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Faro, Portugal; Great Expectations, Oustanding View, But A Disappointing Breakfast Buffet

Harune Restaurant - AP EVA SENSES HOTEL Av. da República, 1  8000-078 Faro, Algarve, Portugal  Phone: +351 289 540 100 Email: book.eva@ap-ho...

TravelValue: France


PARIS


Bouillon Chartier - The Gold Standard For Value And Elegance In Paris

Bouillon Chartier
7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre
75009 Paris, France
9ème
Metro: Grands Boulevards and 2 more stations
Phone number +33 1 47 70 86 29
Website: bouillon-chartier.com
Prices: €€€€

Euro for Euro, this place is probably as good as it gets in Paris. A very good three-course meal for three in a historic restaurant, including 50cl of wine for €60 ... now that's a TravelValue folks!
Founded in 1896, Chartier, as it is known, has been serving quality food at reasonable prices to Parisians and tourists for 122 years, First of all, expect a line, a long line when you arrive, but do not feel dismayed because the queue moves very quickly thanks to the massive dining room with dozens of staff. They even have a wine station at the halfway point in the queue where you can get a cup of sangria, mulled wine, or their wine o' the day for just €1. 
No screwing around here y'all, you had better be ready to order post haste and the same goes after you pay - get the hell out so the next party can get on with their meal. The waiter's know their shit and do not mess around, so if you are not decided on what to order, do not waste their time because they have 10 other tables to worry about.This is not Italy where meals are at a leisurely pace and you have the table for the whole night - this is Paris and Bouillon Chartier!


I had half a dozen escargot (€7.30), steak au poivre with pommes frites (€11.50), chocolate mousse (€3.10) and a glass of wine. The snails were scrummy, having mopped up the excess garlic butter and parsley with a crust of baguette or two just for old times sake. The steak was not the best cut in the world and it was not particularly tender, but the taste was spot-on as were the peppercorn gravy and hot, crispy French fries. The mousse was thick, rich and chocolaty, just the way it should be.



My wife had a mixed green salad (€2.30) for her entree, the roasted pork loin with boiled new potatoes in a reduction sauce (€8.80), that was as good if not better than mine, for her plat, and the mousse as well. The salad was fresh, the three large slices of pork tender, and the potatoes well cooked.
The best dish of the night was the traditional veal stew and white rice (€11.20) with big chunks of veal, carrots and potatoes in a thick, creamy white sauce reminiscent of a wonderful meal I had at a little roadside place in the South of France many years ago. The veal was tender as a whore's heart and the sauce divine. Unfortunately, I did not order it, our friend did, but it will be on my radar the next time I eat here, because, as MacArthur said: "I shall return!".
What a great place! The massive dining room is typically French and ornate with an art deco vibe given the fact that the place is over 100 years old. The food and service are both top notch, especially for the price. Where else can you get a tasty three course dinner for €20 and get thrown out by the waiter - in a nicely roundabout way - when you are done eating? Only at Bouillon Chartier folks ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Bouillon Chartier 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Bouillon Chartier on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
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Title: Paris, France: Bouillon Chartier - The Gold Standard For Value And Elegance In Paris

Key Words: Paris, France, Bouillon Chartier, bouillon, chartier, gold, escargot, food, bargain, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook


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Au Bougnat
26 Rue Chanoinesse
75004 Paris, France
Near Cathedral Notre Dame De Paris - 4ème
Phone number +33 9 64 09 51 94
Website: aubougnat.com
Prices: €€€

In the shadows, literally, of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, you will find Au Bougnat, a small restaurant and bar with quaint charm and in a historic building. You enter the restaurant through the bar, entering the tiny dining room through a short, narrow passage in which you must bend at the waist in order to avoid bashing your noggin.


A three-course dinner will set you back a modest €29 (€24 for two courses). Starting with a 50cl blonde draft beer (€6.50) and a bottle of sparkling water (€7) while we waited for our friend to arrive, we then ordered from both the "Specials" and regular menu. Our server was very kind, spoke perfect English and was very attentive.




