Restaurant in Paris, France
Serious bistro food, no three-star price tag.
Le Comptoir du Relais is Yves Camdeborde's Left Bank bistro and one of Paris's most respected €€ tables, backed by a Michelin Plate and consecutive OAD Casual Europe rankings. The Basquaise-influenced menu rotates seasonally, with autumn and winter being the strongest period to visit. Easy to book on weekdays; plan two to three weeks ahead for weekend evenings.
Le Comptoir du Relais is the right call if you want to eat serious bistro food in Saint-Germain-des-Prés without spending €€€€ or planning weeks in advance. It suits first-timers to Paris who want an authentic, locally respected table rather than a tourist-trap brasserie, and it works equally well for a relaxed solo lunch, a pair of travellers, or a small group that doesn't need a private room. If you're after a grand tasting menu or formal service, look elsewhere. This is a lively, counter-forward room where the food does the work.
Le Comptoir sits on the Carrefour de l'Odéon in the 6th arrondissement, one of the more civilised corners of the Left Bank. The dining room has the compressed, zinc-and-tile feel of a proper Paris bistro: close-set tables, a long counter, and the kind of visual energy that comes from a room that fills quickly and stays full. Chef Yves Camdeborde, who trained at the Crillon before leaving to pioneer the neo-bistro movement in Paris during the 1990s, has run this address since 2005. The room signals its intentions immediately: this is not a showcase kitchen, it is a working bistro with Basque and southwestern French roots, built around produce and season.
Those roots are worth understanding before you book. Camdeborde's cooking follows the southwest French tradition closely, which means the menu shifts with what's available and what's right for the time of year. In autumn and winter, expect the kitchen to lean into duck, offal, and hearty braises; the Basquaise influence comes through in preparations with peppers, espelette, and cured pork. Spring and summer bring lighter treatments, fresh vegetables, and fish. If you're visiting between October and March, this is arguably the strongest period to book: the style of the house suits cold-weather eating, and the seasonal roster of ingredients gives the kitchen its most interesting material to work with. A summer visit is still worthwhile, but the menu will look and feel lighter, which may or may not match what you're hoping for.
The awards record supports booking with confidence. Le Comptoir holds a Michelin Plate (2024 and 2025) and has been ranked in Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list for three consecutive years, reaching #198 in 2024 and #207 in 2025. OAD rankings in this category are driven by diner submissions rather than anonymous critics, which makes them a reliable proxy for repeat-visitor satisfaction rather than one-off critical attention. A Google rating of 4.1 across 1,348 reviews reinforces that the experience is consistent, not just occasionally impressive. For a €€ venue, this is a meaningful credential stack.
The format here is important to grasp before you arrive. During the week, the restaurant runs as a full-service bistro at lunch and dinner. At the weekend, the evening format shifts to a longer, prix-fixe dinner, which is where the kitchen shows its most considered work. If it's your first visit and you want the fullest expression of what the kitchen does, a weekend evening booking is the better choice, though it is also the hardest to secure. Weekday lunch is more relaxed, easier to book, and still gives you a fair read on the cooking.
Visually, the room at lunch has a different quality from the evening: more natural light through the street-facing windows, a faster pace, more neighbourhood regulars eating alone or in pairs at the counter. In the evening the pace slows and the tables fill with people who have planned the meal. Either format works for a first-timer, but they offer genuinely different experiences, so decide which fits your trip before you book.
The price point is one of the most important facts here. At €€, Le Comptoir sits two tiers below the grand addresses of Paris, such as L'Ambroisie, Le Cinq, or Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen. You are not paying for theatre or luxury service; you are paying for precise, seasonal bistro cooking from a chef with a traceable and credible background. For first-timers who want to understand what Paris bistro cooking can be at its most serious, this represents strong value relative to the quality on offer.
The editorial angle worth emphasising here is seasonal rotation. The Basquaise and southwestern French tradition that anchors the kitchen is not a year-round static menu; it is a living format that responds to what's available. The practical implication for travellers: if you're planning a Paris trip specifically around eating well and want Le Comptoir to be a highlight, time it for autumn or early winter. The cold-weather pantry (duck confit, boudin, game, root vegetables, rich sauces) is the most natural fit for the style of the house. Spring visits are fine but lighter in character. If you're visiting in July or August, the room may be quieter and the menu less complex, though the cooking standard remains consistent.
For context within the broader French dining scene, the regional cooking philosophy at Le Comptoir connects to a tradition well represented across France: Bras in Laguiole and Flocons de Sel in Megève are both anchored in strong regional identities that shift with season. What Camdeborde does in Paris at €€ is a more accessible, less ceremony-heavy version of that same commitment to place and time of year.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy for weekday lunch, but weekend evenings at the counter or for the prix-fixe dinner require more planning. Book one to two weeks ahead for a standard weekday table. For weekend evenings, aim for two to three weeks minimum. The restaurant is open every day from 12:00 to 23:00, which gives you flexibility if your Paris schedule shifts. The address is 9 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris, in the 6th arrondissement, well served by Métro Odéon (lines 4 and 10).
