Chef Yves Camdeborde opened Le Comptoir du Relais in 2004 and, for a period of about a decade, it was the hottest table in Saint-Germain. After years of diminishing quality, however, it stopped being a destination and was eventually sold in 2022 to chef Bruno Doucet (La Régalade Saint-Honoré). We returned after Doucet took it over and found it unredeemed.
LE COMPTOIR DU RELAIS
9 carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006
Open every day for lunch & dinner
Reservations not accepted
OUR PHOTOS OF LE COMPTOIR
IN OTHER WORDS
Emily Monaco (2023) “If you’re looking for a quick bistro lunch in Saint Germain, le Comptoir du Relais still scratches the itch, and I’ll be dreaming of that tartare for a while. But ultimately, even if I were the type to wait in line for food, it is not, to my mind, worth queuing for.”
The Infatuation (2016) “This well known spot in Saint-Germain should be on your radar if only for the fact that you’ll probably end up in Saint-Germain at some point and you’re going to end up hungry. Le Comptoir is a good spot for a quick late afternoon lunch and a little bit of uniquely Paris bistro vibe. Also note, it’s smaller than the smallest studio apartment.”
Condé Nast Traveler (2015) “Yves Camdeborde helped define ‘new bistro cooking’ with dishes like roasted scallops in algae butter. A casual eatery by day, it reopens with white tablecloths and a prix fixe menu at night.”
Bon Appetit (2014) “Part of Le Comptoir’s appeal is its price… Part is the restaurant’s bustling, studio-apartment-size space, completely free of pretense in a city famous for pretense; Part of it is the fact that there is no menu—you eat whatever inventive, abundantly fresh, elevated bistro dishes Camdeborde chooses to cook that evening… Finally, there is the cheese board, oozing with only-in-France creations (and honey and quince jam and all that good stuff) that your waiter plunks down on the table after your meal and lets you have at it.”
Le Figaro (2011) “Bistrote de haut vol au déjeuner invitant le meilleur des produits et clamant haut et fort le goût du terroir…”
Le Figaro (2010) “Canaille et décomplexée en journée et le week-end, elle s’adapte à son écrin, le soir, en titillant les produits nobles, la saint-jacques, la truffe, le foie gras… le tout au rythme des saisons et en rotation quotidienne. Menu unique, certes, mais quelle qualité!”
Simon Says (2010) “C’est parfait.” (Video review)
Alexander Lobrano (2010) “If the overall quality of what we ate was better than average, everything was boldly over-priced and by the time we’d finished our meal, a huge looming crowd had gathered…my distinct impression of this place is that it’s become a savvy tourist-oriented money-spinner. So I’d say, if you really want to sample Yves Camdeborde’s rightly legendary bistro cooking do everything you can to snag a table for the excellent prix-fixe dinner”
Table à Découvert (2010) “salades gourmandes…assiettes de salaisons, de fromages et plats mitonnés qui font envie. Comme cette poitrine de veau braisée aux épices tandoori…croustillante et caramélisée…c’est trop bon.
Food Snob (2009) “The general theme was one of simple yet luxury ‘comfort food’…A good idea though was foiled by execution and raw materials that were found wanting.”
Sophie Brissaud (2005) “…pur Camdeborde : saveur, moelleux, croustillance, richesse et imagination ; des plats érotiques et nobles qui semblent vous déclarer leur amour à chaque coup de fourchette.”