We were first brought a small, cold cauliflower soup to start our four course meal and it was delicious. For our entree (starter - €9 à la carte), I decided on the Oeuf Cocotte aux Escargots de Borgogne - eight snails sautéed in garlic butter and placed on a brioche then topped with a lightly poached egg - while my wife and her friend had the Gratinée á l'Oignon (French onion soup). My escargot were sublime, a term I rarely use, but very fitting in this case. The poached egg oozed its yoke as I cut into it, a preparation that would have made even Gordon Ramsey sing the chef's praises, and every bite was as good, if not better, than the last. The onion soup was slightly sweet and salty with plenty of sautéed onions and topped with a slice of bread and gooey, delightful, melted white cheese.




Both my wife and I ordered the plat (main course - €18 à la carte) Filet Mignon Roti, Risotto de Blè, Jus Rèduit and our friend the Entrecôte de Boeuf (350g), Pressè de Pomme de Terre, Sauce au Poivre Vert. Our center cut pork filets sat atop a generous serving of risotto while surrounded by a dark brown sauce reduced during the cooking of the pork. The pork was cooked perfectly and was very tender, the reduction light and savory, and the creamy risotto the perfect accompaniment ... YUM! Our friend's 12 ounce ribeye steak was topped with a creamy peppercorn sauce and accompanied by a crispy baked potato puree. The steak was huge and well cooked, the sauce delicious, and the potatoes very tasty.


For dessert (€8 à la carte), I went with the decadent Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart and my wife the Crème Brûlée while our friend decided to go with a much healthier green salad. My tart was delish, a creamy chocolate with chunks of hazelnut baked in a round tart shell and my wife's crème brûlée was very well done, creamy with a crispy sugar topping ... HOOAH!

The 2-course and 3-course meals are quite a bargain compared to ordering á la carte with a savings of €3 and €6 respectively, so that is definitely the way to go. I have to say that for the price, Au Bougnat is a terrific value, especially considering the fact that it is so close to tourist central. I was surprised that such a charming and delightful little restaurant could be found so near Notre Dame and am glad our friend suggested it ... MERCI BEAUCOUP!

CombatCritic Gives Au Bougnat 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

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Title: Paris, France: Quaint Restaurant In The Shadows Of Notre Dame

Key Words: Au Bougnat, au, bougnat, Paris, France, Notre Dame, notre, dame, cathedral, escargot, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Facebook


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Mussel Your Way In To Café de l'Est

Café de l’Est
78 Boulevard de Strasbourg
75010 Paris, France
10ème, Canal St Martin/Gare de l'Est
Phone number +33 146070094
Website: cafedelest.com
Prices: €€€€

A small brasserie just across from Gare du l’Est, this place may not look like much, but the food was good and the price was right. Very basic, but clean, they have an extensive “Entrée Bar” (think salad bar) available at a nominal fee.
My wife and I both had the Moules Frites (€11.90 each), a large portion (about 500g) of fresh mussels in a sauce made with white wine, cream, sautéed onions, and parsley. There was a South Asian flavor in the sauce, maybe coriander or curry, I was not sure, but it was tasty nonetheless. Not the best mussels I have had, they were very good and a great value. Dinner for two, including 50cl of Cote du Rhone, cost us a grand total of €32.




Our server, Roumaissa, was extremely friendly and her English excellent. The owner, Mohammed, was also very kind, having offering us an after dinner drink on the house.

CombatCritic Gives Cafe De l’Est 7 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!
Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Title: Paris, France: Mussel Your Way In To Cafe de l'Est

Key Words: Cafe de l'Est, cafe, Est, east, Gare de l'Est, gare, brasserie, Paris, France, mussels, moules, frites, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp


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____________________________________


Maxim's Airbnb - "Studio" (French) = A Small Room With Toilet And Fridge

Gare de l'Est - Paris, France
Website: Airbnb-Paris

I know, I know, you get what you pay for. A private studio apartment in central Paris for $65 per night is not a bad deal, but this place could be the exception.



We arrived around 1pm and the room had not been cleaned. No problem. I could not find a check-in time on Airbnb, so 1pm seemed reasonable. I contacted Maxim and he assured me that it would be cleaned soon, but the cleaning person did not arrive until just before 4pm.

The room is small, very small, about 10’ x 12’ with 3 feet of the 12 feet occupied by a tiny bathroom and kitchenette with a two-burner stove, sink, small fridge and a cupboard with plates, cups, silverware and pots and pans. The listing advertises cable TV, extra pillows and blankets, hangers (so you would assume there would be somewhere to hang things), a CO2 and smoke detector, and a fire extinguisher, but none were to be found. There was not even a hook on which to hang a coat or towel anywhere in the room. You have to be very creative to fit two people and two suitcases into this room, taking turns to move around because it was so cramped.

