This restaurant, brasserie, and piano bar was a favorite of Picasso and Gertrude Stein, not to mention Ernest Hemingway, who downed whiskey here so often that both the bar and a signature dish (panfried steak in creamy whiskey sauce) bear his name. With such history, you’d expect this to be on every tourist’s radar, but the Closerie has managed to remain resolutely Parisian, drawing in locals with the promise of indulgent dishes like fresh seafood platters, panfried sweetbreads, and even caviar with steamed potatoes and cream. Literary fans will be pleased to learn that every year, the Closerie awards female writers with prestigious literary prizes, the Prix de la Closerie, Prix Lilas, and Lilas du Livre.
Paris› Restaurant
Closerie des Lilas
161 bd. du Montparnasse, 6th arrond.
Our Rating
Neighborhood
Montparnasse & Nearby (14th & 15th Arrondissements)
Hours
Daily noon–2:15pm and 7–10pm; piano bar noon–1:30am
Transportation
Métro: Raspail or Vavin. RER: Port-Royal.
Phone
01-40-51-34-50
Prices
Mains 45€–58€; seafood platters 50€–115€
Cuisine Type
Traditional French/Brasserie
Web site
Closerie des Lilas
Other
Closed Aug
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.