Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond: Affordable Gourmet With 200 Years of Parisian History
In the heart of Les Halles, Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond, with its sumptuous 19th-century decor and signature tripes à la mode de Caen, offers both an immersion in history and an affordable gourmet dining experience.
Originally called “À la Petite Normande,” the restaurant was founded in 1832 by Pierre Heutte. It was renamed “Pharamond” in after the family that made it a household name in Paris. It now operates as a “Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond” to reflect its transformation into a traditional bouillon-style eatery serving affordable classic French dishes in a lively, democratic setting.
Pharamond gained fame for its tripes à la mode de Caen, a Normandy specialty introduced in 1877 by Alexandre Pharamond. The dish remains a highlight of the menu, alongside other traditional French staples like onion soup, steak-frites, and crème brûlée.
Pharamond’s food reflects authentic provincial flavors while appealing to modern diners. The dishes are priced to be accessible, a defining trait of the bouillon tradition.
The interior is a visual treat, protected as a historic monument since 1989. Guests dine amid a décor that includes moleskin banquettes, intricate mirrors, and period details preserved from the restaurant’s redesign for the 1900 World’s Fair.
The unique woodwork, painted mirrors, and glass paste, still echoes the presence of figures like Clémenceau and Hemingway.
The timber-frame-inspired façade, added in the 1930s, pays homage to the architectural styles of Normandy. The dining experience is as much about history as enjoying the food.
Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond has also been a cultural place. It appears in Georges Simenon’s Maigret et l’Homme tout seul where an important scene is shot. It also featured in Claude Lelouch’s Hommes, Femmes : Mode d’emploi (1996), with Bernard Tapie and Ophélie Winter sharing a memorable scene on the ground floor.
The restaurant attracts a diverse crowd, including Parisians seeking a classic meal at a good price and tourists drawn by its historic and movie fame.
Address: 24 Rue de la Grande-Truanderie in Paris’s 1st arrondissement
In 2021, Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond expanded its offerings by opening La Petite Épicerie Pharamond, a delicatessen at 28 Rue Pierre Lescot, near the original restaurant in the Les Halles district. It offers products from local producers, including items like eggs from the Gonne Girls farm, artisanal brioche, and signature tripe with Calvados.