Almost everything worked, except for the “cable TV”, but the Wi-Fi was so slow that it was nearly useless. The window would not even lock properly, so I shut the metal shutters and locked them as best I could. I asked Maxim about the discrepancies noted above:
"Good Morning Maxim, 
The internet is terribly slow. Is there a problem? Maybe that's why the TV still doesn't work?
Amenities listed in your advertisement when we booked included: Cable TV, Hangers, Extra pillows and blankets, Fire extinguisher, Carbon monoxide detector, Smoke detector. However, the cable does not work and you will not respond with operating instructions or a plan to fix it, there are no hangers or even a place to hang anything if there were, there are no extra pillows or blankets, and there is neither a fire extinguisher nor a CO2 and smoke detector. This is very misleading as well as dangerous (in regard to the "safety features"). Otherwise, the flat is fine, well located, everything else works, and it is a pretty good value for central Paris.
Please address the discrepancies noted above as soon as possible.
Thank you once again.
CombatCritic"
He responded, telling me that the CO2 and smoke detector were in the hallway outside the apartment, but that was not true either.

The place is on the first floor (second floor in US) and a bit of a dump, but it has almost everything you need (except internet and a coffee maker) for a short stay. They really need to at least add some hooks to hang clothes and towels on and a coffee maker or electric kettle for coffee and tea. The pots and pans are cheap and disgusting and there was only the bare minimum in terms of coffee cups (2).

The photos on Airbnb are misleading, making the apartment look bigger and nicer than it actually is. The stylish chairs, pictures on the wall, and large stainless steel trash can do not exist although there is a cheap chest of drawers not shown in the photos, but the drawers were filthy inside and we had to clean them before use.

The room is relatively safe and habitable, being centrally located near Gare de l’Est and several Metro stops, so it is easy to get around Paris. We found that by buying the 10—ticket book of Metro tickets, the cost per trip (per person) dropped to €1.49 and was cheaper than buying the daily passes.

That being said, do not trust the photos or description on Airbnb and do not expect any personalized service from the host Maxim. He will only respond via Airbnb messages when he gets around to it and failed to resolve any of the issues we brought to his attention in a timely manner. If you are on a budget, this place will do, but if you can afford an upgrade, I would highly recommend it. We stayed at similarly priced Airbnb's in London, Lyon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Acre (Israel) on this same trip and all were much better than this one. Not much bang for the buck here folks.


CombatCritic Gives Maxim's Studio Gare de l'Est 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

When in France ... Follow Me To TravelValue on my new page:


Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Title: Maxim's Airbnb - "Studio" (French) = A Small Room With Toilet And Fridge

Key Words: Paris, Airbnb, studio, apartment, Gare de l'Est, gare, est, station, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, review, Yelp, Google


Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

















LYON


One Mother Of A Meal ... Thanks Jean, Whoever You Are!

La Mère Jean
5 Rue des Marronniers
69002 Lyon, France
Place Bellecour - 2ème Arrondissement
Phone number: +33 4 78 37 81 27
Prices: €€€€


It was a misty December night in Place Bellecour, the top of the brilliantly lit blue Ferris wheel that dominates the square barely visible beneath the low-lying cloud cover. I was thinking about our meal just a few nights before just around the corner on Rue Marroniers and how good it was, but little did I know that the dinner waiting just ahead was going to be even better. It is no wonder that Lyon is the culinary capital of France, if not the World.


We visited Le Mère Jean, which translates to "The Mother Jean", on our first night in Lyon, a damp, chilly Saturday night, but she was fully booked - "Complet" - so we reserved a table for the following Monday at 7pm. The proprietor, Jean perhaps, recommended Les Comptoirs de Marroniers just down the cobblestone covered road, having learned to cook there as we were told. They were kind enough to make room for us based on her thoughtful recommendation and the subsequent meal was outrageous, a Lyonnaise four-course meal that blew my socks off for just €36, but that my friends is another story altogether.






Le Mere Jean is a small place in an old building, long and narrow, seating only 20-25 diners in a rustic dining room with a tiny kitchen at the back. That small kitchen produced a lot of chow, very good chow, generating a fair amount of heat in the process. A tad warmer than we would have desired, particularly because we were dressed for winter, we quickly acclimated in order to focus on the task at hand. A three-course dinner was waiting for my wife (from the €16 menu) and I (the €19.50 menu) with a 50cl bottle of Cote du Rhone setting us back a mere (no pun intended) €12, a pittance comparatively speaking.

