it.
    No onion, no capers, no gherkin, no mustard.
    I would suggest the chef look at some recipes:
    https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/classic-beef-tartare
    However, their Langoustine entrée was to die for, subtle flavours.
    Also their Kouign Amann was superb.

  4. Lynley and Richard

    Our experience at Fish was just so so. The restaurant space itself is lovely, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Great wine selection and good recommendations, but the food was uninspired. We had mackerel and clam starters and the lamb and John Dory mains — all seemed a bit under seasoned and just not that interesting. Best thing was the lovely cucumber gazpacho sent by the chef at the start of the meal. We wish everything tasted as good as that soup and some of the wines we enjoyed.

  5. Based on your recommendation for Sunday, plus dining alone I headed to Fish tonight and was not disappointed. I arrived around 8pm and was immediately struck by the warm and friendly atmosphere. As the bar seats were all taken I was told it would be about 45 mins. So I wandered the neighborhood and returned.

    While waiting a bit longer had a glass of champagne and then got my seat. Appreciated the free sparkling water. The amuse bouche of grilled green peppers in a garlic yogurt really got my palette singing. Had the fish soup for a starter and the scallops for my main. Both were delicious. Then opted for the cheese plate (4 Euro extra) which was also great with a spicy quince chutney to accompany. Was too full for dessert.

    Will definitely recommend to anyone going to Paris and will be back on my next trip. An extra bonus for foodies like me – if you go upstairs to use the bathroom, that is where the kitchen is located and the door has a window so you can stop to watch them at work preparing the food.

    All in all a great end to my trip. Thank you Paris By Mouth for the great tip!

  6. Such a great restaurant. Small, but nice setting – they pull it off. Everyone was nice and spoke English. Would go there again my next trip to Paris.

  7. I guess they remodeled a bit. We were there for the first time last week and loved it. We met up with some friends who just happened to be in Paris at the same time and it was the perfect restaurant for that. Great wine list and fun food. My wife was raving about the chicken. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

  8. My husband and I had dinner there on Friday of Bastille Day weekend. The starters – salmon tartar and veal with tuna sauce, were huge, we could have shared just one and would have been enough. The salmon was very fresh and the rosy pink veal was thinnly sliced and very tasty. I would have liked aioli instead of the tuna sauce but it was still very good. We then had salmon and duck for our main courses. The duck was medium, just the way I like it with the skin, crisp and tasted pleasantly of the grill, the fat melted in the month. The salmon was just right and the salmon skin was to die for. I wished we could get that just by itself as a snack, it was habit forming. Not only was the food excellent, it is a price performer and we will definitely go back next time.

  9. I used to go to Paris 5 times per month with work, Fish was my Cheers. It is a place I could/can go to the bar, by myself, and always run into friends. Where everybody knew my name. I have never had a bad meal there and their Citrus Tart is the best I have ever had. Drew and his son are wonderful behind the bar, and Juan sure knows his wines. I will be traveling to Paris more frequently starting next month, and you can be sure, I will be pulling my stool up to the bar!

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