Experts' Choice Award Brasserie Balzar
What the experts agree on
Literary landmark brasserie in the Quartier Latin serving unapologetic Alsatian classics—choucroute, sole meunière, pigs' feet—with zero modern concessions. High ceilings, intellectual crowd, perfect pre-cinema stop.
“Traditionally brasserie menus lean heavily on German-influenced Alsatian cuisine, hence the signature dish, choucroutes (tangy sauerkraut, usually served with sausages and pork).”
– Travel + Leisure
Fodor's "The restaurant attracts politicians, writers, tourists, and local eccentrics—and remains one of the city's classic brasseries: the perfect stop before or after a film in a local art-house cinema." Full review
Frommer's "The menu makes almost no concessions to modern cuisine; it includes onion soup, pepper steak, sole meunière, sauerkraut with ham and sausage, pigs' feet, and fried calves' liver." Full review
DK Eyewitness "Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter is this bistro with dark wooden paneling, vast mirrors, and banquette seating. In a dining room that bustles with a mix of locals from the nearby..."
Rough Guide Star
"This classic, high-ceilinged brasserie is an institution among the literary intelligentsia of the Quartier Latin."
Gayot "Straightforward brasserie specialties near the Sorbonne." Full review
National Geographic
