Refuge des Fondues

I love this place! My second time at this restaurant and it was just as good as the first.

I cannot stress enough, you need to make a reservation. There are always people that try and walk up only to be turned away because they are booked. There are only 2 seatings a night - the 7pm and 9pm so it's not like you can just show up whenever you want.

I've had both the meat fondue and the cheese fondue and the cheese is definitely the way to go.

They also bring over a charcuterie or sorts, followed by the fondue you choose, a basket of bread, a baby bottle of wine or beer and finally, dessert.

Everyone is very close together and one person in your party will have to climb over the table to sit on the other side as the table is one long bench.

Overall, it's just a really fun experience and I would highly recommend you go!

I first came to Refuge des Fondues in 1996, before anyone currently working there (and possibly owns the joint) was born. To me, this is a quintessential Parisian experience and my five star rating is based on that perception, the overall experience, and despite the fact that the food is probably a 3 or 4 starts experience.

There's a lot of history in this place and the quirkiness of it, especially being served wine in baby bottles with nipples came about, not for the sake of quirk, but as a practicality to avoid kicking over wine glasses when you have to step over the table to sit in the interior seats. (That's the lore that the current owners told us, established by the original proprietor.)

We always get the cheese fondu as we're vegetarians. It's good, and filling though the cheese does tend to ball up after a while making it more difficult to eat.

This is also the place where we discovered Kir...a mainstay French digestif which is delicious. Though on this most recent trip, under newer ownership, we noticed they've stopped rimming the glasses with sugar.

We could have used more interesting offerings, as vegetarians, for the appetizer plate besides cubed cheese (and pickles and olives) as, of course, the main dish was the cheese fondue.

But honestly, having been to this place a half a dozen times since 1996, the experience, atmosphere and quirkiness are all elements that I can't get anywhere else.

I love it. I will always come back...even when I'm an old, old bearded man. (I mean in my fifties now and I'm by far already the oldest person in this restaurant.)

Definitely make a reservation as the place fills up every night and they might be able to accommodate walking, but you're guaranteed a spot of you reserve on their website.

Thanks Refuge des Fondues for being an ongoing and essential part of my Paris experience.

This was quite an experience. The restaurant is SMALL. Yet it did not matter at all. There is no air conditioning so I am warning you.
First of all my daughter had to climb on the other side which was fine. We had a few bites (charcuterie and antipasto) to start and they gave us some wine complementary with the meal and we chose to have a glass of white wine each. The wine comes out in a baby bottle which was hilarious. We chose the cheese fondue and it was good not the best but good. The staff was awesome and the group singing was the BEST! The bread was chefs kiss and I will definitely be back.

Is this the best fondue ever? Probably not, but it's good! There are usually two seatings a night, we did the first at 7:15pm. You start off with Kir (cassis and white wine), then they give you a sort of antipasto plate (cheese, olives, charcuterie), you have the choice between cheese or beef fondue, and finish with a small dessert (I had chocolate mousse). The cheese fondue comes with a huge basket of sliced baguettes. All the food was good! The wine- red or white- is served in baby bottles. The whole place is super small and kitschy. I think this is more for tourists than locals, but it was such a fun experience and all the staff were so nice. I definitely recommend going!

100% yes. Best fondue on the planet, Sing alongs, seating family style. Even drinking wine out of a baby bottle was somehow fun. We will be back.

The restaurant is small with two long rows of tables running the length of the restaurant, I knew we were in for an exciting experience the moment we walked in.
Katie & Amanda had to climb over the table to get to their seats!
The set menu hasn't changed since 1955!
We first were served Kir Royale- French cocktail that's said to have roots dating back to the mid-19th-century.
To start we were served an amuse-bouche "apéro rigolo" which consists of mini chunks of cheese, pickles, olives, cured ham, and potatoes.
Our main course we ordered the fondue bourguignonne & savoyarde ( one pot of cheese & one of steak & potatoes).
We drank wine from baby bottles! Drinking wine from a baby bottle sounds crazy, but it was hilariously fun! There's an urban myth that says the wine is served in baby bottles to avoid a Parisian tax on wine glasses. This is not true. Instead the wine is served in baby bottles as a safety measure which dates back to 1966 so that the wine glasses don't spill over when you are jumping over the tables to reach their seats.
For dessert we had more cheese & an unbelievable delicious meringue. It was heavenly.
We were also served a complimentary shot.
I definitely recommend going here in you are in Paris! It is an unforgettable & hilariously fun experience!!!

If I had to choose a single restaurant in the entire world to hold the #1 spot on my list...it would be Refuge des Fondues. While we ventured to Paris with a very hefty agenda, we thankfully left a few meals open for "whatever we felt". We did this intentionally as we knew we'd stumble upon a few local musts! This came as an impromptu recommendation and we hadn't made reservations so we decided to take a chance and thankfully - we got lucky! We arrived to find a large crowd huddled outside of the venue. That's when we discovered that this wasn't a one-in/one-out type of spot. So that leads me to tip #1 - make a reservation well in advance to ensure you don't get turned away (like I said, we got lucky). Once the previous reservation was out, they opened the doors to let the next group of us in. We walked in (more like squeezed in) to see that we were in what might have been the tightest restaurant I've ever seen. Two long family styled tables lined both sides. Which brings me to tip #2 - bring as little as possible because there is little space and to hang any bags or coats up, you have to shimmy to the very back of the room. With only one way to enter the side of the table closest to the wall, you either slide in and all the way down OR...you guessed it - step on the table to get to your seat. My husband volunteered me for that side. You then choose from two menu options (meat or cheese) and two wine selections. Everything comes out quickly and is served with a hot flame to keep it melty. My favorite part however, would likely be that the wine is served in baby bottles. Rumor has it that this is because people kept spilling in such tight quarters and the owner decided everyone would be better of drinking from bottles. HAHA! We laughed throughout the entire experience. We made new friends from both sides of us (a couple from Spain and a group of four French women celebrating their secret Santa - we miss you all!) and even left dinner to venture with them for a night cap! I finish this review with tip #3 - if you choose to venture here, just let loose and enjoy a one of a kind experience. It isn't the glitz and glamour Pexperience, but it's one that I'll never forget.

Delicious absolutely a must. This cheese fondue sets the standard for all others to compare. Very garlicky perfection.
The atmosphere is like CBGBs total dive bar exclusive awesome vibe.
Dinner service is a pain - you must reserve online but do it and you will not regret it.

My husband and I went here on our first night in Paris. After reading the reviews we decided to call and reserve a table for 7pm, when they open so we didn't have to wait for 2 hours. that worked well. We were some of the first people in.

The restaurant is very small and you have to climb over the table to get to the side against the wall. To start we were given an appetizer plate and 2 spritz drinks. then they serve you red or white wine in a baby bottle (this was hilarious & fun).

The fondue was not great, but it wasn't terrible either. You get the choice between cheese or meat. We chose cheese. It seems watery, but you just have to mix the cheese. It works out once the cheese melts. That was quite pleasant.

Keep in mind you do not get a choice what you are getting for food or drinks for the most part. The restaurant is tacky and fun. If you want to have a few good laughs and interesting conversation with some people around you I recommend this place. We sat next to some great people from Belgium.

This was one of our favorite nights, not because of the food, but we just had a really great time. It's something quirky and fun, but don't have high expectations, just bring your sense of humor!

The food here is absolutely spectacular. When I make a trip to Paris, I will at least once, sometimes twice if time allows. This place is an unforgettable experience. The lines will get bigger and bigger as it gets later in the evening, so it's best to hit up this place early.