All-you-can-eat brunch at Chalet des Iles

The Chalet des Iles seduces us with its enchanting setting and all-you-can-eat brunch, served every Sunday. On the banks of the Bois de Boulogne lake, it's a real breath of fresh air in Paris!

In the mood for an all-you-can-eat brunch? Head to the Bois de Boulogne, and more precisely to the Chalet des Iles, for a moment in the countryside, right in the heart of Paris.

It's a complete change of scenery from the moment you arrive at the edge of the Bois: the restaurant is on the Ile du Lac in the Bois de Boulogne, so you have to take a small river shuttle to get there (a great way to start your journey).

When we arrive, we're in for a big surprise: the Chalet des Iles is huge, and looks exactly like a Swiss chalet. We would later learn that the building is a genuine Swiss chalet that had been appreciated by Queen Eugenie, and therefore transported to Paris in pieces to be reassembled in this enchanting setting!

Over 500 guests can enjoy a leisurely lunch without ever feeling oppressed, and there are several different settings to choose from: the terrace facing the lake, the garden next to the children's entertainment area, the balcony and the indoor dining room. For us, it's the balcony, intimate and high up, to enjoy the lake.

The gourmet buffet is located in the central area, with plenty of spots to avoid the mass effect. There's plenty to choose from.

For breakfast, there's French toast baked to order, pancakes and crepes, as well as brioches, pains au chocolat, apple turnovers and baguettes with jam, Nutella and butter. The French toast is ultra-melting, very well baked and the pancakes are tasty. Nothing to say about this choice, except that we would have appreciated having little bowls in which to place our selections.

Then, egg lovers can enjoy well-seasonedscrambled eggs, drooling to perfection, as well as herbed omelettes cooked to order and soft-boiled eggs. The waiters are very friendly, and the eggs can be accompanied by crushed tomatoes and bacon, for a very British breakfast.

In summer, the star of the Chalet des Iles brunch is the barbecue, with four or five grilled meats (on this day, knife-grilled sausages, leg of lamb and entrecôtes, served in small pieces). In our case, we preferred to accompany our eggs with ratatouille, potatoes and grilled meats.

Note that in winter, this event is replaced by an oyster bar or a foie gras bar.

The Chalet des Iles also offers a salad bar, with a dozen or so choices to choose from: rice, quinoa, tomato confit, boiled eggs, feta, mozza, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, olives and even mortadella, you can create your own salad.

In the middle of the room, a small table with salmon gravlax, shrimps and shellfish seems to be left out, a shame, they could be the stars of the restaurant, as much as the barbecue.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the cheese platter, which was snapped up by cheese lovers. It has to be said that everything goes very quickly in this restaurant, and restocking is frequent!

What's left is a magnificent dessert table, with something for everyone: creamy chocolate mousse, tiramisu, cheesecake, crème brulée, brownies, fruit tarts and homemade whipped cream, a real treat. The only "negative" point is that the fruit is hidden away in a corner of the restaurant, and doesn't encourage (older) children to grab a piece of fruit to finish the meal on a high-vitamin note.

The Chalet des Iles is so large that it can accommodate couples in search of peace and quiet as well as families with hungry children, who find their pleasure in mini-burgers, breaded chicken and potatoes, and in the games offered by the entertainers.

As an added bonus, every adult guest is offered a glass of champagne to get the day off to a good start. Afterwards, you can enjoy the summer days relaxing on the grass or sailing a boat!

All-you-can-eat brunch at Chalet des Iles

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