During our recent trip to Paris, we decided to dine at Café Caillou, a charming-looking restaurant that initially seemed promising. However, the experience that followed left us quite disappointed, and here’s why.
A Reservation Gone Wrong
We stopped by the restaurant an hour before we planned to eat to make a reservation. A staff member took our details and even let us choose the table where we wanted to sit. He walked with us and asked us to choose a table. When we arrived an hour later, the specific table we had selected was given away without any explanation or apology. Initially, we brushed it off, thinking it was a small mistake.
A few minutes later, a waitress came over to apologize, explaining that the table we had reserved was occupied last moment.
The Food: A Disappointment
We started with appetizers, which were fine and arrived quickly. We were served a complimentary dried sausage and bread, which was a nice touch. For our starters, we had the escargots and duck pâté, and both dishes were decent but not extraordinary.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse with the main courses. The entrecôte steak was tough and contained hard, inedible bits. The bone marrow, while acceptable, lacked flavor compared to other versions we’ve tried elsewhere, but ofcourse it can be a personal preference to have bone marrow with lots of flavor. The seafood dish was dry, and the pastry that accompanied it was so hard it couldn’t even be cut with a knive. After just a few bites, I began to feel nauseous from the seafood and the sauce that accompanied it.
At this point, we sent the food back. The waitress immediately apologized and took the dishes away to discuss the issue with her colleagues. Another staff member came out to apologize, but offered no solution or further explanation.
Poor Handling of the Complaint
When it came time to settle the bill, we were surprised to see that nothing had been deducted despite sending the food back. We questioned this, and the waitress again apologized, explaining that her colleagues had decided not to take any action regarding the issue. Feeling dissatisfied, we voiced our disagreement, especially since most of the food was barely touched.
A staff member who had been present earlier that afternoon joined the conversation, asking what the issue was. We explained the situation for the third time. Visibly frustrated, another staff member came back and defensively suggested that we were making a “big deal” over a table mix-up and some food. He claimed that they “don’t take reservations,” even though we had clearly made one, with our name and details recorded.
To make matters worse, this same staff member insisted he wasn’t aware of the issue because he “hadn’t been there” when the reservation was made, despite having been present in the restaurant during the incident. He shifted blame to the chef, claiming that the poor quality of the food was out of his hands.
Lack of Accountability
Overall, the staff at Café Caillou seemed disjointed and uncoordinated. They didn’t operate as a team, and instead, they deflected responsibility and pointed fingers at each other. When faced with constructive feedback, they became defensive rather than addressing the issue at hand.
The food quality was far below expectations, and the service left much to be desired. When you’re paying for a dining experience, you expect at least a basic level of customer care, but at Café Caillou, both the food and service were severely lacking.
Final Verdict
If you’re in Paris, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere for a meal. Despite the cozy ambiance, Café Caillou fails to deliver in terms of food quality and customer service. For the price, the experience was underwhelming and not worth the visit.
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Review: 4.6/10
Price / Quality: 3 | Service: 1 | Atmosphere: 7 | Originality: 6 | Freshness: 3 | Choice: 7.5
