What do you think?
Rate this book
A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City
An evocative portrait of the underbelly of contemporary Paris as seen through the eyes of a young waiter scraping out a living in the City of Light.
A waiter's job is to deceive you. They want you to believe in a luxurious calm because on the other side of that door . . . is hell.
Edward Chisholm's spellbinding memoir of his time as a Parisian waiter takes you beneath the surface of one of the most iconic cities in the world—and right into its glorious underbelly.
He inhabits a world of inhuman hours, snatched sleep and dive bars; scraping by on coffee, bread and cigarettes, often under sadistic managers, with a wage so low you're fighting your colleagues for tips. Your colleagues—including thieves, narcissists, ex-soldiers, immigrants, wannabe actors, and drug dealers—are the closest thing to family that you've got.
It's physically demanding, frequently humiliating and incredibly competitive. But it doesn't matter because you're in Paris, the center of the universe, and there's nowhere else you'd rather be in the world.
A waiter's job is to deceive you. They want you to believe in a luxurious calm because on the other side of that door . . . is hell.
Edward Chisholm's spellbinding memoir of his time as a Parisian waiter takes you beneath the surface of one of the most iconic cities in the world—and right into its glorious underbelly.
He inhabits a world of inhuman hours, snatched sleep and dive bars; scraping by on coffee, bread and cigarettes, often under sadistic managers, with a wage so low you're fighting your colleagues for tips. Your colleagues—including thieves, narcissists, ex-soldiers, immigrants, wannabe actors, and drug dealers—are the closest thing to family that you've got.
It's physically demanding, frequently humiliating and incredibly competitive. But it doesn't matter because you're in Paris, the center of the universe, and there's nowhere else you'd rather be in the world.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2022
About the author
Edward Chisholm
2 books47 followersEdward Chisholm was born in Dorset, England. After graduating from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, he moved to Paris. He currently lives in Switzerland.
His first book, A Waiter in Paris, explores the hidden world of the Parisian restaurant industry and the people that animate it. It was shortlisted for the 2023 Ackerley Prize for exceptional non-fiction writing.
His written work has appeared in The New York Times, the Guardian, Telegraph Weekend Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times magazine, Air Mail, and the Daily Beast.
His first book, A Waiter in Paris, explores the hidden world of the Parisian restaurant industry and the people that animate it. It was shortlisted for the 2023 Ackerley Prize for exceptional non-fiction writing.
His written work has appeared in The New York Times, the Guardian, Telegraph Weekend Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times magazine, Air Mail, and the Daily Beast.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
November 6, 2022
The publisher's marketing efforts would have you believe this to be a dry commentary on class struggle with some culinary drama in the background, but we soon find that the events of this memoir take place in 2012 (so virtually a different world to the one we live in now) and Chisholm is desperately unable to capture any of the nuance in his living conditions as a Parisian bistro's low ranking waiter. Another self indulgent, badly written memoir of a college educated white man cosplaying as working class out of boredom, because being poor in a big city and living paycheck to paycheck is "real life" and apparently glamorous, and hard physical labor is just a means to "prove your own worth to yourself" when you have a degree and a safety net to fall back on in your home country.
October 13, 2022
This is genuinely one of the best books I’ve ever read. Paris, to a lot of us, is seen as a romantic, dreamy and luxurious place…and it is! For some. But A Waiter in Paris shows us the reality of what it’s really like to live and work in the heart of a city, doing most of the work with little payoff as those at the top reap all the benefits.
I felt like I knew all the waiters personally by the end of the book and rooted for/adored nearly every single one of them. I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new memoir to read!
Changing my rating to a 5/5!
🍶🥖☕️
I felt like I knew all the waiters personally by the end of the book and rooted for/adored nearly every single one of them. I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new memoir to read!
Changing my rating to a 5/5!
