Lego Parisian Restaurant Set Review

Set Name: Parisian Restaurant
Set Number: 10243
Pieces: 2,469
Minifigures: 5

Overview:

The Lego Parisian Restaurant is a part of the Modular Buildings series, a line well-loved by adult fans of Lego and collectors alike for its intricate designs and attention to architectural detail. True to form, the Parisian Restaurant is a delightful addition, capturing the romance and charm of a quintessential Parisian streetscape.

Design & Build Experience:

1. Exterior: The building itself is a work of art, with olive green and white as the predominant colours. The unique roofing, the detailed balcony, and the ornate white detailing are amongst its striking features. The outdoor seating, complete with tiny plates, wine glasses, and a romantic ambience, is a lovely touch.

2. Interior: Each floor is detailed and offers a unique building experience. The ground floor houses the restaurant with an exquisitely detailed kitchen, complete with all the accessories one might expect— from a stove to a turkey. The upper floors include a studio apartment and a romantic rooftop terrace.

3. Minifigures: The set comes with 5 minifigures, including a chef, waiter, and patrons, allowing for immediate role-playing and storytelling opportunities.

Playability:

The modular design means that each floor can be removed and reattached with ease, making it not only a display piece but also a functional playset. Every corner of this model has interactive elements, be it the opening oven in the kitchen or the fold-down bed in the apartment. Plus, like other modular buildings, the Parisian Restaurant can be combined with others in the series to create an impressive Lego city street.

Value:

Given the number of pieces, the complexity of the design, and the sheer beauty of the finished model, the Parisian Restaurant is definitely worth its price tag for enthusiasts. It's not just a toy, but also a collectable piece that would look great on display.

Conclusion:

The Lego Parisian Restaurant is an example of Lego at its best, blending intricate design with playability. Whether you're an adult looking for a rewarding building experience or a kid wanting a rich playset, this model ticks all the boxes. The charm, the romance, and the unmistakable Parisian flair make it a must-have for any Lego aficionado.

Up until now, I was able to keep my hands (and wallet) away from the LEGO modular building series, but when I saw the Parisian Restaurant, I finally caved in. The love and care that went into designing this marvel of a set is unprecedented. I will resist the urge to describe in details the aesthetical qualities and details of the set, since these have been well publicized already. However, I will join the choir and say that the restaurant is marvelous inside and out from every angle. It sets the bar so high for LEGO buildings that it will probably be a while until we see a more energizing official LEGO building.

Building the restaurant was a lot of fun, with the exception of two minor hitches. During the 3rd stage of the building, we found out that our set was missing two 1x2 modified plates with vertical clip (4598528) while at the same time it included two unnecessary modified 1x2 plates with stub (4210726). I read reports of other people hitting the exact same problem, so it must be a defective batch. We submitted a missing pieces report to LEGO and got the missing bricks within a week. The second glitch that we hit was with the self-opening clam shells, which we rectified easily by cutting the hinges, as recommended by a previous reviewer. Considering the size and complexity of this set, I would consider these two issues to be minor, although I would still expect of LEGO to work on reducing the set defects rate to 0. This is the only reason why I cannot give the building experience full 5 stars.

The finished restaurant is a treat to the eyes. It does resemble a lot the beautiful houses that one can see in France and French Canada. The colors that the designers chose for the set are very well balanced in being playful without overwhelming. The building is sturdy for the most part, with the exception of the light posts with flower vases on the second-floor patio, which tend to fall at the slightest touch.

Overall, this set is spectacular. It deserves hands down the crown of the best set of 2014. While the Parisian Restaurant is clearly targeting the adult audience, it would conceivably be a nice set for the teenage LEGO fans that have the patience to invest 6 hours or so into it (and shake USD 160 out of their parents' wallets). Well done, LEGO.

Set #10243 Parisian Restaurant: It has come to that time, the time when this AFOL finally discusses his first Modular building purchase. I picked up this set from the local LEGO Store while on clearance, this was red tagged and not full price, and a very good purchase during December 2019. Oh dear… has it been that long? Amazing how a year can change perspectives. Anyway let’s move on to discuss this set.

Packaging

LEGO Creator packaging for Modulars is huge, this box was massive and seemed to have a lot of empty space despite having numerous numbered bags. The set imagery on the front and back is very well designed showcasing a lot of impressive detailing and attracting the eye of the buyer. I’ve always appreciated the imagery on Modular packaging design, I just couldn’t afford one until recently.

The back shows how this set can be connected with other sets in the range. There is also a full parts breakdown on the top side. Highly impressive design. My package was slightly shelf-worn, with a broken flap on one side. But that didn’t concern me too badly, I wanted to build the set after all not re-sell it.

