Paris Insights - The Restaurant Review

Le Grand Café Capucines

posted March 10, 2025

4, boulevard des Capucines

75009 Paris

Phone: 01.43.12.19.00

Metro Station: Opéra (Lines 3, 7, 8)

Type of cuisine: French

Days & hours of operation: Monday through Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Credit card: Visa, MasterCard, American Express

My partner and I went to Le Grand Café Capucines at lunchtime on a recent Sunday with the intent of ordering the restaurant’s lobster roll.  We entered around noon without a reservation and were immediately escorted to a table toward the rear of the dining room where we were comfortably seated.

Surprised that this restaurant does not provide coatracks, I draped my coat over the back of my chair.

The menu
The restaurant offers an extensive seafood menu including platters of oysters and crustaceans.  There is an equally extensive menu of standard fare, including twelve starters ranging in price from 8.50€ to 79.00€, eight fish dishes from 19.50€ to 52€, three lobster dishes from 35.50€ to 49.50€, poultry from 24.50€ to 31.50€, four beef dishes from 23.50€ to 43.50€, and twenty-two desserts from 11.50€ to 15.50€.

The starter
We forwent the starter.

The main course
For the main course, I ordered Lobster Roll and a small green salad.  The waitress brought me a platter upon which rested a paper cornet in a cup holding a generous portion of perfectly cooked, golden fries.  I ate them ravenously with the Dijon mustard that was served alongside. 

My lobster roll, roughly 5½” long and 3½” wide consisted of a lightly-toasted and lightly-buttered loaf of soft bread split down the middle and stuffed with moist and flavorful Canadian lobster in mayonnaise sauce.  Although I was provided with a knife and fork, I could not see why I should not eat the roll like a sandwich. It turned out to be a delicious meal!

My partner ordered Magret de canard français, millefeuille de pommes de terre, céleri et trompettes de la mort, sauce balsamique.  She received four slices of duck breast, cooked rosé, as ordered, in a generous pool of brown sauce.  Thinly sliced potatoes were layered with small morsels of black chanterelle mushrooms and flavored with celery.  The dish was decorated with a sprig of cilantro and finely chopped chives.  Declaring that the duck needed seasoning, my partner ate half of it and requested that the remaining half be prepared for take-out.

The bread
Slices of fresh, dense country bread, cut from a large loaf, were served alongside in a breadbasket.

The beverage
For the beverage accompaniment, I ordered a 33cl bottle of Demory IPA beer.  With a slightly-bitter honey-like flavor, it went well with my meal.

My partner preferred a glass of Esprit 2023 Crozes-Hermitage.  It had a brilliant red-violet robe, a candied red-fruit aroma, and a clean, soft mouthfeel.  Red fruit and vanilla flavors made this a good accompaniment for the duck.

The dessert
For dessert, I opted for a Chocolat chaud.  The waitress brought me an empty coffee cup and an oval dish on which rested two small pitchers — one contained hot chocolate syrup and the other, steamed milk.  I poured the contents of both into the coffee cup and enjoyed a wonderfully rich and satisfying hot chocolate drink.

Not to be outdone, my partner ordered La Mousse Chocolate du Grand Café.  She received a large coffee cup containing milk chocolate mousse on top of a 1½”-thick round of buttery brioche prepared as French toast.  Topped with a scoop of coffee-flavored ice cream, the mousse was sprinkled with crumbs of chocolate cake.  It was the most unique version of chocolate mousse that she had ever seen, and she loved it!

The bill
The bill for two, including one bottle of beer, one glass of wine, a small salad, two main courses, and two desserts, came to 107.50€.

The service
The service was friendly and efficient.

The ambience
The restaurant is a garish-looking place with burnt orange, horizontal tuck-and-roll velour-cushioned wall benches; plastic royal blue tabletops with brass trim attached with screws; large mirrors in silver frames; brass-clad columns; and a royal blue and burnt orange colored carpet.  The ceiling looks almost menacing, with lights framed by silver-colored rectangular blades that serve as lamp shades.

While we dined, soft bossa nova played over the sound system.  As customers arrived, the dining room became quite noisy with conversation.

The menu is in French.  The waitstaff speaks English.

The waitress told us that the restaurant can accommodate customers who arrive in wheelchairs.  There is a ramp at the entrance and a wheelchair-accessible WC on the ground level.

Travelers to Paris who want to experience the lively ambiance of a busy boulevard café will find a wide range of dishes and beverages from which to choose at Le Grand Café Capucines.