🍶🥖☕️
May 14, 2022
Death of the social life, ruinous financial warfare and a genuine drive to be something are all topics contained in writer Edward Chisholm, who recounts his experiences as a runner, waiter and restaurant hand in A Waiter in Paris. It is the dying, noble profession that so many have tried to document and bring to life through various pieces of media, failing to do so because a blemish is missing or a character is out of place. To take it from the source is the best-case scenario, a scattering of scenes that add detail to a scattershot life in a Parisian restaurant. The ins and outs of the filthy business put in the limelight with an effective gaze on what it really means to be a waiter. What a nightmare.
A foodie’s nightmare is A Waiter in Paris. There is a definitive, dreamlike stature to dining out in The City of Light. Will A Waiter in Paris be responsible for second-hand Paris syndrome? It is doubtful because those enjoying brief trips to Paris are not finding the camaraderie of the early morning coffee house, the late-night climbs through narrow stairways, all beautifully developed by Chisholm’s strong prose. For all the infectiously intense moments and the genuine interest Chisholm drags out of his experience, it is still unclear why anyone would wish to become a waiter in such a bustling city. The pride is observed, and the cutthroat world behind the staff-only door is revealed, but little of it makes sense to a passing reader because it is hard to wrap the mind around why anyone would choose to be a waiter.
The hours are long, the work is hard, harder still if, like Chisholm, French is not a native language. It is a tactful exploration of how to leverage others into getting what you want, or in the case of Chisholm, what is needed. A Waiter in Paris has effective bits of dialogue that turn out as quick riposte that further develops the worry and tensions of a man without cash or friends. A Waiter in Paris is more about the comradery of the kitchen and the political state of Paris which dictates the waiters and cooks than it is about the survival of such a stressful role. That is prevalent, and Chisholm does well to balance the two, but they are so intertwined, well-explored and crossing over at every turn that separating the two becomes an impossibility.
Cutting and intense, but equally measured to give a perspective of an outsider trying to break into a culture that has an active distaste for him. A Waiter in Paris is not just a powerful piece that documents perseverance in the face of stubborn doubt, but also a strong companion piece to Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. As much as Chisholm tries to make the comparison as clear as possible, the smaller moments and details make it very, very clear. Paris has not changed since its days of crooked alleyways leading to miserable kitchens and despondent chefs. Chisholm has the unenviable job of painting that picture but does so with broad strokes and interesting results. As much an exercise in trust of the fellow man as it is a nervy and exciting dash through the underbelly of culinary experiences.
If you enjoyed this review, more of my work can be found on my website, Cult Following.
A foodie’s nightmare is A Waiter in Paris. There is a definitive, dreamlike stature to dining out in The City of Light. Will A Waiter in Paris be responsible for second-hand Paris syndrome? It is doubtful because those enjoying brief trips to Paris are not finding the camaraderie of the early morning coffee house, the late-night climbs through narrow stairways, all beautifully developed by Chisholm’s strong prose. For all the infectiously intense moments and the genuine interest Chisholm drags out of his experience, it is still unclear why anyone would wish to become a waiter in such a bustling city. The pride is observed, and the cutthroat world behind the staff-only door is revealed, but little of it makes sense to a passing reader because it is hard to wrap the mind around why anyone would choose to be a waiter.
The hours are long, the work is hard, harder still if, like Chisholm, French is not a native language. It is a tactful exploration of how to leverage others into getting what you want, or in the case of Chisholm, what is needed. A Waiter in Paris has effective bits of dialogue that turn out as quick riposte that further develops the worry and tensions of a man without cash or friends. A Waiter in Paris is more about the comradery of the kitchen and the political state of Paris which dictates the waiters and cooks than it is about the survival of such a stressful role. That is prevalent, and Chisholm does well to balance the two, but they are so intertwined, well-explored and crossing over at every turn that separating the two becomes an impossibility.
Cutting and intense, but equally measured to give a perspective of an outsider trying to break into a culture that has an active distaste for him. A Waiter in Paris is not just a powerful piece that documents perseverance in the face of stubborn doubt, but also a strong companion piece to Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. As much as Chisholm tries to make the comparison as clear as possible, the smaller moments and details make it very, very clear. Paris has not changed since its days of crooked alleyways leading to miserable kitchens and despondent chefs. Chisholm has the unenviable job of painting that picture but does so with broad strokes and interesting results. As much an exercise in trust of the fellow man as it is a nervy and exciting dash through the underbelly of culinary experiences.
