Bistrot Paul Bert

For a Paris bistro dinner built around one plate: tenderloin under a Sarawak pepper sauce, with frites, in the 11th.

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By Lena Sterling · Steakpedia editorial voice · Who writes

How to book

Why go

For the night when you want a Paris bistro exactly as you picture it, and one steak at the center of the table, Bistrot Paul Bert has served the same kind of cooking since 1998. Its signature is the steak au poivre: a generous piece of beef tenderloin under a creamy Sarawak pepper sauce, with homemade frites, which The Infatuation listed again in October 2026. Owner Bertrand Auboyneau told Time Out in 2025 that the kitchen sent out about 17,000 of them the year before, and that he priced it high on purpose. Around it you will find a classic French card, from oeufs mayonnaise to sole meunière, and a wine list Time Out calls thick and up to date. Gault&Millau 2026 rates it 12/20.

What to order

Filet de bœuf au poivre de Sarawak (tenderloin steak au poivre), frites maison
Langue de bœuf, sauce piquante
Cervelle de veau

Price$$$

Opened1998

Not published: aging, fire, breed, grade.

01What to order

Filet de bœuf au poivre de Sarawak (tenderloin steak au poivre), frites maison€48 in Time Out's April 2025 review; the dish the house is known for.
Langue de bœuf, sauce piquanteOx tongue with a sharp sauce and purée, €24 on Gault&Millau's 2026 menu extract.
Cervelle de veauCalf's brain with lemon butter, €15 in April 2025.
Sole meunière€54 in 2026, for the guest at the table who does not want beef.
Tarte tatin or île flottanteTatin at €12 in 2026; Gault&Millau also mentions a floating island with pink pralines.

02The beef

The steak is tenderloin, the filet: the most tender muscle of the animal and one of the leanest of the classic steak cuts, served here under a pepper sauce made with cream. No source names the breed, the origin of the beef, the butcher or any aging, and the house publishes no menu online.

03The fire

No source describes how the steak is cooked or on what heat.

04The story

In December 1996 Bertrand Auboyneau, a former wealth manager in the Middle East who had never cooked professionally, saw a couscous restaurant for sale at 18 rue Paul Bert and agreed terms with the landlord that afternoon; the bistro opened in early 1998. Retired chef Michel Picquart pushed him to improve the wine and the dishes, and Thierry Laurent took over the kitchen in 2000, keeping the classic recipes. The family of addresses grew along the street: L'Écailler at No. 22 in late 1998, an extension next door in 2005 that uncovered tiles from around 1900, Le Comptoir at No. 6 in 2012 and a wine shop at No. 16 in 2016.

05The practical

18 rue Paul Bert, 75011. Tuesday to Saturday, lunch 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 19:00 or 19:30 (Gault&Millau gives until 23:30, Time Out until 23:00); closed Sunday and Monday. Time Out listed a €26 lunch menu and mains from €28 to €48 in April 2025; Gault&Millau 2026 lists the card as à la carte only. The room is deliberately old-fashioned, with nicotine-colored walls and enamel adverts. Booking ahead is the safe course: 01 43 72 24 01.

Address: 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris
Phone: +33 1 43 72 24 01
Directions: Google Maps ↗

What is Bistrot Paul Bert known for?

Its steak au poivre: beef tenderloin with a creamy Sarawak pepper sauce and homemade frites; the owner told Time Out about 17,000 were served in a year.

How much is the steak au poivre at Bistrot Paul Bert?

€48 with frites, in Time Out's April 2025 review.

When did Bistrot Paul Bert open?

Early 1998. Bertrand Auboyneau took the premises, a former couscous restaurant, in December 1996.

Is Bistrot Paul Bert open on Sunday?

No. It is closed Sunday and Monday and opens Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

My passport

06Sources

fr.gaultmillau.com · theinfatuation.com · guide.michelin.com · timeout.fr · timeout.fr
Last verified Oct. 29, 2026.

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