Reed - Restaurant

Hands down our favorite meal of our trip to Paris. If you are looking for a special meal you won't forget go visit Catherine at Reed Restaurant.

We walked into Reed Restaurant based off of its great reviews from yelp. When we walked in, it wasn't at all what we expected. We opened the door to a small restaurant on a side street. What we saw was a lady (Catherine) cooking in her open kitchen, and about 5 tables with families and couples eating. It became quickly apparent that this restaurant was going to be a different experience and we were both excited to give it a try.

Catherine saw us come in and asked if we had reservations. We didn't, she asked us to wait a minute. She finished cooking the plate, and served it to the diners. She then sat us down and offered us drinks and a menu. She amazingly does it all, she's the cook, hostess, and waitress. She is fluent in both french and english and very friendly to talk to.

We both ordered the chicken, Catherine suggested a glass of wine to my wife that would pair well with our plates, and also suggested a starter. I forget the name but it was pastry covered in tomatoes. It was amazing.

The chicken came out after and it was the best chicken we ate on our entire trip to both Paris and San Sebastian Spain.

After the dinner again we asked Catherine for her suggestion on desert. She recommended the white chocolate cake covered in chocolate sauce. It was again to die for.

After the meal the restaurant was winding down and we were the last ones there. We started to compliment Catherine on her food and struck up a great conversation. We spent about a half hour talking with her. It was great to hear someone with such great passion talk about their craft, and why they love it. It was very apparent in the food and wonderful to put together with her story. We also learned that Catherine offers cooking classes. We are already planning on doing one when we go back.

Thank you Catherine for a great meal, and a highlight of our honeymoon.

"Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort." -John Ruskin

Man, this was a real treat! Tucked away in a charming neighborhood within Paris' 7th arrondissement, Reed is a quaint 15-seat restaurant specializing in traditional French cuisine and entirely run by chef/owner Catherine Reed. That's right! It's a one-woman operation here. She personally sources in-season ingredients from local markets to ensure the highest quality and hosts all tables while also working her magic in the kitchen. With such control over how this establishment was operated I felt like my entire dining experience was brilliantly orchestrated from the moment I walked in. The enticing aromas + Sinatra playing in the background, every single one of her dishes, personally seeing me off, and even shaking my hand as I left truly added to the experience.

Her menu changes frequently based on seasonal availability of high-quality ingredients at the market. She utilizes a shared menu concept, so the plates are small, similar to tapas. There are normally 10 items on the menu including a soup, a salad, vegetarian options, small dishes, main courses, & two desserts. She additionally offers some side dishes such as a green salad and some potatoes roasted in goose fat.

__F O O D__
-Tomato Tart with Basil and Shaved Parmesan: I'm not entirely sure why I love tomatoes in France more than the tomatoes I find in the US. Is it really the terroir? Or the farming practices? Either way, that's a thing with me and I can't tell you how many times I've swung by the grocery store at home only to be utterly deflated by the low quality of tomatoes. Some were truly tasteless. But I digress! This tomato tart was lovely! The beautiful flavors and nice textural contrast made this a joy to eat. Furthermore, I found elegance in her ingredients' simplicity--a reoccurring theme in her cooking.

-Tian a la Provençale (grilled summer vegetables with goat cheese): Not to be confused with ratatouille which involves preparing each ingredient individually, tian is made by arranging an assortment of vegetables in a dish and baking until done. This was quite nice! Each vegetable shared the spotlight without overshadowing any other vegetable. Moreover, I liked how she broiled goat cheese at the end, so it developed a little bit of a crust on the outside.

-Duck Confit w/ Peach Chutney: I ordered duck confit multiple times during my visit to Paris and the version from Reed is certainly one of my favorites. I mean, it's cured duck drumsticks that are gently/loving cooked in its' own fat! What could be wrong? I admit that I prefer my duck to be a tad bit more succulent, but this was still rather tasty. Additionally, the chutney was interesting as she utilized spices I was not expecting. Went well with the confit.

-Pork Belly & Broad Beans: This dish screamed comfort food and I was all for it. She roasted the pork low and slow for seven hours resulting in a slice of pork belly so tender I don't even think I knife was necessary. The pork belly was certainly the star, but I loved the beans too! No idea why they were so tasty.

-Tarte Tatin: My goodnes! Though I've never actually had tarte tatin before, I am VERY familiar with the combination of caramelized apples with dough and cream. French apples were good, and I loved the puff pastry. Sure, it came out looking a bit dark. But that's flavor, baby!

- White Chocolate Mousse: Served with fresh berries, red currants, and mini kiwis cultivated in southern France. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The mousse was smooth like Michael Jackson on the dance floor and didn't have that weird aftertaste white chocolate sometimes has. The toffee(?) underneath really made the dish. Additionally, she choose some really tasty fruits, particularly the red currants and mini kiwis!