If you enjoyed this review, more of my work can be found on my website, Cult Following.
June 4, 2022
Covering the life of an English graduate who, after working at dead-end jobs in London, travels to Paris where his girlfriend has moved to move in with her and find employment. It doesn't work out and she returns to London leaving him without accommodation and little money. He eventually gets a job as a runner at an upmarket restaurant and this is when the true underbelly of Paris is revealed. The life of the waiter. Overworked, underpaid, having to rely on tips to get by. Life is hard for Edward l'Anglais as he struggles with the language and the management, who dislike him with a vengeance. Most of the book is spent discussing the other waiters and it did become tedious and repetitive. Could have been a lot shorter.
November 16, 2023
English boy plays dress up as French waiter
Good lord, this book could have been a 100 pages shorter. A real struggle in the middle to keep going but I did it. Hooray!
The Daily Mail says “worthy of standing next to Orwell as a classic”. The only place I’d let this book stand next to me would be in a crowded urinal.
Good lord, this book could have been a 100 pages shorter. A real struggle in the middle to keep going but I did it. Hooray!
The Daily Mail says “worthy of standing next to Orwell as a classic”. The only place I’d let this book stand next to me would be in a crowded urinal.
April 26, 2023
This book could have been condensed from 368 pages to 200 page. The problem is that you have a waiter in a French restaurant that wants to be a writer. He adds superfluous material that makes his book very boring at times.
October 1, 2022
Engaging and often quite funny. You'll never look at Paris or restaurants in quite the same way after reading. One of my favourite books of the year to date.
December 18, 2022
𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦 by Edward Chisholm for the win! This memoir may be the very best I’ve read this year. In it, Chisholm recounts his first year of working his way into the elite, yet lowly world of Paris waiters. This was made even more difficult by the fact that he’s English and spoke almost no French.
I loved this book for many reasons. Paris is my absolute favorite city in the world and I always enjoy books that take me there. I worked as a waiter in college, though under much different conditions, so I could relate just a little. This memoir was so riveting it read like fiction. The “cast of characters” was varied, fully fleshed out, and hugely interesting. There were comrades, criminals, friends, villains, and more. All that made for a great reading experience.
“𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”
Be warned, you may think twice the next time you’re dining out. All is not as we might hope behind the scenes and the author made clear this is true in any large city with a competitive restaurant scene. His experience was nearly ten years ago, so maybe things have improved? In any case, reading of his journey through the darker sides of Paris was a pleasure, one I’m sure anyone who loves 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 will also enjoy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I loved this book for many reasons. Paris is my absolute favorite city in the world and I always enjoy books that take me there. I worked as a waiter in college, though under much different conditions, so I could relate just a little. This memoir was so riveting it read like fiction. The “cast of characters” was varied, fully fleshed out, and hugely interesting. There were comrades, criminals, friends, villains, and more. All that made for a great reading experience.
“𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”
Be warned, you may think twice the next time you’re dining out. All is not as we might hope behind the scenes and the author made clear this is true in any large city with a competitive restaurant scene. His experience was nearly ten years ago, so maybe things have improved? In any case, reading of his journey through the darker sides of Paris was a pleasure, one I’m sure anyone who loves 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 will also enjoy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
April 10, 2023
I enjoy service industry memoirs a lot, and while Chisholm's perspective (young white guy unsubtly LARPing George Orwell but in 2012) is cause to be a bit dubious, he paints effective portraits of his fellow waiters and I did like learning about the inner-workings and back-stabbing tensions of a mid-tier (touristy with aspirations) French restaurant.
