Mazarin

When on vacation it’s difficult to know what’s good and what’s not, and more difficult in Paris where everything looks good. A couple of hints: try not to go places where there are too many out-of-towners, and try not to go to places with English menus. I don’t know why but it turns me off every time. It could be the best looking restaurant, but when I hear a solid wall of Japanese, German and English, I run.

Bistro Mazarin is a little outdoor dining spot in the heart of St Germain. All the locals and neighborhood merchants eat here. It’s so good that they don’t have to go down the street to the more bustling (and more touristy) Boulevard St. Germain. Here you will hear lots of French, bone up so you can eavesdrop.

42 rue Mazarin, 6th arrondissement