Restaurants Worth Traveling For: La Rotonde in Paris

Looking for a delicious restaurant for your next trip to Paris? La Rotonde, located in the Montparnasse Quarter, is definitely one to add to your itinerary. 

Paris is known for many things: it’s the City of Love, has world-famous art museums, iconic landmarks, and of course, is a hub for delicious French cuisine. 

For my Sweet 16, instead of a party, my parents took my best friend and I to Paris for a week to visit my sister who was living there at the time. We enjoyed lots of delicious food, but a restaurant that really stood out among the rest was La Rotonde, located in the Montparnasse Quarter. We went twice during this trip, and they were both such memorable meals that I went back twice again when I was 22 and on a rail tour of France.

La Rotonde is a brasserie and restaurant that specializes in French cuisine. Located at 105 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006, it can be found on the corner of the intersection with Boulevard Raspail, right next to the Vavin metro station. 

When you enter the restaurant, you are bathed in red. The floors are lined in red velvet carpeting to match the red velvet seats, accented by dark cherry wood finishings, mirrored ceilings, and deep gold lighting. As is the case with most Parisian dining, the seating is very close together. You will be walking through tight spaces due to the amount of tables and people inside, but once you're seated, that aspect is forgotten, especially once the menu is placed in front of you. 

When I was 16, I had a bucket list of things that I wanted to do before we left Paris, and trying escargot was one of them. I had snails for the first time at La Rotonde, and the delicious, garlicky butter perfectly complemented the soft snails. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like them, based on the color and mental aspect of eating a snail, but one bite and I was hooked. 

There are a number of other stand out dishes on the menu. If you are looking for something that is quintessentially French, I would highly recommend the tartare de bœuf. Steak tartare might not be for everyone, as it is raw ground beef mixed with capers, onions, and some seasoning, but keep an open mind! It is one of my go-to dishes in France. La Rotonde paired it with some perfectly cooked frites (fries), salad greens, and some Tabasco for extra flavoring. The taste of the beef is not as robust as when you have a steak or a burger, and the texture is soft and creamy. Tartare also often has a tangy zip from the mustard and Worcestershire Sauce mixed in. 

Another meal on the menu that I highly recommend is the croustillant de gambas, sauce aigre douce, riz sauvage ー crispy prawns with a sweet and sour sauce and wild rice. Although this isn’t a strictly French dish, you can tell that La Rotonde has put their own twist on it. The prawns were big and juicy within the flaky pastry, pairing nicely from the flavors of the sweet and sour sauce. It was one of those meals where you were very sated by the end, without feeling like you were going to burst. 

And of course, no meal is complete without a dessert. A family favorite at La Rotonde is the cassis sorbet. Cassis is the French name for blackcurrant ー a dark, purple berry. For those who have had British Ribena, it is reminiscent of the flavor, but even richer in this form. It is a very light and refreshing way to finish a meal, especially in the Parisian summer heat. I have also had their version of a chocolate lava cake, which was incredibly rich, with the thick chocolate and a splash of vanilla cream to cut the taste. Out of the two, I would recommend trying the sorbet, as it is different and not a dessert that can be found in many restaurants around the world. 

Pricing wise, La Rotonde is on the more expensive side. It is not the place to go for budget travelers. If I put together my meal of escargot (€16), tartare de bœuf (€25), and the cassis sorbet (€6), paired with a glass of sparkling rosé (€22), my check would come to €69. This is a lot for one meal for many solo/budget travelers, but for those who feel comfortable with the prices, it is well worth the trip. 

I love to travel by myself, but with that comes the struggle of being judged for eating alone. I have been to a few establishments where they made a comment about me being on my own or I have not received the same level of service as other tables. However, at La Rotonde, this is not the case. When I was seated alone, I had a very attentive server, who continuously checked on me and wanted to make sure that I was enjoying myself and was happy with my food. It is just a small thing, but it makes the dining experience so much better. 

I would recommend La Rotonde to anyone visiting Paris. It will always remain a go-to for my family and I. I am returning to Paris this summer with my boyfriend and my siblings, and we have already planned an evening here for dinner. I can already taste the escargot and champagne!