---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hell is probably quite similar to most…"
description: "\"Hell is probably quite similar to most Paris bistros ... a bit overheated, somewhat too crowded, and a little too noisy for my tastes. The waiters will..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg"
---

#  Hell is probably quite similar to most Paris bistros ... a…

![“Hell is probably quite similar to most Paris bistros ... a bit overheated, somewhat too crowded, and a little too noisy for my tastes. The waiters will surely treat you rudely and the cashiers will always add a few extra francs to your bill but ... and this is the important part ... the food will…” quote by Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg)

> “Hell is probably quite similar to most Paris bistros ... a bit overheated, somewhat too crowded, and a little too noisy for my tastes. The waiters will surely treat you rudely and the cashiers will always add a few extra francs to your bill but ... and this is the important part ... the food will be marvelous.”

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Paris is depicted as chaotic yet charming, where poor service and crowding are offset by excellent food.

**In simple terms:** Paris can be noisy and crowded but still delightful.

Key Takeaway

Enjoy the good despite the flaws.

Themes

city life food culture contrasts

Mood

ironic reflective

Type

observational humorous

When to use this quote

- dining out
- travel
- budgeting
- dealing with rude service

Key Concepts

urban chaos culinary delight

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance discomfort with pleasure?
- What makes you tolerate poor service?

A Different Perspective

The experience may be marred by overpricing and discomfort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Add](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/add/) [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Bistro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bistro/) [Bistros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bistros-4486323/) [Bistros Bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bistros-bit-4669326/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Cashiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cashiers/) [Cooking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooking/) [Crowded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowded/) [Culinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culinary/) [Extra Francs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extra-francs-4669327/) [Extras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extras/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Marvelous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marvelous/) [Noisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noisy/) [Paris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paris/) [Paris Bistros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paris-bistros-4486322/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Tastes Waiters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tastes-waiters-4669325/) [Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats/) [Waiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiter/)

## Related quotes

> [In Paris we have bistros, then we have fine dining. In London, you have a very contemporary scene with mixed influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-ducasse/in-paris-we-have-bistros-then-we-have-fine-dining-in-london-you-have/)

[Alain Ducasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-ducasse/)

> [Bistro cooking is good, traditional food, earnestly made and honestly displayed. It is earthy, provincial, or bourgeois; as befits that kind of food, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-liederman/bistro-cooking-is-good-traditional-food-earnestly-made-and-honestly/)

[David Liederman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-liederman/)

> [The only good place for a sage grouse to be listed is on the menu of a French bistro. It does not deserve federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-chaffetz/the-only-good-place-for-a-sage-grouse-to-be-listed-is-on-the-menu-of/)

[Jason Chaffetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-chaffetz/)

> [Lyon is full of temperamental gourmets, eternally engaged in a never-ending search for that imaginary, perfect, unknown little back-street bistro, where one can dine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-andries-de-groot/lyon-is-full-of-temperamental-gourmets-eternally-engaged-in-a-never/)

[Roy Andries De Groot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-andries-de-groot/)

> [I usually get up not before 9. I have a huge library - I'm a big fan of Scandinavian crime fiction - so I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-geary/i-usually-get-up-not-before-9-i-have-a-huge-library-i-m-a-big-fan-of/)

[Anthony Geary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-geary/)

> [I got my Backstage Bistro Award, I should just retire. You know, that's a good question and I guess it's really really different for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-graae/i-got-my-backstage-bistro-award-i-should-just-retire-you-know-that-s/)

[Jason Graae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-graae/)

> [She's built like a steakhouse, but drives like a bistro!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zapp-brannigan/she-s-built-like-a-steakhouse-but-drives-like-a-bistro/)

[Zapp Brannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zapp-brannigan/)

> [I also could see myself as a stand-up comedian, a fashion designer (for people of all sizes), a hairdresser, an earnest and eventually burnt-out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-duhamel/i-also-could-see-myself-as-a-stand-up-comedian-a-fashion-designer-for/)

[Denise Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-duhamel/)

> [“The bistro was his secret weapon in tracking down murderers. Not just in Three Pines, but in every town and village in Quebec. First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-bistro-was-his-secret-weapon-in-tracking-down-murderers-not-just/)

[Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/)

> [The national characteristics... the restless metaphysical curiosity, the tenderness of good living and the passionate individualism. This is the invisible constant in a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/the-national-characteristics-the-restless-metaphysical-curiosity-the/)

[Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/)

