Bistrot Benoit at the Louvre in Paris
The Bistrot Benoit was originally called the Cafe Grand Louvre, and this is just one of the cafes and restaurants located at the famous Louvre museum and with such a wide choice of different meals to choose from here, you will never go hungry, whether it be in the Tuileries Gardens like the Italian restaurant Cafe Reale, or in the Louvre itself like the Cafe Richelieu Angelina or the Cafe Mollien that overlooks Cour Napoleon.
The Bistrot Benoit is located underneath the Pyramid, just like the Cafes de la Pyramide and the Comptoir, so as you can tell, when you wish to visit the Louvre museum or experience the rich history of the palace and its architecture, then you will have plenty of choice.
About Bistrot Benoit formerly the Cafe Grand Louvre
As we have already mentioned, the Bistrot Benoit is located under the prestigious I M Pei glass pyramid and is approximately a 200 square metred restaurant that can seat around 90 people at a time, which has been completely renovated and redesigned. This was re-opened in 2018 under the watchful eye of renowned Michelin starred chef Alain Ducasse, with the name of the bistro being taken from the famous restaurant in Paris called Benoit that was first opened in 1912.
After the renovations were completed the new interior provides a typical Parisian bistro styling with zinc, brass, wood and red velvet chairs and tables and is a more formal option of dining at the Louvre Museum where you will also find waiters dressed in a traditional style in crisp white aprons and bow ties.
Also, the French cuisine on offer at Bistrot Benoit has been completely revamped by chef Alain Ducasse, which mixes the traditional with a contemporary twist in addition to providing a great selection of wines and other drinks along with hot beverages to accompany you meal.
With the wines being carefully selected, even for pairing with the dishes, this means they can be served by the glass, hence you only pay for what you drink, referred to as "A la ficelle" in French, which is another great option rather than having to purchase a bottle, even though you can do so if you wish.
French cuisine at the Bistrot Benoit
There are options for those of you who do not wish to have a full meal, which could be Melted eggplant, tomato/onion marmalade with vinegar, a French charcuterie platter or Raw Charolais beef tartare with French fries for instance.
The menu does change regularly, so what we mention here may be not available at the time of your visit, so this is just as a guide to dishes that were available when writing this, but you may also be pleased to know that children are welcomed and well catered for with their own menu for those aged under 12 years.
You will find that there is a formula available for lunch where you can have a starter and main course or a main course and dessert, which also comes with a glass of wine or mineral water for €29.50 as of 2020.
Yet if you really want to enjoy cuisine like you would at one of the restaurants in Paris, then this is also not a problem, as the Bistrot Benoit, originally called Cafe Grand Louvre, is now like an upscale brasserie or bistro with various a la carte options available, so you could enjoy a three course meal in a very unique and prestigious setting.
So for starters you could experience the Benoit's classic French snails, Chicken and thyme pate en croute and celeriac remoulade, Confit duck foie gras, onion/morello marmalade and toasted bread or Parmentier soup with croutons, for instance, with this one being one of the options on the Formula Menu.
Main courses could be Salmon with bearnaise and mashed potatoes, Sirloin steak, French fries and pepper sauce, Traditional veal blanquette and pilaf rice, Cod Fish ‘N’ Chips with tartar sauce or Roasted fillet of duckling with spices and gratinated polenta.
Desserts could be Camembert cheese, Rice pudding with caramel sauce, Lemon tart, crunchy meringue chips, Chocolate pot by The Manufacture with whipped cream or Rum Baba for example.
Obvious the prices for the a la carte option are priced per dish rather and all drinks are extra rather than as the Formula Menu, yet for those of you visiting as a family, the children's menu with a main course and dessert is €13 as of 2020.
Access to Bistrot Benoit at the Louvre in Paris
Located at the most famous museum in Paris, the Musee du Louvre, the Bistrot Benoit is located underneath the I M Pei glass pyramid and can be accessed via the pyramid itself, but this means it is only accessible to those who have purchased a ticket to the museum.
You will find that the Bistrot Benoit is open every day except for a Tuesday, for breakfast between 9am and 11:30am, then for lunch from 11:30am closing at 5pm, although there is late evening opening up until 9:45 on a Wednesday and Friday along with the summer school holidays.
No reservations are necessary for individuals and families at Bistrot Benoit, although if you are in a group, then we would like to point out that bookings must be made prior by telephoning +33 (0) 1 40 20 53 20.
Situated in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris, the nearest Metro station is the Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre stop serving lines 1 and 7, however, if you have your own transport with you whilst you are on holiday in Paris, then there is also parking available at the Caroussel du Louvre car park.
Another option for public transport are the buses and the Paris bus lines 21, 27, 39, 42, 45, 58, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 84, 85 and 95, along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via lines N01, N11, N12, N13, N15, N16 and N24, will all get you within walking distance of the Louvre Museum, this restaurant and numerous other tourist attractions in the area.
However, if you are travelling in on the RER trains, then you may be pleased to know that Chatelet - Les Halles serving RER A, B and D is only around 650 metres away, plus there is the Chatelet Metro station at a similar distance that serves other metro lines including Metro line 4 and 14.
In addition, you have the sightseeing bus tour companies of Open Tour and Big Bus along with the River Seine Batobus water bus that all operate a hop on and hop off bus service with stops close to the Louvre Museum and restaurant Bistrot Benoit as well.
