The Great Parisian Plate Debate

13, Rue Petits Champs, 75001
Tel. 01.42.61.05.09

I don’t really have all that much to say about Willi’s.  Located just a few blocks north of the Louvre, it’s in a lot of guide books and thus is apparently a well known place to grab a drink or meal.  I’d been meaning to check it out forever.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the odd mix of cool posters on the walls.  I quickly realized they were all emblazoned in some way with the name Willi’s.  Gimmicky?  Sure, but it actually kind of worked.  But then over in a corner, I saw a vase with a stack of the posters for sale.  All of a sudden it took a dive towards the commercial.  Where was I, Planet Hollywood?

As we weren’t eating, the three of us were seated at the bar.  We got an exceptionally small plate of some tasty homemade chips to crunch on as we looked through the expansive wine menu.

The cheapest wines weren’t.  The 100€+ selection far outnumbered those in the high 20€ range.  I tried to order a Sancerre, but after rummaging around in the fridge, they concluded that they were out, but our second choice, a Pouilly-Fumé, ended up being very nice.

As we left, I formalized my conclusion: I was not impressed.  This is Paris and there are plenty of places to get a great bottle of wine.  There was nothing here that gave me a reason to return.