Paris · 7th Arrondissement

L’Ami Jean

Boisterous Basque bistro serving mountainous portions of southwestern French cuisine in a convivial atmosphere.

About L’Ami Jean

Boisterous Basque bistro serving mountainous portions of southwestern French cuisine in a convivial atmosphere. Chef Stéphane Jégo's generous sharing-style plates and famous rice pudding have made this a local institution.

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The details

Practical bits

WalkingMinimal walking

The place

Getting there

Address

27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris, France

Neighborhood

7th Arrondissement →

Nearest Metro

Bir-Hakeim (Line 6)Ecole Militaire (Line 8)Invalides (Lines 8, 13)

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Good to know

Tips, answered

Come hungry as portions are enormous, and don't miss the unlimited rice pudding served at the end in a giant bowl.

Plan for about 2h 15m.

L’Ami Jean is in the 7th Arrondissement neighborhood of Paris. The address is 27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris, France. The area is well-served by metro.

This works well at any time of day, though mornings tend to be quieter. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Closed on Sunday, Monday. Check the official website for holiday closures and special hours.

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Tour

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Museum

Hôtel des Invalides

This sprawling 17th-century military complex centers around Napoleon's marble tomb, housed beneath that famous golden dome you see from across the Seine. The Army Museum fills the east and west wings with an impressive chronological journey through French military history-from medieval chainmail and crossbows to Hitler's bunker maps and resistance weapons. The two churches, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides and the Dôme Church, showcase different architectural approaches to military commemoration. You'll enter through the main courtyard, where restored cannons line the arcades, then choose your route through the museum wings. The medieval armor collection in the west wing feels surprisingly intimate, while the WWI and WWII sections in the east wing can be overwhelming with their density of artifacts. The tomb visit requires descending into the circular crypt where Napoleon rests in six nested coffins-the marble balustrade keeps crowds moving but limits lingering. The museum suffers from its own comprehensiveness-most visitors burn out before seeing everything worthwhile. Skip the post-1945 sections unless you're genuinely interested in Indochina conflicts. The medieval weapons and Napoleon sections justify the visit alone, but budget three hours minimum if you want to absorb rather than rush. The audio guide helps navigate the sprawling layout but adds another hour to your visit.

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Family

Bateaux Mouches Seine River Cruise

The Bateaux Mouches fleet runs continuous hour-long loops on the Seine, offering comfortable seats and surprisingly informative multilingual commentary through individual headphones. You'll float past the Louvre's riverside facade, under Pont Neuf (Paris's oldest bridge despite the name), and get unobstructed views of Notre-Dame's flying buttresses from water level. The glass-enclosed lower deck and open upper level accommodate about 300 passengers per boat. The boats move slowly enough for photos but fast enough to keep kids engaged. Commentary highlights architectural details you'd miss from street level - like the different stone colors showing Notre-Dame's reconstruction phases. The upper deck gets crowded during golden hour, but the covered lower deck actually offers better views through floor-to-ceiling windows without wind interference. It's genuinely relaxing after walking cobblestones all morning, though the commentary can feel repetitive if you're doing multiple Seine activities. Skip the overpriced onboard refreshments. The boats run rain or shine - they're fully enclosed and heated. Weekday afternoon departures have half the crowds of weekend morning runs.

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Bateaux Parisiens

Bateaux Parisiens runs the most reliable Seine cruises from their permanent dock at Port de la Bourdonnais, directly beneath the Eiffel Tower. Their fleet of glass-topped boats carries you past every major monument along the river - the real payoff is seeing how Paris was designed around the Seine, with perfect sightlines to Notre-Dame's flying buttresses and the Louvre's riverside facade that you simply can't appreciate from street level. The hour-long route follows a predictable but effective path: east toward Notre-Dame, then back west past the Musée d'Orsay and under Pont Alexandre III. The multilingual commentary is decent but not essential - the views speak for themselves. Most passengers cluster on the open upper deck, but the enclosed lower level offers better photography through clean windows and protection from wind that can be brutal even in summer. Honestly, all Seine cruise companies cover the same route, but Bateaux Parisiens wins on logistics - their Eiffel Tower location makes it easy to combine with tower visits, and their boats run every 30 minutes year-round. Skip the overpriced lunch cruises; the basic sightseeing option gives you identical views for a third of the price. The commentary gets repetitive if you've done any Paris sightseeing, but first-time visitors genuinely benefit from the river perspective.

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Museum

Musée Rodin

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Musée Marmottan Monet

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