-Cauliflower Soup: My least favorite dish, hence why I am listing it last. The cauliflower was certainly prominent, however, I felt as though it was missing something. She initially provided the option to add blue cheese, but I declined as I actually am not fond of the stuff. I could see blue cheese working well if you actually find that palatable.

__E X T R A I N F O__
-Dine responsibly! If you make reservations and then decide to cancel, call up the restaurant and let them know! Don't just tell your 3rd party booking service and expect them to notify Reed. Don't be an ass! This is a small operation, so seating is limited. There are folks out there who would love the opportunity to dine at this restaurant but can't because someone cancelled without communicating that to Reed.
-Chef Reed offers classes. Check out her website for details.

Dining at Reed was truly a wonderful experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to visit. Chef Reed cooks beautifully so I am a bit disheartened that she is not receiving as much recognition for this operation as she deserves. Stop by and try!

So I found this 5-star place on Yelp and it looks intriguing. Read all of the reviews, looks good. Completely forgot about it until we were in paris and I emailed Catherine to see if she had an opening the day after Christmas, which she did.

We arrived at 6:30 after a long, transit-strike-induced walk and were pleasantly greeted by Catherine - we were the only guests at the time. She explained that the menu is now small plates and sugguested how many plates to order - which was very accurate.

We ordered everything but the soup and the salad and had two plates of several items based on the number of us (4) for instance, the Duck Confit plate is two legs so we ordered two plates....same for other dishes, figure two people sharing most plates.

This was a fantastic meal, the best meal we had in Paris. You will not be disappointed, this is not by any means a Paris cafe - this is fine dining in a casual affair. Magnifique.

If I had to describe Catherine with a quote from Julia Child, I think this fits:
"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."

Cheers!

What a truly incredible experience! My husband and I spent Thanksgiving in Paris in November 2016 and I am so happy we were able to make a reservation at Reed. Catherine is truly a wonder - she's a one woman show. She hosts, cooks, shares in wonderful conversation, and truly provides you with an incredible experience. Her food is absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! While it was a bit more expensive that I had hoped, the experience is WELL WORTH the money. It was a dinner I will never forget. Thank you Catherine for opening your home and your talents to the world!!!! If I am ever lucky enough to make it back to Paris, i would definitely make sure to return!!

Travel Tip: be sure to make a reservation beforehand! We ate there on a Thursday night (with a reservation) and watched numbers groups get turned away because she didn't have capacity. It's worth it! so make a reservation! We emailed her and were able to get a table.

Reed was just beautiful. Being a tourist you will find yourself eating at lots of restaurants but Reed is definitely one you won't forget. It was like walking into someone's home , having them greet you, cook for you and serve you.

The restaurant itself is small and cosy. The kitchen was literally right there next to you so you could hear, see and smell your meal being cooked there and then. It definitely gets all your senses going, building your appetite.

We spoke to Catherine, the owner of it all, and she told us that she only accepts a few bookings a night to make sure she gets the pacing right. Her focus is on the customers making sure everyone is happy so rather than having 20 unhappy customers she would rather have 6 happy customers. And it's that passion and dedication that makes this restaurant so successful. It delivers quality rather than quantity.

The menu consisted of four starters and four mains. We went for:

Starter 1: Tomato tart with basil and parmesan shaving

The pastry was light allowing the flavours of the basil and fresh tomatoes to shine through. The zingy juicy tomatoes made it very appetising and the Parmesan adding that extra depth of flavour. Delightful!

Starter 2: Pumpkin salad with mozzarella

The pumpkin was roasted perfectly, melting consistency when you had it your mouth. It added that natural smokey sweetness to the salad. The leaves were fresh, adding texture to the dish alongside the fresh bouncy mozzarella. Dressing was citrusy which balanced the dish so well.

Main 1: Beef bourguignon

It was very new to be served pulled beef instead of chunks. But it was a great twist to the usual as it meant the rich red wine gravy was attached to every strand making it a much more flavoursome dish. Seasoning was perfect and it was very nice to have a break in the softer texture with the quarter of baby gem lettuce in vinaigrette dressing. Potatoes were half mashed consistency so the beef did get lost in softness. A perfect combination.

Main 2: Free range chicken roasted with mushroom

Would have preferred the thigh meat but for breast it was still very succulent being cooked in cream. The chicken was cooked perfectly, taking in all the lovely flavours. The mushrooms added that nice earthy flavour and more moisture to the dish. Served again with lovely potatoes and baby gem lettuce.

Dessert 1: Pear Tartin

I'm never a fan of poached pears but somehow the pear had none of that tart taste I dislike. In fact this was probably the best fruit tart I have ever had. It was sweet without being sickly, beautiful light crustless pastry just to hold it all together and accompanied with cream. Delicious.

Dessert 2: Chocolate torte

I was pleasantly shocked that this dish was lighter than it looked. The sweetness of it was perfect. Mousse being light and airy, bananas not too ripe and the chocolate sauce being more milky and not too rich. My partner licked the plate clean.

