Publishers Weekly
★ 05/23/2022
A Dickensian tale of a young man’s trial by fire in a French bistro gives rise to biting commentary on Parisian culture in Chisholm’s intoxicating debut. Underemployed in the wake of the financial crisis, Chisholm moved from London to Paris in 2011 and faked his way into a job as a runner at an upscale restaurant where, he writes, immigrants were relegated to lowly kitchen work while European waiters served “the rich and white on top.” As he observes, “Slice a Parisian bistro in half and you a startlingly accurate cross-section of contemporary French society.” Though disparagingly nicknamed L’Anglais, Chisholm was grudgingly educated by his peers and, after six months of backbreaking 14-hour days, he was promoted to waiter. But as he reveals, the restaurant’s illusion of elegance—peddled to wealthy customers by “Caucasian waiter” like him—quickly went up in smoke as respected coworkers were fired, leaving Chisholm to while away his days dreaming of an “all-out revolution... unif the waiters of the world against their corrupt employers.” Throughout, Chisholm renders the City of Light in vivid scenes of squalor and splendor, its romance and wretchedness mirroring that of the “great piece of theater” he starred in before eventually leaving the restaurant himself. Bittersweet and enchanting, this serves as a potent look at the gritty underbelly of a glittering world. (Sept.)
Times Literary Supplement
Chisholm’s fortitude in the face of hot-headed, violent chefs and infernal fourteen-hour days without breaks in pursuit of his goal is admirable, and makes for compelling reading. An entertaining and enlightening memoir."
The Wall Street Journal - Benjamin Shull
"Mr. Chisholm’s story is immersive and often thrilling. The book is an amalgamation of his experiences in Paris, where he spent four years working various waiting and bar jobs while trying to make it as a writer. By all accounts he learned the métier and was a capable waiter. He’s a fine writer."
The Daily Mail
"A Waiter In Paris is a searing account of what life is really like ‘at the bottom of the food chain’, and Chisholm’s prose positively delights in describing the graffiti, sodden cardboard boxes and litter-strewn pavements."
Simon Kuper
Chisholm is a wonderful observer of people, of poverty, and of the French.”
Edward Stourton
Edward Chisholm’s book is vividly written and merciless in its detail. Paris and its pleasures always leave one wondering about the seamier side beneath the surface, and here it is. I’d advise readers to enjoy it somewhere warm and comfortable, and on no account to try it before a gastronomic weekend."
Salon
"Through Chisholm's punchy prose, readers will be taken through his whirlwind career filled with angry knife-wielding chefs, demanding customers, squalid living conditions and panic attacks in the Pass."
Pamela Druckerman
A young Englishman’s journey into the merciless world of Parisian restaurants is propulsive, harrowing, and expertly observed. I could practically smell the grease and feel his terror and—ironically—his hunger. I don’t think I’ll dine out in quite the same way again.
Town & Country
A portrait of Paris is painted by a waiter in this candid memoir that forces you to take off your rose-colored glasses to see the complicated truth of the city. 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. As he exposes the realities behind a Parisian restaurant’s ‘luxurious calm,’ he exposes the city of love as well.
Town & Country
A portrait of Paris is painted by a waiter in this candid memoir that forces you to take off your rose-colored glasses to see the complicated truth of the city. 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. As he exposes the realities behind a Parisian restaurant’s ‘luxurious calm,’ he exposes the city of love as well.
Emerald Fennell
"Visceral and unbelievably compelling.
Waterstones
"Throwing open the vibrant underbelly of the City of Light in all its depraved, degenerate, and dangerously addictive magnificence, Chisholm's account of his time spent as a Parisian waiter abounds in electrifying anecdote and jaw-dropping revelations."
From the Publisher
Advance praise for A Waiter in Paris:
Library Journal
07/01/2022
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. 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. A frantic search for work followed, with Chisholm determined to find a job as a waiter. Successfully landing a job at a respectable restaurant, he is hazed by the other waiters until he finally catches on to the cutthroat culture that exists among them. His descriptions of the behind-the-scenes antics at the restaurant are highly entertaining. He brings the restaurant world to life as he relates the stress, pressure, and anxiety felt by all the workers. The long hours, the competition among the waiters, the petty grudges, and the poor treatment by supervisors are all exposed. Most poignant are his coworkers' stories: they share their hopes and dreams with him. With this book, Chisholm has achieved his own dream to become a writer. VERDICT An absorbing and moving inside look at a Parisian restaurant.—Rebecca Mugridge
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-06-22
A former waiter in Paris shares unsettling memories from behind the scenes.
In 2011, following the financial crisis and “a string of petty jobs,” Chisholm moved from London to Paris in search of a satisfying career. Although it wasn’t his original plan, he took a restaurant job while fantasizing about becoming a writer. Despite having little knowledge of the French language or experience as a server, he managed to fake his way into a position as a runner in an upscale restaurant, where he was labeled L’Anglais. In trial-by-fire fashion, Chisholm faced extremely hierarchical and competitive working conditions; after six brutal months, he became an official waiter. In this revealing social commentary, Chisholm shares the appalling working conditions that he and his co-workers faced behind the facade of fine French dining. “As a waiter,” he writes, “you quickly get used to the fact that people believe they can talk to you like a lower species.” Each of his colleagues diligently played their roles in this “vast culinary amphitheatre” even as they endured condescending managers and rude customers. Working long, grueling shifts, Chisholm reveals that the staff often scraped by on stolen cigarette breaks and stale coffee and rolls. On luckier occasions, they secretly consumed half-touched plates and unfinished glasses of wine left by patrons. The author delves into the difficulties and uncertainties that he and his co-workers faced getting paid or taking time off, and he shares his experiences with squalid living conditions and even homelessness. Although the book is set in Paris, Chisholm demonstrates how his stories of struggle have universal appeal. After months of dealing with his uncaring, corrupt employers, Chisholm found himself dreaming of an uprising against them. Following an injury on the job, his path became clear: “I felt almost duty bound to write this book. To give a voice to an invisible workforce.” In that, he succeeds admirably.
An enlightening view of the underworld of fine French dining.
