Cafe De Paris in one word, charming.
I've always wanted to go to Paris and waste my days away reading in a little Cafe with lattes, and perfect little sandwiches, made with REAL crusty french bread fresh from the oven. And now, even though it's not the real thing, it's pretty darn close!
I know the word "hidden gem" is WAY overused, but the only way to think of this place is just that. We stumbled upon this place one Sunday afternoon when nothing was open. It was past breakfast and we wanted a quite little lunch. There's no way I would have ever found this place in a car. We were walking and literally stumbled upon it.
We walk in and mumble to ourselves, "What is the crazy cute little mystery bake shop place?" My boyfriend takes one look at the menu and is thrilled. (He used to work in a very traditional french restaurant). So then it's official, we're eating here.
We sit down at this little cafe table and are waited on by the owner himself. I tell him to just bring me his most popular item, and my boyfriend opts for most popular number 2. I got the turkey/pesto on french bread with a side of pasta salad. He got the chicken salad with a side salad.
The food comes out and it just smells like fresh greens! Literally the smell wafted in my face and I was so happy before I even ate it. Finally a place that does it right. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention we both got lattes and they were also fantastic.
As we sit there in this little cafe eating this simple (yet incredible) food we cannot help but wonder if we were transplanted to France for a day.
I work in the CIncinnati Club Building right across the street, so Cafe De Paris is perfect when I forgot to pack my lunch. I tend to go for the salads and soups, but the Turkey Artichoke Panini is also delicious! Not to mention the owners are always very friendly when I come in. Not too bad of prices either.
Review Source:A great hole in the place for lunch that will not empty your wallet. Â The first time I was here with my fiance' 2 sandwiches and a double cappuccino was around $14. Â Each time we have been there we tried something different and have yet to be disappointed. Â The service is great and they now accept credit cards. Â It can get a bit crowded due to the lack of space but we never had to wait for a seat when we stopped by.
Review Source:If a friend asks you to go to Café De Paris with him/her, say "Yes" gratefully and look forward to bowing down to some mighty fine chowing down.
However, if a friend asks you AND someone else to go there for lunch, raise an eyebrow and express whatever international hand gesture you can remember for "No". Try not to be rude when you do so.
There is method in my madness. This place is nicely quaint with friendly service and some very impressive (if slightly expensive) and tasty menu items - awesome baguettes, scrumptious paninis and to-die-for chicken salad - but it's 'cosy'
For 'cosy' read 'cramped'. For 'cramped' read 'perhaps a little too intimate?!'
All the tables are designed for just a pair of customers. Oh sure they place a third chair at the end of some of them but do not be deceived by this sleight of hand. Two's company and three's most certainly a crowd.
Go for the food, not for the extensive company.
MR says ... it's a "sham"
MRS says ... don't believe in the hype! after a wonderful lunch at the neighboring french restaurant, we opted to try Cafe De Paris for coffee and perhaps a wonderful desserts. i guess we set our hopes so high that we were disappointed. what we imagine, thought of Cafe De Paris melted like butter on a hot pan. the hot cappuccino and mocha are regular. nothing WOW about it. Cafe De Paris interpretation of Pain au chocolat is croissant bread with fudge hersheys syrup. most of the reviews mentioned sandwiches. i guess we should have been here lunch time and not for desserts.
[i should have read Sam N. review regarding the Pain au chocolat ... ]
I stopped in today for the first time in about a year. Why it took me so long to return is inexplicable.
Café de Paris is a quaint but comfortable (realtors call it "cozy") little place across from Piatt park featuring a menu unique to downtown.  I don't mean monkey brains unique - rather a fresh blend of quality ingredients that makes lunch there refreshing.
Walking in, I wondered what changes since my last visit would make the visit not live up to my memory of past experiences. In a word: nothing - in the best possible sense. I ordered my stand-by, the Café de Paris sandwich; chicken salad on baguette with alfalfa sprouts and a side of their pasta salad. The first crunch into the warm baguette met the cool chicken salad and my memories were re-lived.
Sorry I've been gone so long. That won't happen again.
Side note: They *do* accept credit cards now.