Dress code is smart casual: the room reads as neighbourhood-relaxed but not sloppy. No requirement for formal attire, but the Saint-Germain setting means most diners dress thoughtfully. If you're building a wider Paris eating itinerary, see our full Paris restaurants guide, and for where to stay nearby, our Paris hotels guide covers the Left Bank options well.
For other respected addresses in France worth pairing with a Paris trip, Mirazur in Menton, Troisgros in Ouches, and Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern represent the tier above this in formality and price, while Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or offers a different register of French classical cooking. Beyond France, for diners who compare at the highest level, Le Bernardin in New York and Atomix in New York are both worth the reference point, though they operate in entirely different categories. Paris bar and experience guides are also available: Paris bars and Paris experiences.
Quick reference: Le Comptoir du Relais, 9 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris. Open daily 12:00–23:00. Price range: €€. Booking difficulty: Easy (weekday); book 2–3 weeks ahead for weekend evenings. Awards: Michelin Plate 2024–2025; OAD Casual Europe #198 (2024), #207 (2025).
Smart casual is the right call. The 6th arrondissement setting and the neighbourhood clientele mean most people dress thoughtfully, but there is no formal dress requirement. Jeans are fine; trainers less so in the evening. If you're coming from a hotel in Saint-Germain, dress as you would for a mid-range Paris dinner out — put-together but not black-tie.
Counter seating is available and is a good option for solo diners or walk-ins, especially at weekday lunch. The counter gives you a direct view of the kitchen's pace and is the right format if you want a fast, focused meal. For the weekend evening prix-fixe, table reservations are the better approach since the format is longer and more structured.
For a weekday lunch or dinner, one to two weeks ahead is usually sufficient. For a weekend evening, especially if you want the prix-fixe dinner format, book two to three weeks in advance. The booking difficulty overall is rated Easy compared to the city's harder-to-access addresses, so you shouldn't need to plan around this the way you would for a table at Arpège or a top-tier tasting room.
The kitchen follows a Basquaise and southwestern French tradition, which means the answer depends on when you're visiting. In autumn and winter, the duck, offal, and braise-forward dishes are the most natural fit for the house style and the leading reason to visit in that season. In spring and summer the menu lightens. The weekend prix-fixe dinner is the most composed expression of what the kitchen can do; weekday à la carte gives you more flexibility. No specific dishes are confirmed in available data, so ask the room what's current on the day.
Three things matter most. First, this is a serious bistro, not a casual café, even at €€ pricing: the Michelin Plate and back-to-back OAD Casual Europe rankings (including #198 in 2024) tell you the kitchen is operating at a level above most of what surrounds it in Saint-Germain. Second, the weekend evening format is prix-fixe and longer, which is a different experience from weekday à la carte — decide which suits your trip before you book. Third, the cooking is most at home in cold-weather months; if you're visiting in October through February, you're arriving at the optimal moment for the style of the house.
The cuisine is rooted in southwestern French and Basquaise traditions, which rely heavily on meat, charcuterie, and animal-based preparations. Strict vegetarian or vegan diets will find the menu limited. Specific allergy and dietary restriction policies are not confirmed in available data, so contact the restaurant directly before booking if this is a concern. Given the relatively short menu format typical of this style of bistro, the kitchen's flexibility may be limited compared to larger, more formally structured restaurants.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Comptoir du Relais | Bistro Basquaise, Traditional Cuisine | €€ | Easy |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Kei | Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| L'Ambroisie | French, Classic Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | French, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Pierre Gagnaire | French, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
How Le Comptoir du Relais stacks up against the competition.
Dress as you would for a serious but unfussy Paris bistro: neat, put-together, no need for a jacket or tie. Le Comptoir is a €€ neighbourhood bistro in the 6th arrondissement, not a grand dining room, so the atmosphere is relaxed. Overly casual tourist gear will feel out of place, but there's no formal dress code to worry about.
Yes, and for solo diners or couples on short notice, the bar and counter are your best options. The bistro format at weekday lunch and dinner means walk-in counter seats are often available when the dining room is full. If you're aiming for the weekend prix-fixe dinner, those seats book up further in advance, so plan accordingly.
For weekday lunch, booking difficulty is rated Easy and same-week reservations are realistic. For the weekend prix-fixe dinner, book one to two weeks out at minimum. Le Comptoir's Michelin Plate recognition and consistent OAD Casual Europe rankings (including #207 in 2025) mean it stays busy, particularly on weekends.
The kitchen is rooted in Bistro Basquaise and southwestern French tradition under chef Yves Camdeborde, so lean toward dishes that reflect that regional identity rather than playing it safe with generic French standards. The weekend prix-fixe dinner is the format most worth planning around if you want the full expression of what the kitchen does.
The format changes depending on when you visit: weekday service runs as a full à la carte bistro, while the weekend shifts to a prix-fixe dinner format. Getting that distinction wrong will affect your experience. This is a €€ restaurant with OAD Casual Europe Top 200 credentials, meaning you're getting serious cooking at a price point well below comparable-quality venues in Paris.
No specific dietary restriction policy is documented for Le Comptoir du Relais. Given the kitchen's focus on Bistro Basquaise and southwestern French cuisine, meat and fish are central to the menu. If you have strict dietary requirements, check the venue's official channels at 9 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris, before booking rather than assuming flexibility on the day.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