> [“Smith and Kemp bought a run-down restaurant on the beach that had formerly served burgers and fried clams, and they transformed it into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elin-hilderbrand/smith-and-kemp-bought-a-run-down-restaurant-on-the-beach-that-had/)

[Elin Hilderbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elin-hilderbrand/)

> [“P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Chicken Fried Rice”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisa-marie-fleming/p-f-chang-s-china-bistro-chicken-fried-rice/)

[Alisa Marie Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisa-marie-fleming/)

## More by Henry Miller

> [“I reached out for something to attach myself to—and I found nothing. But in reaching out, in the effort to grasp, to attach myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-reached-out-for-something-to-attach-myself-to-and-i-found-nothing/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“I saw the errors I had made and assumed full responsibility for everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-saw-the-errors-i-had-made-and-assumed-full-responsibility-for/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [The monstrous thing is not that men have created roses out of this dung heap, but that, for some reason or other, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-monstrous-thing-is-not-that-men-have-created-roses-out-of-this/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“(...)I decided to let myself drift with the tide, to make not the least resistance to fate, no matter in what form it presented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-decided-to-let-myself-drift-with-the-tide-to-make-not-the-least/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“If it be knowledge or wisdom one is seeking, then one had better go direct to the source. And the source is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/if-it-be-knowledge-or-wisdom-one-is-seeking-then-one-had-better-go/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“In the egocentric prism the helpless victim is walled in by the very light which he refracts. The ego dies in its own glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/in-the-egocentric-prism-the-helpless-victim-is-walled-in-by-the-very/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“When one spends what he has on himself, when one has a thoroughly good time with his own money, people are apt to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/when-one-spends-what-he-has-on-himself-when-one-has-a-thoroughly-good/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [Paint what you like and die happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/paint-what-you-like-and-die-happy/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [She may be lying in bed reading a book, she may be making love with a prize fighter, or she may be running like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/she-may-be-lying-in-bed-reading-a-book-she-may-be-making-love-with-a/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“And no one sets about saving the world unless he has first experienced the miracle of personal salvation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/and-no-one-sets-about-saving-the-world-unless-he-has-first/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“He looks about the room at the few sticks of furniture, at the dirty bed sheets and the wash basin with the dirty water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/he-looks-about-the-room-at-the-few-sticks-of-furniture-at-the-dirty/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“Since then, of course, I have discovered what every madman in Paris discovers sooner of later; that there are no ready made infernos for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/since-then-of-course-i-have-discovered-what-every-madman-in-paris/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“Looking back upon my career, I see myself as a person capable of undertaking almost any task, any vocation. It was the monotony and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/looking-back-upon-my-career-i-see-myself-as-a-person-capable-of/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“The word in your mouth is anarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-word-in-your-mouth-is-anarchy/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

[Explore all 894 Henry Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

## More Add quotes

> [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/)

[Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/)

> [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/)

[James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/)

[Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/)

> [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/)

[Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/)

> [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/)

[Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/)

> [Observation and theory get on best when they are mixed together, both helping one another in the pursuit of truth. It is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/observation-and-theory-get-on-best-when-they-are-mixed-together-both/)

[Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/)

> [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Thirty days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like watching the news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cutts/thirty-days-is-just-about-the-right-amount-of-time-to-add-a-new-habit/)

[Matt Cutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cutts/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

> [The Greeks said grandly in their tragic phrase, 'Let no one be called happy till his death;' to which I would add, 'Let no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-greeks-said-grandly-in-their-tragic-phrase-let-no-one-be-called/)

[Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/)

> [Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that's been blown off the exteriors of the cany-colored buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/mostly-we-just-add-to-the-piles-of-rainbow-glass-that-s-been-blown/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [Global is a unifying bond for people. Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/)

[Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/)

[Browse all 2,710 Add quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/add/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Hell is probably quite similar to most Paris bistros ... a bit overheated, somewhat too crowded, and a little too noisy for my tastes. The waiters will surely treat you rudely and the cashiers will always add a few extra francs to your bill but ... and this is the important part ... the food will be marvelous.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry Miller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-paris-bistros-a-bit-overheated/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Add"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-paris-bistros-a-bit-overheated/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/henry-miller-179_add_hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-p_563862.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Hell is probably quite similar to most Paris bistros ... a bit overheated, somewhat too crowded, and a…” — Henry Miller",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Henry Miller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Hell is probably quite similar to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-paris-bistros-a-bit-overheated/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/hell-is-probably-quite-similar-to-most-paris-bistros-a-bit-overheated/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