The food was good, but not amazing. Â With a name like Cafe de Paris I was expecting true Parisian sandwiches, but was disappointed with the lack of authenticity. Â The sandwiches were still good, nonetheless. Â Cute atmosphere with bar seating and friendly service. Â I think the pain au chocolat ruined it for me though...after living in Paris and frequenting bakeries every day, a large croissant split in half with Hershey's chocolate syrup spread in the middle doesn't cut it. Â Sorry, Cafe de Paris in good old Cincinnati. Â Maybe next time.
Review Source:Sometimes I am an idiot. Â For example, I somehow worked downtown for three years-plus without visiting Cafe de Paris until just recently. Â
Maybe I didn't trust the simplistic Francophile name of the place. Â Maybe I saw the menu and thought it sounded too "Ladies' Luncheon." Â Maybe it's because this guy I know--a guy who's a got a real turkey-and-white-chicken-meat kinda palate--has raved about it. Â
Either way, I should've gone much earlier, because Cafe de Paris is actually pretty special.  Facing pretty Piatt Park downtown, the tiny, cozy storefront cafe does have quite an Old World feel and character, and a citified bustle on busy days.  The staff behind the counter might  call out greetings as you enter.  (Just like at Waffle House, except in French!)  There are only a handful of tables plus a attractive wooden lunch counter with old-fashioned round stools.  Small as it is, it's one of the more charming rooms in town.
Food-wise, Cafe de Paris isn't in fact terribly French, but like Paris itself, very cosmopolitan. Â The menu consists almost entirely of sandwiches, salads, and soups, somewhat Frenchified by bread choices like croissants and baguettes, as well as brie and a couple of other French cheeses. Â But generally, the fare leans in more of a Mediterranean direction, perhaps largely because the cafe's proprietors are of North African (?) background. Â I wouldn't call the food anything like spectacular, but Cafe de Paris uses better ingredients than average for their under-$10 price range, and the food is fresh, satisfying, and on the light side. Â
Service is warm and efficient. Â Cafe de Paris, like cafes in Europe, also serves as a coffee shop and offers espresso, coffee, pastries, etc.
I haven't been enough times yet to determine whether the food quite rises to the four-star level, but I can already say that the total package certainly does.
The wife and I were looking for something a little different today...stopped in at the Cafe de Paris...what a great experience...after perusing the menu, my lady decided on the hummus with a bowl of creamed tomato soup, while I ordered the tuna panini...we decided to take our meal on a sidewalk table to enjoy the nice day and surroundings...the food was EXCELLENT...surroundings fantastic...company exquisite (sorry boys, she's taken!)...we highly recommend. Can't wait to try again...next time we'll have a coffee...
Review Source:The first time I went to Cafe de Paris - a small place on beautiful Garfield Place just a block away from the main branch of the Public Library - I thought it was very good. Â My second visit was not as impressive, but it's comfortable vibe and prime location makes it a lunch choice worth knowing about for downtowners.
The Food: Â It smells great when you walk into Cafe de Paris, and what I remember most from my first visit was the freshness of the food. Â I asked for whatever they thought was the best tasting thing on the menu, and they gave me a chicken salad sandwich with brie cheese, greens, green peppers, sprouts, and tomato on a fluffy baguette. Â It came with a simple, fresh Greek salad that had a light vinaigrette, crumbled feta, banana and green peppers, red onion, tomato, and olive. Â The baguette was light and crusty, and there was an earthy flavor from the brie. Â But, it quite simply was not as flavorful as I'd hoped. Â Less bread and more ingredients probably would have helped, and it definitely was not bad. Â I just had a memory in my head of all that freshness adding up to very flavorful food, and in this case it was not to be.
The Ingredients: Â Nothing on the menu about local or organic ingredients. Â It was a quick stop in for lunch - I'll have to ask more when I go back.
The Story, Setting, & Service: Â Cafe de Paris has a cute, comfortable inside seating area - a mix of colorful large canvas paintings and photography prints adorn the walls. Â There is bar seating as well, and patrons can also sit outside at a handful of tables on the sidewalk. Â Most diners appeared to be crossing the street to the large area in the middle of Garfield Place that has seating, landscaped gardens, and is a wifi spot.