I highly recommend this restaurant. Both the atmosphere and the food delivers everything you expect a restaurant to deliver. It's truly amazing and slightly crazy, as Catherine says, to have one person running it all. But it works here. Service is more personal and everything is under control. You only expect the highest quality of ingredients e.g. Having the basil you see freshly picked from the herb pot in the kitchen.

A big thank you to Catherine for giving us such a memorable meal in Paris.

My husband and I ate at Reed last night after reading excellent yelp reviews - we went in with high expectations and they were exceeded!

The owner (also the chef and server) greeted us at the door with a smile and was very welcoming. We enjoyed a beautiful bottle of wine, a tomato tartlet that was absolutely delicious (we devoured it), and duck confit that I haven't stopped thinking of since.... For dessert we had a white chocolate mouse with fresh fruit that was somehow both light and rich - the presentation was stunning and the perfect end to our meal. (We did set our eyes on an apple pie like dessert she was also offering which also looked amazing!)

if you're ever in Paris definitely stop by Reed for a beautiful French meal - you won't regret it! It's a small menu but you can taste the energy and passion the chef puts into her cooking with every bite.

Reed is small so keep that in mind! Not sure if she takes reservations.... she does speak English which made things quite a bit easier for my husband and I. Next time I'm in Paris I'll will be visiting Reed!

Reed is a small, charming restaurant in the 7th arrondissement. My wife and I visited this restaurant twice on our honeymoon. When we returned to Paris the following year, we visited twice again. It is our favorite restaurant in Paris.

Reed is owned and operated by Catherine Reed. Catherine is the owner, chef, greeter, and server, and will ensure you are well taken care of. It has the feeling of being at someone's home.

The restaurant is very cozy and only accommodates about 16 diners. It has an open kitchen concept, which is perfect for her cooking class that she hosts on Wednesdays.

Please order the duck. It is our favorite!

If you can only do dinner once in Paris, this is the place. Make reservations so you can enjoy this unique restaurant for a special occasion.
Intimate place on a side street off of Rue Saint Dominique where the chef/wait staff/sommelier/dishwasher is one and the same.
We enjoyed the duck and the conversation.

Love everything about this place from ambiance to food. My friends and I found this place on yelp and placed a reservation.

Upon entering, we were greeted and seated by Catherine. She's a one woman army. She's a hostess, waitress, server, and chef. The ambiance gave off a cozy, relaxing, and a at home kind of feeling. There are about 5 tables and an open home kitchen. Chef Reed was amazing. She recommended dishes and wine to pair with our meals.

We practically ordered everything on the menu and did not have a complaint on any dish. I ordered the chicken and cream of mushroom. The chicken was juicy and fell off the bone once I touched it with my fork. It was delicious. My friend got the risotto and it changed his life. Initially, he was not the biggest fan of risotto but I'm sure he dreamt about it that night. For desert, I ordered the pear tart and it was amazing! It made me question all the deserts I have had in the past.

After dinner, we had a small conversation with Catherine and found out that she offers cooking classes and that she does not always open as a restaurant. So be sure to call in advance to make sure she's open! After the amazing meal, my friends and I wished we had more time in Paris because we would love to sign up for a cooking class with her.

It's a definite must to visit Reed Restaurant! It's a different experience with a great meal. Trust me, you won't regret it.

It's kind of funny that a little place like this would get so much attention from non locals. (Leave it to yelp and TripAdvisor I guess). The evening we went, there were three other couples and all were English speaking. Everyone has mentioned the "concept" here, so I won't go into that. The place is charming and is off an unassuming quiet street. This was our first dinner in Paris after our arrival that afternoon so we were very excited. We knew what to expect, so were not disappointed in the very limited menu. I never order chicken in a restaurant, but when I saw the words morels, I was hooked. Growing up my mother and I would go mushroom hunting in the Northern woods of Wisconsin, and there was nothing better then foraging through the forest looking for wild shrooms. A quick saute in butter, some salt and pepper and we were in heaven.

My husband opted for the beef bourguignon and I had the tomato tart for a starter. Both my husband and I forgot what he had. For as much as I wanted my heart to soar when I took my first bites of my appetizer and my entree, it was not to be. It was a well prepared country style meal not just from the taste but from the presentation. The saying we eat with our eyes first, did not come into play here at all. Both the chicken and beef suffered from the same fate - dryness. No sauce at that point could remedy this particular issue so as a result the protein was stringy. Not what we expected at the hands of a French culinary instructor.

Catherine was very pleasant and service was good considering it was a one woman show. We opted out of dessert, and I am sure that left a black mark on us for not indulging in her creations. But jet lag was sinking in and I did not want to put anything else in my stomach. We enjoyed our experience here, but would not return. There are just too many other gems in this city to sample.

A storefront come private kitchen setting makes this place pretty special. The owner and chef is a native English speaker come French native that makes local specialities. Most courses have a couple choices. This one woman show is impressive on how she is able to cook, serve and host all at the same time.