A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City

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live, and so stubbornly he hangs on and tries to make his way through the underbelly of the Parisian restaurant world. I’d advise readers to enjoy it somewhere warm and comfortable, and on no account to try it before a gastronomic weekend. 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. As much an exercise in trust of the fellow man as it is a nervy and exciting dash through the underbelly of culinary experiences.

Edward Chisholm's brilliant memoir shows us the behind-the-scenes chaos, but also lets us tour nocturnal Paris and the strange characters he meets. Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. Mrs Woolf, wife of the manager, is a very celebrated author and, in her own way, more important than Galsworthy.I was perplexed though as all bills in Paris come with a 20% service compris charge to cover tips and hence why virtually all Parisians do not tip. Chisholm renders the City of Light in vivid scenes of squalor and splendor … Bittersweet and enchanting, this serves as a potent look at the gritty underbelly of a glittering world. In the French kitchen with kids and French Food for Everyone: le goûter (after school snacks) and le dîner (dinner) are out now!

Behind the allure of luxury, behind the romance and charm, Edward Chisholm can see Paris for what she truly is during his time as a waiter. After months with no success, and his relationship with his girlfriend souring, He found himself alone in Paris with an apartment that he could not afford.Chisholm has the unenviable job of painting that picture but does so with broad strokes and interesting results. If food and crockery topple over out of sight, with a sound ‘like a cliff collapsing into the sea’, the waiters quickly scoop up the duck breasts and haricots from the floor, plonk them on fresh plates, ‘and the table is none the wiser’. 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.

He brings the restaurant world to life as he relates the stress, pressure, and anxiety felt by all the workers. Edward Chisholm has an important story to tell, and it’s told in a fast-paced, cleverly woven style.

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. Unable to find work after graduating from a London university, Chisholm followed his girlfriend to Paris looking for any type of work that he could find. Chisholm succeeds in his aim to become a waiter, but inevitably things come to an end when he suffers an injury and moves onto a new job. Prostitutes out front, people sleeping in their cars on the street, shared bathrooms, paper-thin walls.