June 14, 2022
Grabbed me from start to end! A whole sector of the service industry that goes completely unnoticed in our day-to-day, but Edward Chisholm rips out the carpet and exposes the dark underbelly of the waitering/restaurant business. I'm aware not all institutions operate as the infamous bistrot mentioned in the book, but it definitely opened my eyes to what's happening behind the scenes. Power struggles, abuse and fear are told through a humorous and stoic tone, giving us as viewers a window into a world of brotherhood and thievery. The unsung heroes with chunky black wallets and disdainful looks keep our appetite for life going every time we get that 'let's go out to eat and drink and be merry!' feeling. As the pages trickle by and we dig deeper under the well-worn cobblestones of Paris with Edward, the anecdotes become more personal, vivid and a wholly authentic representation of what the real Paris looks, feels, smells and tastes like. There's nothing romantic about the City of Love, yet it's as undeniably French as a 'jambon beurre'.
Just recently I was in a Japanese restaurant and because of 'A Waiter in Paris' I could pick out the holes, understand the hierarchal dynamics between the staff and get a feel for the culture of the establishment. A few hours later after some terrible food poisoning, Edward's accounts came flooding back into my mind and I was imagining all the ways my food had been mishandled. Trust me you will never see restaurants the same! Bon Appétit!
Just recently I was in a Japanese restaurant and because of 'A Waiter in Paris' I could pick out the holes, understand the hierarchal dynamics between the staff and get a feel for the culture of the establishment. A few hours later after some terrible food poisoning, Edward's accounts came flooding back into my mind and I was imagining all the ways my food had been mishandled. Trust me you will never see restaurants the same! Bon Appétit!
May 2, 2023
The penny dropped for me, when Chisholm runs into two acquaintances from university, who are now both stockbrokers or work in oil and gas. Chisholm is not really a Waiter in Paris.
Much the way that charity camp out for the homeless are not real approximations of what it’s like to be homeless because the participants are destined a warm bed the night after, Chisholm can’t really capture the struggle of being a waiter because unlike most of the other characters he’s not trapped in that life.
I can’t be completely uncharitable. I enjoyed the book, it’s well written and Chisholm does attempt to address this criticism. I’ll also give him the benefit of the doubt that his desire to be a waiter was genuine and it wasn’t motivated by the cynical fact thought he could get a good Kitchen Confidential-style book out of it.
In the UK, the vast majority of our drama, literature, comedy and reporting is created and commissioned by white, middle class, liberally educated men. And subsequently it’s through this narrow prism we see many of our stories. There’s nothing wrong with white middle class, liberally educated men, I am one, and some of my favourite works have been made by them. But I would have much rather read the story of a waiter in Paris told from the perspective of an actual Parisian or at least an old hand, not Edward from the Home Counties who did a few years waiting tables between university and writing for the New York Times. At least Bourdain stuck it out for 20 years before cashing in his chips…
Much the way that charity camp out for the homeless are not real approximations of what it’s like to be homeless because the participants are destined a warm bed the night after, Chisholm can’t really capture the struggle of being a waiter because unlike most of the other characters he’s not trapped in that life.
I can’t be completely uncharitable. I enjoyed the book, it’s well written and Chisholm does attempt to address this criticism. I’ll also give him the benefit of the doubt that his desire to be a waiter was genuine and it wasn’t motivated by the cynical fact thought he could get a good Kitchen Confidential-style book out of it.
In the UK, the vast majority of our drama, literature, comedy and reporting is created and commissioned by white, middle class, liberally educated men. And subsequently it’s through this narrow prism we see many of our stories. There’s nothing wrong with white middle class, liberally educated men, I am one, and some of my favourite works have been made by them. But I would have much rather read the story of a waiter in Paris told from the perspective of an actual Parisian or at least an old hand, not Edward from the Home Counties who did a few years waiting tables between university and writing for the New York Times. At least Bourdain stuck it out for 20 years before cashing in his chips…
July 30, 2022
I was engaged by the subject matter and writing early on; a real contemporary 'Down and Out in Paris and London' with all the associated bleakness showing that very little has changed over the years. A real eye-opener to me of what goes on behind the scenes.
Some excellent observations, musings, and turns of phrase. A more thorough editing would have trimmed it neatly by about 50 pages; getting rid of some unnecessary repetition of ideas and slightly cliched sentences (for example, "the sound of a woman's heels clipping along the pavement" too many times; and the continual explosive anger of a low-level manager became wearisome (although not as wearisome as it was for the author no doubt!)), and fixing some typos.
