“We paid 97 euros to eat m **** in the worst restaurant in Paris-7. “It is with these kinds of punchlines that the Tiktok account” we will not come back “bait Internet users. And it works! Created in November, the chain stins the hundreds of thousands of views thanks to a concept as simple as it is strange: that of testing the worst restaurants in France and elsewhere. Weird, right? A little, yes. But it clearly stung our curiosity. Do you want to know who is behind this curious passion for the best of the worst? 20 minutes answers you.
They don’t want to say too much about them and prefer to line up behind their “concept” so as not to reveal themselves too much. Orégann and Maxime are the only two protagonists of the account “we will not come back”. This young couple “but not so young as that” is established in Paris and has published for several months short videos showing their worst experiences in restaurants and hotels in the capital. An idea that came to them after a disgusting evening in a Parisian Asian restaurant. “It was an early evening, we were slammed and we wanted to sit down to eat something. It was in the Saint-Lazare district, it was 3.30 p.m., we didn’t have too many choices so we finished in a Chinese restaurant, ”says Orégann.
The owner of this restaurant may ignore it but by billing them 18 euros for three spring rolls and using burnt beef in disgusting dishes, it gave birth to a concept. “We were already filming this kind of stuff because we liked to test crazy restaurants,” explains Maxime. Orégann continues. “We share a lot of our lives on our social networks but we do it in private, for our friends. They are the ones who told us to put the video of the Asian restaurant on Tiktok, “continues Orégann.
Hours spent on Google Maps
Obedging in the wishes of their friends, the two young Parisians had broadcast the video, after putting a quick assembly, watered down with a few emojis and PET noise. “When we woke up the next day, we had made 800,000 views, we did not understand,” admits Orégann. The couple then decided to continue the concept by testing the worst addresses of the capital. To identify these nuggets, they spend hours on Google Maps to find those with less stars. “It takes time because you have to zoom in on each street. Google does not put forward the establishments which are poorly rated, so you have to look for, “continues the young woman, who presents herself as” old journalist “.
According to their excursions, the couple expanded their hunting area to test “the worst bistro of Normandy” or “the worst restaurant in Lille” and even the “worst hotel in Cairo (in Egypt)”. Each time, they do it in a hidden camera. And each time, they pay from their pocket. And sometimes they fall sick. “It happened to me once when you were in Normandy. I had taken mussels, I shouldn’t have, ”says Orégann. Maxime has already tasted after meals of spoiled meat. The question we ask ourselves is: why do you inflict that? “Our goal is not to say people’s harm. Besides, who are we to say that? We are not influencers but we are not critical culinary either. If it’s expensive, we say. If it’s good, we say, if it’s bad, we say it too. We remain factual, ”says Maxime.
They do not give the name of the restaurant, except …
In order not to prejudice the establishments they did not appreciate, the testers do not broadcast their name or their address. This does not prevent Internet users who know the corner of guessing. “We have already had some threat emails but frankly, it’s rare,” says the couple. For Maxime, the goal is also to show a certain reality. “You have restaurants that rip up tourists, who make fun of the world and who want to pigeon people who pay dearly to offer themselves a restaurant. You don’t go to the restaurant to eat frozen. For me, it must be said. We are the country of gastronomy. »»
In recent times, our curious explorers of the worst have also opened their concept to empty restaurants of customers. And when they liked it, they did not hesitate to say it, mentioning the name of the establishment to encourage their followers to go. And guess what? That works ! Recently, their test of a Tunisian restaurant in Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine) allowed the establishment to win a pack of new customers. And to see his opinions soar on Google. “When it’s good, it’s homemade you have to say it. And if that can help them, so much the better for them, ”says Maxime.