Our first course, or “entrée” as it referred to here, was the Salade Lyonnaise, a huge bowl of fresh, seasonal greens topped with chunks of hot, salty bacon, homemade croutons galore, and two perfectly cooked poached eggs sitting on top. There was more than enough for the two of us and was absolutely wonderful, a recipe I shall incorporate into my own repertoire when we finally get back home.
For our second course, or “plat”, my wife decided on the Chicken Fricasee, large chunks of de-boned chicken breast in a cream sauce that was both rich and flavorful. The Onglet de Bœuf Poêlè Sauce St Marcellin, a steak in a savory cheese sauce, was my choice, accompanied by potatoes Lyonnaise which are very similar to what many have come to know as potatoes au gratin. The steak was of a reasonable portion, about eight to ten ounces (500g), tender, and perfectly cooked to medium on the inside with just the right amount of char out. The cheese sauce that enveloped it was made from the local St Marcellin cheese, a savory, gooey concoction only the French could devise … MERCI BEAUCOUP!


For our third and final course, dessert, my wife had the local favorite, a praline tart. Lyon is famous for their pralines, a pink candy-coated almond I have only seen here. They make a variety of desserts with them, including a praline brioche and, in this case, a crispy, baked pastry filled with a praline cream that resembled a small strawberry pie ... YUM! I had a warm chocolate cake surrounded by a sweet cream that was rich and delicious.



An incredible dinner for two, both three-course meals, and a bottle of wine set us back just $65, the best $65 I have spent in a long, long time. I am sure that I will fondly reminisce about my many superb meals while visiting Lyon, but this was one that I will not soon forget … HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Mère de Jean 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My WALL OF FAME … More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:


Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic
Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
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Read Chris S.'s review of La Mère Jean on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
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Title: Lyon, France: One Mother Of A Meal ... Thanks Jean, Whoever You Are!

Key Words: Le Mère Jean, le, mère, Jean, mother, Lyon, Lyonnaise, France, marronniers, Place Bellecour, place, bellecour, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp


Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved







I HATE Chestnuts, But I LOVED Le Comptoir des Marronniers

Le Comptoir des Marronniers
8 Rue des Marronniers 
69002 Lyon
Metro: Bellecour
Phone number: 04 72 77 10 00
Prices: €€€

I have no idea why this place rates just 3.5 stars because it was one of the best meals I have ever had for under $100 (€78 or $87.15 for two, including tip, to be precise). The name Le Comptoir des Marronniers literally translates to "the counter of the chestnuts" although I could not find a connection between the nut and the restaurant.
On a narrow cobblestone street just one block east of Place Bellcour's giant, blue ferris wheel, you will find a rustic, yet charming bouchon Lyonnaise with wood beam ceilings and knick-knacks de cuisine scattered around the rather large dining room. The service was impeccable with a friendly maître d'hôtel who took our reservation earlier and seated us upon arrival, a semi-friendly waiter, and his two very jovial and efficient assistants.





When in France, or in this case Lyon, I always try to eat like a local. We started with a regional delicacy called Cervelle des Canuts ("brain of the weavers" - €5) and a 45cl bottle of Côtes du Rhône AOC (€12). It is really not brains, but a local soft cheese mixed with herbs to be spread upon bread and eaten with the accompanying sliced dry sausage (think salami) - YUM! The baskets of fresh, sliced, crusty bread seemed endless and the local wine was also quite good, an excellent value at just $13.60.


I had the four-course Menu Marronniers (€36), starting off with six Escargots Belle Grosseur followed by the Bevette de Black Angus Sauce au Poivre Vert, the Demi Saint Marcellin Affine, and then a Fondant au Chocolat au Cœur de Caramel Beurre Salé. The escargots (snails) were delicious, especially when accompanied by some fresh, crusty bread to mop-up the excess butter, garlic and parsley sauce. The sole faux pas of the evening (and the only reason they did not receive my top rating) involved my steak, which I had ordered to be cooked "medium". Gordon Ramsey would shit a brick, but I could care less, not finding blood all over my plate all that appetizing. Aside from all of the blood, my medium-rare steak was tender and flavorful and the peppercorn sauce (which came on the side) divine. The accompanying potatoes au gratin were crispy outside and soft and flavorful inside, and the sautèed veggies tasty. The local Saint Marcellin cheese was creamy and rich with a bite reminiscent of bleu cheese, only milder, and easily spread upon the two slices of bread also on the plate. As if all of that were not enough, my chocolate lava cake oozed its warm, creamy center as I cut into it and the salted caramel and whipped cream were just enough to optimize the overall flavor of the dessert.






