Paris - Bofinger dress - jacket req?

[zagat2]

Am I ok in a nice crisp shirt and jeans and nice shoes for dinner at Brasserie Bofinger, or is it way more formal?

[toitoi]

Wore a turtleneck with trousers, no jacket - we sat downstairs. All the diners were neatly dressed, some jackets, some not, but I saw no jeans - also some people had just come from the opera, and were more dressed-up than most.

I had the seafood choucroute; an interesting dish that paired seafood with sauerkraut.

[Selter Head]

I am not usually moved to vehement disgust - but the meal we ate at Bofinger in December was the worst meal I've ever had - soup so salty we sent it back 3 times, throwback snotty/absent waiter. Absolutely the pits in an otherwise wonderful trip. My advice, avoid at all costs.

[PhilD]

I tend to agree - poor food. However it is a great room and atmospheric (if you sit downstairs). Don't go for a "special" meal but good to have on the agenda in order to get a broad based experience of Paris.

Jeans - I wouldn't focus on jeans/no jeans. It is more about the style of the whole outfit. Jeans with a good shirt, jacket/jumper and shoes (not sneakers) are relatively common attire especially for casual dining (although not for three stars or celebrations). It is the sartorial elegance of the whole outfit that counts - not an individual item - frustratingly the French seem to have this in their DNA....!

[Brunella]

Whenever I go to a place, I try to take some que's from the locals. A french person would never go out to dinner in jeans. Therefore, I dont go out to dinner in jeans when I am there, although here is the US I think nothing about wearing jeans almost anywhere. Bofinger is not a fancy place. If it were in the US you could certainly go there in jeans but I wouldnt do it in France. I try to blend in and not do things that scream "AMERICAN." That said, I dont think you need a jacket although you would certainly not be out of place if you wore one. In Paris, err on the side of caution. The french are more formal than we are.

[PBSF]

I don't agree about Parisiens don't wear jeans to dinner...maybe not to Taillevent. I've seen Parisiens wearing jeans in such places as Chez Denise, L'Ami Jean and countless other bistros as well as Bofinger. Jeans might be an American invention but many Parisiens, especially the younger ones, have embraced them.

[rjkaneda]

Your proposed wardrobe is fine. As mentioned, Bofinger draws all kinds of people, dressed all kinds of ways. It's a nice place but I find it a bit more impersonal than some of the other big Flo brasseries.

[PBSF]

Bofinger gets a very ecletic mix from dressed up opera goers to shirts and jeans. One won't feel out of place as long as one is clean and neat. The exception are sweats, shorts and sneakers. Make sure you get seated downstair where the action and decor are. Upstair is plain and claustophobic.

[ilikefood]

Not sure about the jeans, I suggest slacks, but jacket not reqd.

Excellent choice, magnificent dining room- you couldn't ask for better at a Paris resto, perfect service, very good food, good value (pre fixe).
Back to the jeans - If that's all you have for pants, I suggest you call them, or you could wait for a consensus fr other replies