You will find three manuals in this set, each manual corresponds to a single floor, as is fitting for a Modular model. This means you can build at your own pace, the instructions were very well designed and easy to follow along with. They were also packaged in a plastic bag with cardboard backing to protect them from bending or folding which is always a plus.

Parts

When it comes to Modulars you are not buying these for the parts. That being said, there are a large selection of parts in every set. This particular one includes over ten thousand elements, a Brick Separator, windows, plants, white croissants and of course the baseplate. A very lovely selection of parts.

Minifigures

Chef: These Minifigures are not designed to include a lot of details, but the prints are still extremely suitable for these sets. A regular looking old-fashioned yellow smiling face greets us above the typical chef’s uniform. He is holding a knife to cut the vegetables up for preparing meals.

Citizen 1: This strapping fellow lives in the upstairs apartment and has a pinstripe suit jacket with a pen in his pocket. He carries a gold ring to propose to his girlfriend I’d wager. Overall this figure is a regular LEGO citizen.

Citizen 2: This fine young woman is about to be given a surprise, she’s about to be asked to be married by her beau. She’s dressed in a nice light-blue top with necklace and has orange hair. She’s very welcome as a member of the Minifigures in this set.

Citizen 3: Our third and final character is a female artist who resides in the top loft where she paints pictures. She includes a red scooter and is wearing a white smock. Her long braided hair is also included, a very nice hair style and it works well staying clear of the paints and easel while she is working.

Waiter: The Waiter is dressed in a nice suit, but includes white legs, which is a bit odd, but I suspect this is part of the uniform for working here. Carrying a tray with bottle on it to the tables, he’s prepared to help out his customers in any way.

The build

Bag #1: I have honestly forgotten how many number 1 bags were included with this set, there were more than likely at least three or so considering the number of pieces in this set LEGO splits up the parts between numerous numbered bags as part of the modular design.

With the baseplate you start the very foundations of the restaurant. It is a highly satisfying build, every step was filled with exciting moments of seeing the intricate detailing of the internal aspects of the restaurant come to life. The patio build was also quite fun as the outside eating area on the ground had loads of pleasant elements, such as the planters, the fence to separate it from the main sidewalk and so much more. Three of the five Minifigures are included in this build. A pair eating at one of the tables with a proposal imminent and a woman on a scooter outside. Very solid build.

Bag #2: After dealing with everything to start the foundations you continue with the outer walls of floor one. Highly enjoyable, a few moments tripped me up as I failed to note plate placement or brick placement while I was glancing back and forth between the step I was on and my parts to find all of the necessary bricks and things. That being said I wouldn’t call that frustrating. It was more a, hey, pay closer attention, this is really more intricate than simple 5-8+ builds. The chef and waiter are also included during this step to join the couple inside.

Building the kitchen alone was extremely intense as you have to line up the tiles very carefully in step one otherwise the checkerboard floor pattern will look terrible. The steps were also a tad confusing as there are some parts that are not solidly connected as part of the details of the model.

Bag #3: This build consists of floor two, which includes a fire escape in back and the upper seating area for the restaurant. With no more Minifigures involved now the real fun can begin. The entire build of this floor involves a lot of wall construction, intricate internal details for furniture and other elements. Then we come to the outer patio, this is really quick and simple compared to the apartment. So much fun… I’m kind of at a loss to discuss any steps in great detail, mostly because it’s been a while since I actually constructed the set. Oh yes, manual #2 is used for this entire build.

Bag #4: The top floor is where we get to some really tricky moments. The design of the walls made it a tad tricky when I started finishing up. Also the entire chimney section is a bit odd looking until you get the walls finished. Overall this was a seriously impressive build, every aspect of the build from 1-4 was a solid experience and I can safely say that Modular Buildings are definitely one of the best ideas LEGO ever had. Can hardly wait to get my second one.

The completed model

Parisian Restaurant: This is a highly impressive model, the detailing alone is extremely impressive. I enjoyed the build even with some of the tricky elements, but once completed I enjoyed even more, finishing the entire set was a veritable treat and because this model is exceptionally amazing.

Each section is a floor of the building, each build was modular in nature, it can be lifted up to reveal three interiors. The top floor is an artist studio with painting area and a great amount of detail. Access to this third floor is slightly tricky because lifting the roof up is not done as one piece, but sections.

The second floor is a regular apartment, there is also the upper balcony eating area for the restaurant. The interior includes a fireplace with chair, a kitchenette area for preparing meals, a fold down bed from the wall, a small balcony in the back and a balcony in the front with a glass door entrance, a third entrance to the fire escape is also there.

