Pause Cafe

41 rue de Charonne, 75011

Metro: Ledru-Rollin

Pause Cafe is one of our favorite places to take friends who are visiting, with some exceptions. Located in the 11th just next to Bastille, it's tucked away in a smaller street away from the madness.

Tartare

Pause Cafe has a diverse menu and their food has never disappointed us, unlike their service. The reason we keep going back is because their food is consistently good. Some favorites include: thon a la plancha, piccata de veau, tartare, rumsteak, even their hamburger is good. The only thing I would stray away from is their risotto (small portion, just as expensive, and not exceptional impressive.) Everything else though is delicious and well presented! They have a "hands-down best" tiramisu (quoted from one of my visitors) which I must agree with.

Carpaccio

Prices range between 12-16e for a main dish and their blackboard suggestions are usually your best bet if you aren't sure what to get.

The only big downfall is their service. After they changed owners more than a year ago, their service has been inconsistent. Slow, forgetful, kinda racist (some dude bowed to my friend and I - definitely 'not OK') - their service is not the best. But hey! It's Paris so it's not the worst. Just something to be aware of before you go in case you are in a rush or are trying to show a good example of polite and efficient French restaurant service.

Piccata de veau

Plus, on Sundays, they offer a filling brunch for 19e (a bit pricey in my opinion but you do get a lot of food). I haven't tried it personally, but one of my friends has and said it was lovely. You start with bread and viennoiserie with the most amazing chocolate hazelnut spread (that is NOT Nutella) that I must go find for myself in a BIO food shop; then you get eggs benedict and salmon and fruit and bunch of other tasty dishes. Bref, worth a try!

Overall, I would recommend Pause Cafe to a friend because the food is tasty, they have a good variety of plates - including some French classics if you have visitors, their prices are reasonable and they are open everyday!