I read it in three days - (that's a good sign of how much I enjoyed it)
I'm glad Mr Chisholm has been able to realize his true calling
Some excellent observations, musings, and turns of phrase. A more thorough editing would have trimmed it neatly by about 50 pages; getting rid of some unnecessary repetition of ideas and slightly cliched sentences (for example, "the sound of a woman's heels clipping along the pavement" too many times; and the continual explosive anger of a low-level manager became wearisome (although not as wearisome as it was for the author no doubt!)), and fixing some typos.
I read it in three days - (that's a good sign of how much I enjoyed it)
I'm glad Mr Chisholm has been able to realize his true calling
July 1, 2023
One of my greatest pet peeves in life are people who pretend to be poor. I knew I was going to disagree with the author when he stated that the book that inspired him to travel to Paris was George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London”. The author then continues throughout the entire novel to treat poverty as a romantic adventure, while quite brutally looking down from his ivory tower on the people in his life who are forced into their situation, one he chooses to experience. I think Orwell would have had an aneurism knowing people felt wanderlust from his memoir and not completely overwhelmed by the state failing to provide adequate social welfare to its most vulnerable people.
June 20, 2022
Really enjoyed this book, certainly shows the life of French waiters in a new light and makes me wonder if it is the same the world over? Loved the many characters and personalities.
February 15, 2024
This is a captivating memoir by Edward Chisholm, which explores the ‘underworld’ of the restaurant business in Paris.
As a university graduate, Chisholm moved to Paris and moved in with his girlfriend. His dream was to be a writer, but needing some form of income to live in the meantime, Chisholm takes a job in a restaurant as a runner, with aspirations of becoming a waiter. Having no money, no skills or previous experience in the service industry and not being able to speak the language, the sordid side of Paris is soon revealed to him.
The life of a waiter. Underpaid. Overworked. Having to rely on tips to survive. This memoir will open your eyes.
This book will certainly make you think twice about eating out in Paris if you are a foodie. Stories of cocaine being smoked in the kitchens, waiters who have not changed their shirts in weeks, cutlery not being washed properly and food being picked up off the floor and put back onto plates headed for the dining room!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of Down and Out in Paris by George Orwell, then you will like this book. Chisholm manages to capture the ambience and the daily struggle through his words and he brings his fellow employees at the restaurant, to life.
The only criticism I have is that I think the book could have been a little shorter. I listened to the audible version and at 13 hours long, there were sections when I thought that a little less detail would have had the same effect. Nevertheless, a riveting read.
As a university graduate, Chisholm moved to Paris and moved in with his girlfriend. His dream was to be a writer, but needing some form of income to live in the meantime, Chisholm takes a job in a restaurant as a runner, with aspirations of becoming a waiter. Having no money, no skills or previous experience in the service industry and not being able to speak the language, the sordid side of Paris is soon revealed to him.
The life of a waiter. Underpaid. Overworked. Having to rely on tips to survive. This memoir will open your eyes.
This book will certainly make you think twice about eating out in Paris if you are a foodie. Stories of cocaine being smoked in the kitchens, waiters who have not changed their shirts in weeks, cutlery not being washed properly and food being picked up off the floor and put back onto plates headed for the dining room!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of Down and Out in Paris by George Orwell, then you will like this book. Chisholm manages to capture the ambience and the daily struggle through his words and he brings his fellow employees at the restaurant, to life.
The only criticism I have is that I think the book could have been a little shorter. I listened to the audible version and at 13 hours long, there were sections when I thought that a little less detail would have had the same effect. Nevertheless, a riveting read.
July 17, 2023
more of a 3.5 ? could’ve been 100 pages shorter at least but i enjoyed reading. sometimes he misses his own points a little bit and on several occasions i wished i could remind him that he had very actively chosen to do the down-and-out schtick — but ultimately if nobody ever made ‘poor’ decisions or created unnecessary drama for themselves it would be a boring life and there’d be much less to read !