My wife had the three-course Menu Lyonnaise (€20.00), starting with Lyonnaise Salad, a mix of seasonal greens, poached egg, thick chunks of bacon and croutons, then the Pork Breast Fondant in a "crispy" sweet or sour sauce, and, finally, a Praline Tart with praline ice cream. The salad's poached egg properly oozed its yoke all over the bacon and lettuce, the combination of which were delicious. Her center-cut boneless pork chop, coming with a unique, mild sweet and sour sauce, was also quite tasty, having been sat atop two boiled new potatoes and more of the savory cervelle des canuts cheese - a perfect combination. One of the highlights of the night, of which there were many, was her praline tart and praline ice cream, both of which were fabulous.



Taking about two hours in all, the meal was delightful, the service impeccable, and the ambiance perfect for our first meal in Lyon, the culinary capital of France, if not the World ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Le Comptoir des Marronniers A Nearly Perfect 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!



Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!
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View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Lyon, France: I HATE Chestnuts, But I LOVED Le Comptoir des Marronniers

Key Words: Lyon, France, chestnuts, Le Comptoir des Marronniers, comptoir, marronniers, bouchon, Lyonnaise, Place Bellecour, bellecour, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu,  review, Yelp, Zomato, Google

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved






Want Pizza Napolitana In Lyon? Do Not Bother With This Place!

Le Napolitain
69 Rue Ney
69006 Lyon, France
Pizza
Metro: Brotteaux - 6ème Arrondissement
Phone number: +33 9 73 66 17 68
Website: le-napolitain.fr
Prices: €€€€

Not far from our Airbnb, Le Napolitain advertises “authentic Neapolitan pizza”, but it was not anywhere as good as any pizza I have ever had in Naples and that has been many.


The place is small and dimly lit, making it a challenge to read the menu. We were seated in the much less frantic and noisy rear dining room. The pizzaiuolo (pizza maker) practiced her craft, and I use that term loosely, in the entryway.

My wife had a pizza with goat cheese and honey (€13) and I ordered the Pizza Romano (ham, mushrooms and bleu cheese - €14). Having lived in Naples most of her life, my wife knows pizza napolitana as well if not better than anyone, having enjoyed this pizza very much. Mine tasted absolutely terrible, a bit bland, but with an unsettling sweet taste that had no business being on my pizza. I sent it back telling the server that it was inedible.


For the replacement, I decided on something much simpler and less easy to screw up, a pizza with fiore di latte and prosciutto cotto (cow’s milk mozzarella and cooked ham).The edges and bottom of the pizza that was brought to me were burnt and it was also much too thin. The toppings were also too runny, so the pizza became soggy and difficult to eat by hand, but even with a fork, it was a challenge to eat.

Overpriced and extremely underwhelming, what more can you expect from a pizzeria in Lyon? The service was good I have to say and they were compensated appropriately, but I shall not be returning any time soon and recommend that you do not bother.

CombatCritic Gives Le Napolitain 3 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!


Three Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Le Napolitain on Yelp

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Title: Lyon, France: Want Pizza Napolitana In Lyon? Do Not Bother With This Place!

Key Words: pizzeria, le napolitain, le, napolitain, pizza, napolitana, Lyon, France, Napoli, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp


Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved



FLEURY'S CHARMING LITTLE STUDIO NEAR TETE D'OR PARC

Lyon 6e Arrondissement
Metro: Masséna and Brotteaux
2 Guests - Studio - 1 Bed, 1 Bath
Website: Airbnb - Lyon
We thought our Airbnb "studio apartment" in Paris was small until we arrived at Fleury's Charming Little Studio Near Tete d'Or Parc in LyonOnce again, you get what you pay for and at just $306 for 5 nights ($60/night), I should not have been surprised.



We arrived as scheduled and as I informed Fleury and his colleagues several times, but we had to stand in the rain in front of the partment building and wait over 45 minutes for his colleague to arrive and let us in. Not a great start!

