If you’ve been to Paris, or read about where to eat in Paris, you might have heard of the city’s bouillons.
Basically, they are restaurants that offer simple and affordable meals. But how did they originate?
The word bouillon means ‘broth’ or ‘stock’ – the starting point for a good soup. And that’s what the early bouillons offered. An early example was the Restaurant Boulanger, opened in 1767. The word restaurant had its literal meaning: something to ‘restore’ (restaurer) the health; broth was believed to do that.
In the mid-nineteenth century, when Baron Haussmann was transforming Paris, one of the additional effects was the transformation of Parisian cuisine.
Thousands of workers arrived in Paris to work on the construction sites. That meant thousands of extra mouths to feed. The Compagnie Hollandaise saw its chance: a restaurant chain that offered bouillon – beef broth to take away or eat in. The company set up a number of bouillons throughout Paris.
Soon, other establishments, with broader menus, also sprang up, and called themselves bouillons.
Bouillon Duval
In 1855, a butcher, named Baptiste Adolphe Duval, opened a large restaurant, designed to serve 600 customers. This Bouillon Duval was just the beginning. Soon there were 9, then 15, each offering the nineteenth century equivalent of ‘fast food’ service.
They were particularly popular among the visitors to the International Exhibitions in Paris (1867, 1878, 1889, and 1900).
Bouillon Chartier
Bouillon Chartier, established in 1896, is possibly the most well-known.
Today, there are three locations to choose in Paris alone: Grands Boulevards (9th arr.); Montparnasse (6th arr.); and Gare de L’Est (10th arr.).
The food is simple and traditional, and the daily menu offers reasonable prices. Locals and tourists enjoy the experience of mingling with others at the long tables, which are placed quite close together. The décor is art nouveau, the waiters are dressed in black vests and long white aprons, and the bills are written on the paper tablecloths.
Check out the menu.
Other Parisian Bouillons
Bouillons you might like to visit are:
Bouillon Julien: 16 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (10th arr.)
Bouillon Racine: 3 rue Racine (6th arr.)
Bouillon Pigalle: 22 boulevard de Clichy (18th arr.)
Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond (24 rue de la Grande Truanderie (1st arr.)
