Brasserie Lipp

Painted botanical tiles run above the banquettes at Brasserie Lipp, adding colour to a room of mirrors, dark wood and closely set white-clothed tables. The decorative setting belongs to the turn-of-the-century brasserie tradition, with the orange awning outside marking its place on boulevard Saint-Germain.

French brasserie cooking since 1880

Lipp opened in 1880 and has long drawn political and literary visitors. Its reputation is inseparable from the room, but the food has an equally clear identity. The menu follows French brasserie cooking, with house favourites including leg of lamb, knife-cut sausage and blanquette de veau. These are substantial dishes whose appeal lies in the preparation and the familiar structure of a starter, main course and dessert.

Blanquette brings the softer, sauce-led side of that repertoire, while the sausage and lamb provide different kinds of main course. Baba au rhum is one of the established desserts, carrying the meal into a recognisable brasserie ending rather than an elaborate sequence of small sweets. The current card sets the actual dishes and accompaniments.

Botanical tiles and the Saint-Germain setting

The room is an important part of the choice. Tables are close, mirrors extend the view and the tiled walls retain a decorative density that a more minimalist restaurant would remove. It is a place for a meal within an active dining room, with other tables and service forming part of the atmosphere.

Across the boulevard, Saint-Germain's café life offers another version of the neighbourhood. Lipp keeps its own emphasis: a full brasserie table, traditional dishes and an interior whose botanical decoration remains one of its most distinctive features.