Delmas Diner

Delmas Diner

2, place de la Contrescarpe, in the 5th Arrondissement.
Main entrance on rue Descartes. 01 43 26 51 26.
Lunch and dinner daily.

Parisians have been jumping on board with the current craze for hamburgers in Paris, as evidenced by the popularity of spots like the burger truck Camion Qui Fume and Blend. Even Ralph Lauren got in on the action. Now it’s time to add another to the stack with newcomer Delmas Diner.

The original Delmas Café looks out onto the picturesque place de la Contrescarpe near the busy food-destination street rue Monge. The café has always had good service, and now they’ve extended that tradition to a diner-style restaurant next door.

Red-tufted booths line the walls of the bright and cheery diner with mirrors on all sides, giving plenty of light and elbow room for chowing down. The menu is simple and printed in all-American red and blue on a white placemat. You’ll find basic burgers as well as bacon burgers, avocado burgers, vegetarian options and even an “XXL Cheese Burger,” a half-pounder with cheddar, onions and all the fixins. I had to beg my fellow diners not to eat their burgers with a fork and knife as the French like to do. But there was no stopping some, especially the owner of the XXL burger, who thought there could be no other way to tackle this monstrosity.

Delmas will cook the patty exactly as you like, not just how the chef wants. The result is a very good, tastes-like-home hamburger. The accompanying fries may be the best I’ve had in Paris. They’re thin, crisp and perfectly salty. You’ll even find ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce on your table for any extra doctoring you may want to do. Our waitress also gave a nod to American eateries with her warm and friendly service in French or English.
There are hot dogs, bagels, eggs and some salads, but stick with the burgers and fries. I did sample one of the 8 euro milkshakes since it had caramel speculoos, but it ended up being more milk than shake. Skip the shake and go for an adult drink, like the super-tasty frozen margarita with raspberry, Jose Cuervo Especial tequila and jus de citron. I’m not sure the drink goes with the theme of the restaurant, but I’m not sure it matters. 

In a nutshell: If you’re in the mood for an authentic hamburger and fries, Delmas Diner serves up the best of each.
Price check: Burgers are the most expensive thing on the menu, at 14 euros (20 euros for the XXL cheeseburger).
If you like the sound of Delmas Diner, you might also be interested in the burgers at Blend or Camion Qui 

Fume. Read the review.
Le Camion Qui Fume
All over Paris; visit website
for locations and times.
06 23 19 74 92.
Blend
44, rue d’Argout, in the 2nd Arrondissement.
Mon–Sat, noon–2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.–11 p.m.
Related Link
Café Delmas
Editor’s note: For a gourmet walking trip, check out our DIY downloadable Paris trips.