Les Belles Plantes Restaurant Paris
Les Belles Plantes was originally called La Baleine but changed in 2018 to this brasserie style restaurant in Paris serving French cuisine in an idyllic setting within the Jardin des Plantes, which is open daily for lunch, a full meal, coffee break or relaxing drink, plus evening meals on a Friday and Saturday.
About Les Belles Plantes brasserie restaurant
Les Belles Plantes is located within an old pavilion on the edge of the Jardin des Plantes close to the Menagerie Zoo Historique de Paris, and when you translate the name to English it is The Beautiful Plants, which is rather apt considering its locations within the historical botanical gardens.
The old pavilion with its original architecture was dedicated to the preservation of cetaceans, which are marine animals including whales and dolphins, and the original restaurant called La Baleine was named after the whale skeleton that was originally on display within the Galeries d’Anatomie Comparee et du Paleontology that is also in these gardens, but it changed to Les Belles Plantes in 2018.
The interior of the pavilion was completely renovated at this time to provide a warm, cosy and comfortable atmosphere for Les Belles Plantes, which incorportates a large bar and plenty of seating with wicker chairs, also combining light wood, wicker ceiling lamps and large flowered wallpaper panels complemented with bouquets of dried flower arrangements for a light, natural and relaxed feel.
There are also two terraces that you can enjoy in the warmer months for a gourmet lunch or an afternoon tea, and one of these is a spacious courtyard area, whereas the other terrace on the sunny side of the Jardin des Plantes overlooks the Menagerie and the Wallabies of the zoo and has a variety of different seating options including some like you get for table d'hote dining, positioned in surroundings that make it feel like a kitchen garden with pots of various herbs and vegetables, etc.
The Cuisine at Les Belles Plantes
When it comes to the French cuisine at this brasserie restaurant in Paris, you will find starters such as Crispy egg on mushrooms, Traditional onion soup, Tuna tartere with mango, Red label Burgundy snails, Andalusian gazpacho, fresh goats cheese and croutons or a poached egg with a compote of summer vegetables and Serrano ham crisps, with these ranging in cost from around €7.50 up to €12 as of 2020.
Main courses at La Belles Plantes could be Fish and chips, Beef burger with smoked cheddar cheese, bacon, tomatoes romaine lettuce, onion compote and barbecue sauce accompanied by chips, Bass fillet with ratatouille nicoise and chorizo sauce, Penne sauce petso rosso with grilled vegetables, parmesan and pine nuts, Yellow poultry supreme from Landes with mashed potatoes in olive oil and fine herbs and a savoury sauce or Marinated beef carpaccio with arugula, pine nuts, basil pesto and house fries.
There is also a plate of the day available along with salads including the traditional Caesar salad but with quail eggs or there is the Veggie Bowl that includes red quicoa, avocado, cherry tomatoes, mango, edaname, crunchy vegetables, black seseme, cashew nuts and a sesame-soy vinaigrette, with all main courses ranging in cost from around €16 up to €21 as of 2020.
There are of course desserts, which could be Panna Cotta and red fruits coulis, Tonka bean creme brulee, Chocolate fondant, Fruit salad, Half-cooked chocolate with caramel coulis and Buglarian yoghurt ice cream, Mango melba with mango sorbet, vanilla ice cream, mango and whipped cream, Chocolate cake or Ice cream souffle with red fruits for example.
We would like to point out that as you can no doubt appreciate, the menu does change and therefore the dishes mentioned are for reference only, however, Les Belles Plantes also provides formulas of either a starter and main course or main course and dessert for around €23 and a three course option for around €28 as of 2020, with a specific choice available for these options.
Les Belles Plantes is also a fully licenced brasserie in Paris, with a wide range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks available from aperitifs through to cocktails and mocktails without alcohol, spirits, soft drinks, hot drinks, wines and even champagne etc.
Yet this is also a family friendly restaurant with a specific menu for children up to the age of 10, with a choice of main courses and desserts plus a soft drink, which includes a vegetarian option as well, all for €13 as of 2020.
Visiting Les Belles Plantes restaurant in Paris
Located within the botanical gardens in Paris of the Jardin des Plantes only a few steps from the Menagerie zoo, Les Belles Plantes restaurant is open daily from 10am through to 7pm all year round, so whether you would like a quick break, lunch or afternoon tea then you have these options with continuous service.
It is also open certain evenings of the week for those of you who would like to enjoy a dinner experience in this tranquil and unusual setting, which is on a Friday evening and Saturday evening when they do not close until 10pm.
Reservations can also be made, and it is highly recommended to book a table for an evening meal, and also for lunch during very periods like the height of summer or during holidays.
But private functions can also be arranged at Les Belles Plantes, whether it be for a wedding, cocktail party, dinner for large groups, etc and for more information on these you would need to telephone +33 (0) 1 40 79 80 72.
Access to Les Belles Plantes
Now when it comes to public transport, you will find Les Belles Plantes brasserie restaurant in the 5th Arrondissement of Paris within the Jardin des Plantes on the side closest to the River Seine and there is a Batobus water bus shuttle service dock nearby.
Other forms of transport include the Gare d’Austerlitz train station in Paris that serves the RER C line, the TER, Intercities trains and the Metro via lines 5 and 10, yet the closest Metro station is the Jussieu stop serving lines 7 and 10.
The bus lines 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91 and 215 along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via Lines N01, N02 and N31 will also get you near to the Jardin des Plantes, but there are also the bus tours in Paris such as l’OpenTour that will get you within walking distance of the gardens and the restaurant.
Alternatively, if you are travelling into Paris with your own vehicle, then you may be pleased to know that there are two car parks located within walking distance, one right by the Jardin des Plantes and the other by the Gare d'Austerlitz, yet there is also a Velib station for the self service bike hire scheme located very close to this historical garden and Les Belles Plantes restaurant, which is sometimes referred to as one of the brasserie style cafes in Paris.
