Chez Georges
By Albert & Nouri Beesemer — booked and paid for by us. No sponsored placements. Ever.
Chez Georges near the Bourse is the bistro every other bistro is imitating — and often described, in the same breath, as the last true Parisians' bistro. In the way the room looks, that is still true: long, narrow, paper-topped tables, mirrors gone soft with age, brusque-but-warm service, a handwritten menu of classics that hasn't needed updating in decades. There is no concept here, no reinvention, no natural-wine manifesto. Just a room that has decided exactly what it is and a kitchen that backs it up.
- City
- Paris
- Neighborhood
- 2ND ARR · BOURSE
- Cuisine
- FRENCH BISTRO
- Price tier
- $$$
- VV Rating
- 8/10
First Impressions
Chez Georges near the Bourse is the bistro every other bistro is imitating — and often described, in the same breath, as the last true Parisians' bistro. In the way the room looks, that is still true: long, narrow, paper-topped tables, mirrors gone soft with age, brusque-but-warm service, a handwritten menu of classics that hasn't needed updating in decades. There is no concept here, no reinvention, no natural-wine manifesto. Just a room that has decided exactly what it is and a kitchen that backs it up.
Sit in that tight row of tables, though, and you are more likely to hear English to your left and right than French. Whether that is Paris changing or the restaurant's own reputation quietly pulling in the international crowd, we honestly cannot say. Possibly both. It matters less than you might think — the food is exactly what it should be, the waiters are the warm-but-brusque kind the city used to be full of, and it is the sort of place you find yourself wanting to come back to. Pookie approved: they are dog friendly, though make sure to mention it when you call for the reservation.
What We Loved
The classics, properly: the steak tartare, the sole, the frisée aux lardons, the profiteroles. A wine list that rewards trust. Order simply and you'll eat beautifully.
Long, narrow, mirrored, time-worn — the archetypal Paris bistro room. The kind of place where the tables are close and that's part of the charm.
Steak au poivre, frites, Suprême de volaille
Chez Georges is the bistro you measure other bistros against. Order the tartare, take the house wine, and let one of the last real ones do what it does.
Worth Knowing
- 01Reserve well in advance — this room fills weeks out, especially on weekends.
- 02Lunch is often easier to secure than dinner and offers the same room at better value.