Les trois chefs

Three chefs

We found these three chefs taking a midday break.  

Actually, I would guess two chefs and a cook?

The one on the left looks dressed as a chef,

and perhaps the man in the middle as well.

I wondered if the one on the right serves the plates?

Each of them has a white scarf or handkerchief 

tied in a short knot around his neck.

Ah, la vie quotidienne!

Brasserie Bofinger

5-7, rue de la Bastille

75004, Paris

Le Petit Bofinger - Brasserie

Le Petit Bofinger

This charming brasserie is just across the street from the famed Bofinger.  The reviews look good, and the ambiance is more intimate than its big sister.  The website states that it is perfect for a family meal or a quick business lunch (in Paris!)

The menu provides a better value but if you are looking for the Bofinger Belle Epoque decor and the history of nearly 150 years, you best make a reservation across the street with its café curtain windows.

Le Petit Bofinger has an echo of the windows, 

not with curtains, but with gently frosted glass as seen in the photo above.

Le Petit Bofinger

6, rue de la Bastille

75004, Paris

Métro Bastille

Brasserie Bofinger

Brasserie Bofinger was opened in 1864 and has a reasonable claim to being the first of the Parisian brasseries.  It was quite tiny in those days, not much larger than a bar serving draught beers and charcuterie.  Today it takes up the whole street of rue de la Bastille with bright red awnings embellished with a large gold "B."  The rich dark woods, shining brass and banquettes are remarkable, but the focal point is the intricate glass dome above the main dining room.  Bofinger seats 300 and each day a staff of around 100 serve over 800 dinners.  Although tourists have found this brasserie, it has a reputation as a place where French writers, academics and politicians frequent. 

I was taken with the fine wood doors and lace-curtained windows,

allowing only a slight glimpse inside.

Brasserie Bofinger,

5-7, rue de la Bastille

75004, Paris

Brasserie Bofinger - Taking a Break

Just around the corner from Bofinger on Rue Jean Beausire in the Marais, these gentlemen were taking a break, likely getting ready for the rush of the noon-time diners.

This is a favorite of mine, as I enjoy capturing people in la vie quotidienne, a routine that is anything but for someone who loves these vignettes of Paris.


Brasserie Bofinger
5-7, rue de la Bastille