The building was old, yet charming and the room itself clean, well appointed, and the neighborhood "one of the best in Lyon" we were told by a friend (who was featured on House Hunter's International a couple of years back). The only problem was the size.


The apartment is accessed by entering a code at the massive front doors and walking up a flight of about 15 stairs. The entire space was about 10' x 12', including the toilet room, sink/shower room, and kitchenette which occupied less than 30 inches (wide) on the west side of the room. My wife and I brought a single medium size piece of luggage each and I had a backpack and my wife a large purse, that was it. We really did not have all that much with us because we were limited to 33 pounds of luggage each, but it took me an hour to figure out where to put everything.

The photos on Airbnb are deceiving, taken with a wide angle camera and/or from places a human could not possibly occupy. If you have more than two normal size people with one medium bag each, a backpack and a large purse ... DO NOT RENT THIS ROOM! We ended up consolidating plates and other things on the few shelves in the room in order to make room for the few things that we had, storing our bags in the shower and having to remove them every time we needed to wash.


The toilet and shower rooms (separate) had sliding doors and were barely wide or long enough to be functional. I am 5' 10" and about 220 pounds, but I could barely fit in the toilet space. I actually had to sit sideways at a 45 degree angle on the toilet in order to fit inside while being able to close the door. I will not go into any further details as not to gross you out, but the rest of the process was also a bit of a logistical nightmare.

The adjacent, but unconnected, shower room was equally as narrow, but a shower could be taken after moving our bags out of the way of course. The bathroom sink was so tiny that it was useless and it took forever to drain, so we ended up using the "kitchenette" sink instead. There was a single hook in the shower, barely big enough to hang a single towel on.

That brings me to the "kitchen". It was well equipped with a two burner stove, microwave, small fridge, decent size sink, a Nespresso coffee machine (that did not work all that well), an electric kettle, and a toaster. The only problem being that we had to take turns using the appliances due to the lack of counter space and electric sockets. They had the bare minimum in terms of plates, cups, silverware, and utensils, only what is required to comply with Airbnb standards.

The bed was decent and fairly comfy, between an American full and queen I would say, but it took up about 1/3 of the room. The remainder was occupied by a small table, two chairs and two small, narrow cupboards - one a single small cubicle on the floor and the other a tall, narrow stack of cubicles next to the bed. My wife and had had to literally take turns walking around the room due to the lack of space.

They told us that we had to wash the dishes and empty the trash (rubbish) when we left even though we had to pay an additional $34 for the "cleaning fee". Excuse me, the rubbish bin (trash can) took up another square foot-and-a-half of floor space, but the plastic bag they left inside was only big enough for 1/4 of the rubbish that would fit inside. We did wash up and tried to take the rubbish out when we left, but the bins downstairs were completely full and we did not have a bag big enough to transport it even if there was enough room.

Finally, as far as the negatives are concerned, the Wi-Fi left much to be desired. It was a 4G/LTE connection, if that, provided by a tiny mobile router that plugged into the wall. It was just fast enough to check email and do some vary basic web surfing, but it took forever to load photos and streaming video was completely out of the question.

Now let me get on to the positives of which there were a few ...
The area was great, centrally located and with many diverse restaurants in the neighborhood (French, Italian, Ethiopian, Brazilian, Thai, Chinese, Kebab, Halal, Japanese, Steaks ... you name it) and two Metro stops within a three to four block radius (Masséna and Brotteaux), the former on the east-west (Pink - A - toward Place Bellcour and the old part of town) line and the latter on the north-south (Blue - B - from Gare Part Due and connecting to the A Line up north) line.
The room was small, but it had everything we needed (except an English language TV station) and served its purpose during our five days in Lyon. Another very handy feature was the laundromat just across the street where we were able to refresh our wardrobes given the fact that there were no facilities in the room or in the building. A damn decent value overall if you think of it as a room and not a "studio" apartment, and I might even consider staying here again if we could not find anything better.

CombatCritic Gives Fleury's Charming Little Studio Near Tete d'Or Parc 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:


Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

When in France ... Follow Me To TravelValue on my new page:


Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Lyon, France: Fleury's Charming Little - Very Little - Studio Near Tete d'Or Parc

Key Words: Fleury's Charming Little Studio Near Tete d'Or Parc, Lyon, Airbnb, Brotteaux, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, hotel, accommodation, destination, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google

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