Yelp a Paris?

November 1, 2009 6:48 PM

Is there a Yelp-type site for restaurants in Paris (or Europe, as a whole)?

Ideally I'd like a restaurant guide for Paris that is based on user reviews, is easy to search and bookmark like Yelp to make my meals in Paris a breeze. I'll even take a blog or a list if that's all I can get. Any suggestions are welcome.

posted by kenzi23 to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Back in 2004-05, I got a lot of mileage from mmmm.free.fr. This summer I noticed that a lot of their reviews were rather old, but they do still have some new ones.

These days I tend to go to my old standbys, and to use Claude Lebey's printed guides when I want to try something new. But it's still worth checking Mmmm.
posted by brianogilvie at 7:07 PM on November 1

A blog, and includes more of a general guide to Paris, but some great food/drink ideas by arrondissement here: 20littlecities.com
posted by EL-O-ESS at 7:09 PM on November 1

When in Rome...
posted by furtive at 7:11 PM on November 1

Qype is Yelp for Europe.
posted by cmonkey at 8:36 PM on November 1 [1 favorite has favorites]

Maybe this is lame, but I think TimeOut usually has good recommendations.
posted by xammerboy at 10:21 PM on November 1

Besides Qype, try Cityvox. Tons of user reviews though mainly in French.
posted by vacapinta at 11:28 PM on November 1

I usually use OùBouffer (in French) or its sister site eat-out (in English). The French site is more comprehensive but they both have worked well for us.
posted by swhitt at 3:01 AM on November 2 [2 favorites has favorites]

No one has mentioned Tripadvisor? I find it to about as useful/maddening as Yelp.
posted by Xalf at 7:00 AM on November 2

I second the recommendation for mmmm.free.fr. Last time I was in Paris it was the closest thing to a locals review site. Paris also has Michelin, Gault-Millau, and Zagat guides, in increasing order of Americanness.

For general European recommendations TripAdvisor is the most useful site I know. They have a decent iPhone app, too. Beware that, as with Yelp, every single restaurant gets 4 stars out of 5 and there's no distinguishing the local pizza shop, the fine temple of gastronomy, and the Texas-themed restaurant. But if you're in a strange mid-sized city with no guide, it'll get you started.
posted by Nelson at 7:39 AM on November 2