March 17, 2024
Sadly Mr Chisholm is no Bourdain - but then who is?
So this a perfectly serviceable memoir of half a year spent working as a runner in a Parisian restaurant, rather than a page turning exploration of a life's work. It's an outsider's retelling of the stories of others.
I got the feeling more was being hidden than told.
So this a perfectly serviceable memoir of half a year spent working as a runner in a Parisian restaurant, rather than a page turning exploration of a life's work. It's an outsider's retelling of the stories of others.
I got the feeling more was being hidden than told.
January 3, 2024
Has Paris changed that little?
May 8, 2024
Unlike anything else I’ve read, actually felt like a fresh concept for a book. Witty, humble and beautifully written without showing off.
April 27, 2024
J'adore les détails!
November 4, 2023
Enjoyed this! An interesting read about life behind the scenes of waiters in Paris. Also felt quite nostalgic for the Paris scene setting. Like other reviews say, it could’ve been a bit shorter
June 9, 2024
Hard to believe it's a debut, the book is great. Harder to believe that it's not a novel - so dramatic and intense is the prose. Still, auto-fiction it claims to be, a kind of memoir which fashioned itself into a genre.
I was skeptical as I was reading the introduction. We had Orwell already, down and out. But it turned out to be a story of survival: no money, no language, no Plan B. Life is the only true university if you care to study.
My only concern is what's coming next in the sense of writing. Whatever it is, it lands on my reading list. Well done, Edward Chisholm.
I was skeptical as I was reading the introduction. We had Orwell already, down and out. But it turned out to be a story of survival: no money, no language, no Plan B. Life is the only true university if you care to study.
My only concern is what's coming next in the sense of writing. Whatever it is, it lands on my reading list. Well done, Edward Chisholm.
June 7, 2024
I would probably rather have read this book from the POV of almost any other person in it.
September 17, 2022
Well written and engaging. Reminded me of Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Nickled and Dimed”. This is not the Paris most people know or hear about.
July 9, 2024
An exposé into the hidden life of waiters in café’s, a thoroughly enjoyable and eye-opening read. As an ex-pat living in Paris, I can identify with some of settling in issues that the author experiences as he tries to eek out an existence in the city of light. However, I was completely unaware of the poor conditions that these employees suffer. One often sees them immaculately dressed in crisp white shirts, waist coats, polished shoes, and one could easily forget the long hours they work often for the minimum wage. I always wondered why they look so glum and turn their nose up at you or sometimes why they seem to deliberately ignore you, they aren’t paid enough to be nice. It was a revelation to learn about the hardships, the intensiveness of the work, the internal rivalries and competition between waiters and the dictatorial way that most Brasserie’s in Paris are managed. Reading this, we enter into a world unseen by those with office jobs, the people that keep the city ticking over, the waiters, the binmen, the construction workers, market stall employees, postal workers many from immigrant backgrounds, and while I’ve complained of the routine of boulot, metro, dodo, this book reminded me that I am in fact quite privileged to work in an office or from home, while others do the dirty work.
Excellent read, I would even say a must read for an expat in Paris.
Excellent read, I would even say a must read for an expat in Paris.
December 9, 2022
4.5
In 1998, I ditched college, followed a boy to Europe, and ended up waiting tables. Met my husband in London the day after arrival, but that’s another story. This author does the same, but Paris, and shares the seedy, below-stairs reality of restaurant life. We meet a spectrum of dodgy internationals. Their individual stories. Alcohol. Cigarettes. Double shifts. Stolen bites from customer plates. His unlikely role in all of it. Oh, this book conjured some serious memories. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, you’ll be familiar with the nightmares. You know the ones. The restaurant is multi-floors and 10 times the size. Your section miles from the computer. You’ve just been seated two 10 tops. They all want cappuccinos. I feel anxious just typing that. But that’s what this is. An enjoyable read, despite my PTSD. My favorite line was advice from his colleague: “Live where the tomatoes are good.”
