Aux Amis du Beaujolais

Aux Amis du Beaujolais is a great place to have traditional French lunch or dinner near the Champs Elysées. Ranging from tartare to grilled beef, andouillete and duck, meals are authentic and taste great. Coffee is fine and of course you can taste a selection of good bordeaux and beaujolais whine. Prices, in the 12 - 18 euros range, are quite affordable given the neighbourhood.

Aux Amis du Beaujolais has been a family business since 1921.

Reservations: +33 (0)1 45 63 92 21
Web site: http://aux-amis-du-beaujolais.com/

Charlie Birdy

I just had lunch at Charlie Birdy, in Paris, and I was highly disappointed. It’s located at 148 Rue la Boetie, very close to the Champs Elysées.

My colleagues and I went there because we felt like having a burger and we wanted to try this place we never went to. Well, the burgers are average at best. Maybe slightly better then McDonald’s, but lets just say that if I would have had the same thing at the fast food, I wouldn’t have left saying “oh my, look how much McDonald’s has improved….”. Charlie also has salads and a few other dishes which I didn’t try and since it’s very unlikely I’ll ever return, I’ll probably never will. I think I can live with that.

To make the long story short, Charlie Birdie is what people in Paris call a tourist trap: it’s close to a tourism hotspot, the food is average at best and it’s expensive.

I paid 18 Euro for a burger and a coffee. At 12 Euro, given the location, it would have been reasonable money for the quality you get. But at 18 it’s a rip-off. If you’re on Champs Elyssées and feel like having a burger I recommend to go on Rue la Boetie but walk 20 meters past Charlie Birdy and stop at the DogStar where you’ll get better quality for less money. Oh, and Charlie asks 8 Euro for a pint of Beamish and more than 3 Euro for a cup of coffee. A rip-off.