The staff at Cafe de Paris is very nice - another of the breed of restaurants in the city which I so appreciate: where the people actually appear to enjoy working there. Â I've been reading Heat by Bill Buford, which is in part about his adventures at Mario Batali's Babbo. Â The machismo lore of restaurant kitchens simply does not appeal to me at all.
The Last Bite: Â I'll head back to Cafe de Paris for the atmosphere and the shady, quite location. Â But, I won't be returning often unless my next experience with the food improves. Â Especially with Jean-Robert's Table scheduled to open soon or later just around the corner, this could be a nice little hub for French-inspired choices in Cincinnati.
If you enjoyed this review, there's more at Amateur Foodies.
Great lunch spot, the sandwiches are fantastic. Unfortunately, seating here is a bit limited, so you'll need to get lucky or go during off hours. In the winter, the outdoor tables are much too cold, so things become even more cramped.
What makes the sandwiches so great is the quality of the ingredients, especially the bread. The bread is delicious, crusty and soft, probably some of the best bread I've ever had anywhere.
As far as the pasta salad goes, I don't think it was very good. It's very lightly flavored, bordering on no flavor at all. I felt like I should salt and pepper it myself.
Still, the star of the show really is the sandwich. It made the meal great.
Cute place- while I was there lots of patrons stopped by and seemed to know the owner and love the place.
The sandwiches were delicious- the bread was absolutely perfect, crusty outside, soft on the inside, some of the best bread I've had, and it's stuffed with fresh veggies and good meat- delicious. Â I also got a side of pasta salad, simple and good.
I wanted to get their side mango but it was out of season.
Try it!
Between the atmosphere, the french-speaking owner (I think he is Algerian or Moroccan?), and the coffee, this place transports you to another, extremely Parisian world. Â I am a total sucker for stopping in for coffee and a croissant or pain au chocolat in the mornings, when the cafe is quiet and uncrowded. Â Cafe de Paris is in my top 3 for best cup of coffee in the city.
The salads I've had for lunches have been light and tasty, but a bit pricey for me to lunch here often. Â Still, on a nice day, it is a treat to grab something to eat and head to the tiny park in the street median.
Cafe de Paris is consistently one of the best lunch stops in Cincinnati. Â Every time I have gone bar none have I had an excellent dining experience. Â The atmosphere is great, especially if you're a Francophile, with paintings for sale decorating the wall along with some classy French paintings and photography that are staples. Â The food is always excellent. Â I have never gotten anything at Cafe de Paris that I thought was average or plain. Â Since it is mainly a lunch stop, most of the entrees are sandwiches. Â Every item on the menu is flavorful and well prepared with a wide array of meats, cheeses, and toppings making it perfect for multiple visits. Â Personally, I go with at least a side pasta salad (mixed with feta and lemon juice!), a mango (which they cut up into fun bite-sized cubes still attached to the peel) and an Orangina to wash everything down. Â To top it off, they do breakfast, are affordable and are open on Saturdays! Â Eat here: you will not regret it!
Review Source:Cafe de Paris has been my favorite lunch stop in downtown Cincinnati for several years. The space is very small which can be problematic if you have a group of more than four people. Located in the same building as one of the city's biggest design firms and with a park on the median of the street it sits on allows this French cafe one of the best urban experiences for the area. The art on the walls is for sale and if you can practice your French with the owner. For the absolute best meal, try to visit when the owner is preparing the food.
Review Source:Cafe de Paris is one of those restaurants that makes me love the fact that I work downtown. Â The food is all top notch, but the atmosphere is what really makes it a uniquely great place. Â The staff will greet you with a "Bonjour!" and they always seem genuinely happy to see everyone that comes in. Â In addition to the inside seating there are cute tables and chairs outside the front door. Â Also, the restaurant is directly opposite Piatt Park, which is always a nice place to sit outside for lunch. Â I love to go on Tuesdays in the summer when there is an "Acoustic Lunch" series with live music in the park. Â I recommend "le Royale de Paris" sandwich.
Review Source:
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,607 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,306 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,904 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,983 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