The first floor makes up an entire restaurant of course, the inside dining area is connected to the kitchen via an entrance, but you can see through straight to the food preparation area as there is no dividing wall between the too. The kitchen is loaded with shelves, a central food preparation area, a sink and oven. The door opens to the rear alleyway section which includes some climbing ivy and a garbage bin for all the trash. A rat is around and the trash can is there as well.

The front dining area has some nice planters and a barred awning to protect from the rays. The front entrance includes an awning as well with a sign announcing this is Chez Albert. A bench sits next to the white street lamp and the staircase leading to the balcony eating section features some hedges nearby.

The second story balcony includes some nice planters hanging off the lamps. This entire model is exceptionally detailed and full of little touches the help to elevate above typical LEGO models.

Overall opinion

There are not enough words to express my sheer delight with this set. I loved every minute of it. Loved building it, loved purchasing it loved the sheer amount if detailing that was involved to capture the look and feel of a building like this. I understand now why so many people praise these things and collect them over and over again. Highly impressed with this item, now to start figuring out the room to put more of them for a decent city block. I would Strongly Recommend this set. Strongly Recommended.

The modular buildings line has produced some of Lego’s best sets in recent years. The beautiful details, complex and creative design and wealth of parts are some of the main reasons they are loved. But does the 2014 one, the Parisian Restaurant rank highly with the others?

Minifigures:

Like most of the modular buildings, five minifigures are included. Although the box doesn’t list any names, I’ll name them ‘Chef’, ‘Waiter’, ‘Boyfriend’, ‘Girlfriend’ and ‘Scooter Girl’.

We don’t get a lot of LEGO Chefs nowadays, so it’s nice to get one. That’s all I can really say about him. Same goes for Waiter. They’re good figures, but they’re prints aren’t uncommon in many sets.

The ‘civilians’ though are more detailed with some harder to find parts. Highlights are the torsos of both Boyfriend and Scooter Girl (the darker haired one). The ring accessory included is also a very nice addition and can influence storytelling.

Exterior:

A scooter is included with the set, which is kind of nice.

The main look of the building is very inviting. The olive green bricks, which are very rare parts, go with the dark navy, grey and white very nicely. The facade of the restaurant itself evokes a very Parisian style and one can simply tell that it is a restaurant without context. The apartments upstairs are also very impressive with some interesting parts, like clams and croissants, to create some fascinating details.

The rear is also impressive with details like a dumpster, lamps, outdoor dining area and stairwell being executed very well. There are many more details out their, like an awning, garden snd bench, but it would take too long to list my complete thoughts on them all

Floor I: Restaurant:

The ground floor hosts the restaurant and a kitchen. Particular highlights here go to the curtains, which are built in a very unique way; the cabinet and the kitchen. The latter is quite roomy with several nice details like a fridge, drawers and several utensils and foodstuffs. This design is just beautiful and it really captures the feel of a very posh restaurant. There are also some tables and a painting of a ship. Very nice.

Floor II: Apartment

The second floor includes a small City style apartment. This area is more compact than downstairs, but still very nice. Included is a fold-out bed (probably the highlight of this floor), kitchen area, swivel chair and two balconies. I also really like the windows and the way they are built.

Floor III: Studio Apartment

When it comes to the interiors, the third floor— which is basically inside the roof— is the weakest. There isn’t much detail inside save for some paintings and kiln. The paintings in particular might be the worst part of the set. Being made only with coloured tiles on a plate, I would have definitely preferred some printed tiles instead. Despite this, I really like the slopes used for the roofing and some NPU’s involving feather, crosiant and clam pieces.

Other:

The price of this set was $250 AUD. Standard value for a modular, but still fair.

Overall:

This is truly one of the greatest products LEGO has released. When the eye is drawn to this, it automatically sees a beautifully made, very European restaurant. There are several fine details along the exterior from the beautiful windows to lush gardens. Inside, while the studio apartment isn’t great, the other floors capture plenty of detail with wonderfully made furniture.

In one word, parfait.

This was my first modular and I decided to go for the Parisian Restaurant because I'd heard such good things about it and it seemed quite reasonably priced in comparison to the other modulars available at the time (Assembly Square, Corner Garage and Downtown Diner).

With this being my first modular, I was so impressed with the level of detail on the interior of the building, especially the ground level. Included here is a lovely restaurant and an extremely detailed kitchen, which was incredibly fun to build.

The first and second floors also have a great level of detail, but not quite as much as the ground floor, given that there is less space available. However, this is compensated for with the fantastic eating terrace which includes some period style lamps and some flowers.

I think I was most impressed with the exterior of the building, it has to be one of the best looking modulars in my opinion. The scale and size is just right and the details on the fornt of the building is great, it's especially impressive when you realise how these various looks have been achieved through the use of existing LEGO pieces.

If you're new to modulars then this is a great place to start, although you will be setting the bar rather high by doing so!