Comments on: YOUPI ET VOILA–Hurray, and Here You Go! B-/C+

By: Alexander Lobrano

Alexander Lobrano — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:22:18 +0000

I'm glad that you had a better experience than I did at Youpi et Voila!, Margaret, but after 3 meals here, I wouldn't travel across town to eat here again. Perhaps if you live in the neighorhood, it'd easier to be more lenient and hopeful. Regards, Alec

By: Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:45:14 +0000

I believe that we visited Youpi et Voilå within a week of your report. Fortunately for us, our experience was vastly different from yours. I do not recognize the waiter that you show in your photo, nor did we experience either the kitchen or service lags. In spite of our being tourists and decades older than the average diner, we experienced rather pleasant and welcoming service. We were able to order several different glasses of wines to match our progression of courses, they were well explained and arrived in a timely fashion. Our meal was good. It did not stretch either the imagination of the kitchen or our reach. I did expect more inspired cooking, but the pigeon was served bloody, as I had ordered it, had excellent flavor and was tender as love.

This is a kitchen and dining room that may well warrant our continued attention. I am not ready to write it off.

By: Alexander Lobrano

Alexander Lobrano — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:00 +0000

John, From my perspective, Gopnik's piece was more about an assault on a beloved neighborhood institution that happened to be a restaurant, and the very French reaction to same. It was never a gourmet address, but used to serve solid, sincere French comfort food in a superbly Parisian setting with a brilliant atmosphere. After Flo took over, they had the sense to treat this sacred calf lightly for a longtime, which is why I included it in HUNGRY FOR PARIS. Alas, prices have gone through the roof and the food is wincingly mediocre now. What I find saddest about this, is that everyone who works here quietly knows that the food isn't very good and just has to button their lips and soldier on. Best, Alec

By: John Mihalec

John Mihalec — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:38:38 +0000

Sad about Balzar, Alec. But wasn't all this foreshadowed many years ago in Adam Gopnik's tale in the New Yorker about the waiters' unsuccessful rebellion against its takeover by the ubiquitous Flo chain. At least they kept the level of service up, so that professors can still meet there to "discuss coursework" with their prettier students.

By: Alec Lobrano

Alec Lobrano — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:19:58 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Lindsey. I suspect, however, that I'm not the only one who's dying to know the name of the nefarious restaurant, so do tell! Cheers, Alec

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:44:52 +0000

Interesting review and seems to reflect most of what my friends have been echoing. Also, how timely that you mention this idea that they'd rather be cooking for their friends; I had a similarly unfortunate experience on Friday evening at a restaurant that, despite having an English menu which usually deters me from even going, had excellent food but treated our group (of 8, ready to consume copious quantities of wine in addition to several courses) like we were interlopers. We are all victim to uneven, indifferent service in Paris at times but I have never experienced such ghastly behavior in my 6 years as an expat here.

Thanks for an honest review!