In 1998, I ditched college, followed a boy to Europe, and ended up waiting tables. Met my husband in London the day after arrival, but that’s another story. This author does the same, but Paris, and shares the seedy, below-stairs reality of restaurant life. We meet a spectrum of dodgy internationals. Their individual stories. Alcohol. Cigarettes. Double shifts. Stolen bites from customer plates. His unlikely role in all of it. Oh, this book conjured some serious memories. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, you’ll be familiar with the nightmares. You know the ones. The restaurant is multi-floors and 10 times the size. Your section miles from the computer. You’ve just been seated two 10 tops. They all want cappuccinos. I feel anxious just typing that. But that’s what this is. An enjoyable read, despite my PTSD. My favorite line was advice from his colleague: “Live where the tomatoes are good.”
February 8, 2023
I wanted to be excited about this book. Maybe I went into it with too high expectations, but I got midway through and had to add it to my DNF pile. I feel like the author had so much to mine from and given the other food memoirs I've read this just didn't stack up.
May 12, 2024
I throughly enjoyed this informative and entertaining account of the author’s time as a waiter in Paris. He was compelled to find a job as he had no place live after his girlfriend returned to London, and he was loath to admit defeat and return to London, his home city. He starts out by being a runner at the French restaurant, and then claws and fights his way to become a waiter. His book is a window into the restaurant world, where cutthroat tactics, unsavory backstories about food, and the endless jockeying among the staff is a daily affair. Then there’s the other challenge - how and where to live on a nonexistent pay check, which takes us into the seedier side of the chic and elegant Paris. The author does a phenomenal job of bringing to life the Parisian world he has to live in through writing that is brilliant and captivating. I loved the way the numerous characters came to life through the author’s descriptions and dialogue. I felt I got to know them all, each with their unique personalities, characteristics, and in some cases, their dreams for the future. This is the author’s first book and I hope he’s writing another, although he’s going to have to have great subject matter! This book will be a tough act to follow. I listened to the audiobook, which was superbly narrated by Tristam Summers with great expressiveness, complete with different accents and intonations for various characters - executed perfectly! The writing and narration together made this a five-star read/listen book. I highly recommend it!
February 25, 2023
A memoir about an Englishman's experience being a waiter in Paris for about a year. A modern-day telling of George Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris and London", it exposes the modern seedy underbelly of Paris while at the same time, it's still Paris... it's still an incredibly romantic and beautiful city. Even the waiters get to walk up the inimitable grand boulevards while going to work.
I found the behind-the-scenes story of waiting tables in Paris fascinating. It's horrifying as you might expect in some ways (your food may or may not have been spilled on the floor and scooped up, wiped off, and put back grandly on your plate. Or, your olives may have come from a huge vat of them that had gotten tipped over onto a floor covered with rat poop and then rinsed off before being served to you).
But as the author notes, the waiters are actors--they give you a grand experience where you are treated like royalty, providing a bridge between the storyland of the dining room and the hell that is the kitchen, locker room, and the Pass. Waiters steal each others' side dishes regularly; I never realized this aspect of restaurants... that waiters are all about the tips, and if they need your table's french fries to complete their table's order, they will take it (and so will you!).
You also get lots of details about the horrid bedbug-infested hovels in which the author must live. Prostitutes out front, people sleeping in their cars on the street, shared bathrooms, paper-thin walls.
A very interesting read and you get to hear a lot about the other waiters, and the variety of ways in which they ended up being waiters. Lots of different life stories here.
I found the behind-the-scenes story of waiting tables in Paris fascinating. It's horrifying as you might expect in some ways (your food may or may not have been spilled on the floor and scooped up, wiped off, and put back grandly on your plate. Or, your olives may have come from a huge vat of them that had gotten tipped over onto a floor covered with rat poop and then rinsed off before being served to you).
But as the author notes, the waiters are actors--they give you a grand experience where you are treated like royalty, providing a bridge between the storyland of the dining room and the hell that is the kitchen, locker room, and the Pass. Waiters steal each others' side dishes regularly; I never realized this aspect of restaurants... that waiters are all about the tips, and if they need your table's french fries to complete their table's order, they will take it (and so will you!).
You also get lots of details about the horrid bedbug-infested hovels in which the author must live. Prostitutes out front, people sleeping in their cars on the street, shared bathrooms, paper-thin walls.
A very interesting read and you get to hear a lot about the other waiters, and the variety of ways in which they ended up being waiters. Lots of different life stories here.
March 22, 2024
Edward Chisholm trafił do Paryża z powodu miłości. Gdy miłość się skończyła, został bez mieszkania, bez znajomości języka francuskiego i bez źródła utrzymania. Mógł się poddać i wrócić do Anglii albo zmierzyć się z miastem i możliwościami, jakie może mu ono dać. Biorąc pod uwagę nikłe kwalifikacje, pole manewru też nie mogło być duże...
Rozmowy w sprawie pracy wzbogaciły jego słownictwo, więc autorowi udało się zahaczyć w lokalu, w którym do przejścia miał wszystkie zakamarki piekła. Kuchnia to "ukryte twarze Paryża", najniższej opłacani pracownicy, niemal nigdy biali. Zero wsparcia, ciągłe patrzenie na ręce, palenie papierosów, które jest jedyną szansą na chwilę przerwy. Autor zaczyna jako pikolak, ktoś "przynieś wynieś", kto słyszy, że kiedyś dostanie wypłatę, ktoś, kto szybko zrozumie, że "praca w restauracji jest ciężka, nieustanna i bezmyślna".
Autor mozolnie stawia kroki w nowym zawodzie, ciesząc się z minimalnych sukcesów. Ta praca jest trudna nie tylko fizycznie, tu dodatkowo trzeba mierzyć się z klientami: "jako kelner szybko przyzwyczajasz się do tego, że ludzie są przekonani, iż mogą zwracać się do ciebie jak do niższego gatunku".
Chisholm malowniczo prezentuje swoich współpracowników, uchyla rąbka kodeksu kelnerskiego (kto odchodzi, już nie wraca), sypie anegdotami. Dla mnie najlepszy był wątek domniemanego Polaka Piotra i jego wachlarza życiorysów, a także perypetie mieszkaniowe autora.
Mimo przegadania i momentami zbyt drobiazgowego opisywania wszystkich możliwych szczegółów, autor dokonał istotnej rzeczy: "Kelner w Paryżu" przypomina czytelnikowi, że każda praca jest ważna i każdy pracownik zasługuje na szacunek. Truizm, o którym wielu zapomina...
Rozmowy w sprawie pracy wzbogaciły jego słownictwo, więc autorowi udało się zahaczyć w lokalu, w którym do przejścia miał wszystkie zakamarki piekła. Kuchnia to "ukryte twarze Paryża", najniższej opłacani pracownicy, niemal nigdy biali. Zero wsparcia, ciągłe patrzenie na ręce, palenie papierosów, które jest jedyną szansą na chwilę przerwy. Autor zaczyna jako pikolak, ktoś "przynieś wynieś", kto słyszy, że kiedyś dostanie wypłatę, ktoś, kto szybko zrozumie, że "praca w restauracji jest ciężka, nieustanna i bezmyślna".
Autor mozolnie stawia kroki w nowym zawodzie, ciesząc się z minimalnych sukcesów. Ta praca jest trudna nie tylko fizycznie, tu dodatkowo trzeba mierzyć się z klientami: "jako kelner szybko przyzwyczajasz się do tego, że ludzie są przekonani, iż mogą zwracać się do ciebie jak do niższego gatunku".
Chisholm malowniczo prezentuje swoich współpracowników, uchyla rąbka kodeksu kelnerskiego (kto odchodzi, już nie wraca), sypie anegdotami. Dla mnie najlepszy był wątek domniemanego Polaka Piotra i jego wachlarza życiorysów, a także perypetie mieszkaniowe autora.
Mimo przegadania i momentami zbyt drobiazgowego opisywania wszystkich możliwych szczegółów, autor dokonał istotnej rzeczy: "Kelner w Paryżu" przypomina czytelnikowi, że każda praca jest ważna i każdy pracownik zasługuje na szacunek. Truizm, o którym wielu zapomina...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews