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8 Best Restaurants in Paris | Charming Spots According to Locals and Foreign Gourmets Alike

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Paris is full of tempting-looking restaurants, and even the brasseries and bistros in the touristy areas — those that do not care about return business — tend to serve food that is not too bad (at least to foreign palates). But once you live in a city, you have the chance to look closer and notice the difference between those restaurants that focus on one-time visitors and those that have a regular clientele, such as the people from their neighborhood who will come back every week if the food is good.

In my old neighborhood alone, I had three or four go-to restaurants where they knew me, where the food was always good, and where, if you did hear a foreign language, they tended to be expatriate residents. I am not saying that you cannot get good food in some of the places along the main drags, but I am saying that for that “authenticity”, visitors tend to look for, you need to get off the beaten path, head into streets and neighborhoods that are mostly residential, and find some places that are not in the guides.

But I don’t want to take you completely away from Paris as you know it, so here I have chosen to share some of my personal favorites, some of which you would never find on your own, and which I have mostly found by accident or personal recommendation, plus some you might well have walked by but not entered. So, grab a lunch menu in a cozy dining room and join me for a roast chicken, duck foie gras, or any other Classic French delicious dishes: I promise you fine dining!

8 Best Restaurants in Paris – According to Locals and Foreign Gourmets Alike

1. l’entredgeu, 17 th arrondissement.

This tiny restaurant just down our road, completely hidden away in a boring residential street, was such a find that I took everybody there who ever visited me in Paris. L’Entredgeu has been around for a while and was even reviewed by David Lebovitz long before we thought of moving to Paris, but it has kept its charm, its faithful clientele, and its superb food. Yes, as Lebovitz says, it’s far out in the 17 th arrondissement , but for me, it was just a 2-minute walk.

What To Order At L’Entredgeu

An absolute must-try is the onion tart for starters: the soft, braised onion is sweet, moreish, and just wonderful, and it is a regular staple on the menu. In summer, if they have chilled peach soup, go for it. It sounds weird, but it is very good. The mains can be a little meat-heavy, and my husband always brought a friend to share the cote de boeuf with, while I really like the daily fish or spelt risotto with wild mushrooms.

2. La Marine

10 th arrondissement.

This regular lovely place lies right alongside the Canal Saint-Martin, and I have been here for breakfast — just a croissant and a coffee on the terrace, watching the world and the odd pleasure boat go by — and for a few lunches. I must admit, I’ve never been there for dinner though, and I am really not too sure why not.

The last time I came, I met the most adorable dog, who begged in the cutest way to share some of my fries but was not allowed by his humans (see picture, if the editors allow it). La Marine not only has the perfect location for a lunch break from a stroll, but also that typically French zinc bar and traditionally local feeling, despite being on the thoroughly-beaten tourist pass along the canal.

What To Order At La Marine

The food is brasserie-style, with a lot of the typical French favorites from entrecote to foie gras, so you will end up having a problem narrowing your choice down. The best option is the daily prix-fixe menu, but otherwise, start with the baked goat’s cheese, try the tuna steak with mushrooms and mashed potato, and end with the Cafe Gourmand , a coffee with a choice of three small desserts. Paris also has a lot of iconic cafes you can visit.

3. Clown Bar

11 th arrondissement.

I don’t know how many times I rushed past this tiny little restaurant right next to the old historic Winter Circus; it wasn’t until a friend came to Paris and asked me to meet her there for lunch that I finally went in. Named after the clowns that used to come here after their performance in the circus in the early 1900s, the theme of the Clown Bar is evident all around you, making for quite a unique setting, and the place is now classed as a historic monument. The small restaurant specializes in French cuisine with a modern twist, small but perfectly formed servings, and natural wines from their wine bar.

What To Order In the Clown Bar

The menu changes too often to hope to catch the favorite dish from the last visit again. Just jump in and trust the chef to whip you up something fresh and tasty.

4. Buvette Paris

9 th arrondissement.

Buvette Paris lies between the metro stops Pigalle and St. Georges, down an admittedly bustling little street, but not one you walk down very often unless you are local. This little wine bar-cum-café-cum-bistro, which is open throughout the day, came to me through a friend when we talked about Croque Monsieurs, as one does when in Paris. She highly recommended theirs, and the following weekend, I set off for a taster session and have come back countless times since.

What To Order At Buvette Paris

Obviously, the Croque Monsieur and the Croque Madame, both of which come with an egg on top and are staples on the seasonally adjusted food menu. But also try the watermelon feta salad, which has become a firm favorite of mine and which I tried to recreate at home many times, never quite succeeding to Buvette’s standard. There are some lovely wines, many organic ones, and the little Parisian restaurant has become so popular that you should book or come early on weekends.

5. Aux Petites Oignons

20 th arrondissement.

This small restaurant in Gambetta lies in a street you’d never walk down, because, honestly, it looks rather boring. I came across Aux Petites Oignons because I was supposed to go somewhere else, got lost, and came across this place, which was absolutely buzzing. They managed to squeeze me into a corner table, and I have now been busy recommending this literally hidden gem to everybody coming to Paris. The zinc bar in one corner is propped up by locals having an espresso or a glass of wine, a tiny dining room is crammed full of tables filled with people all talking at once, and a menu written on a blackboard is always a good sign. Everything I tasted here was superb.

What To Order At Aux Petites Oignons

If they have them, order the truffle ravioli, little cushions of delight, and the filet of sea bass. Oh, and fingers crossed they have the apple tart for dessert. The menu changes regularly depending on what’s fresh at the market, but it is all good.

6. Chez Julien

4 th arrondissement.

Chez Julien is probably one of the prettiest restaurants in Paris, and not necessarily hidden from view. Right by the Seine on a side street near the town hall, its blue façade has starred in films, TV programs, and on countless Instagram accounts. But people tend to stop and click and move on. Yet not only is the inside as pretty as the outside, but the food is also excellent. The menu is seasonal, but if you are a truffle lover, book a table in the summer months for a plethora of French dishes cooked with summer truffles in mind.

What To Order At Chez Julien

Have the quinoa and Breton lobster salad to start with, followed by the truffle risotto, the cheese platter, and end with the lemon tart. Take your time and savor the pretty surroundings.

7. Poulette

1 st arrondissement.

This is another recommendation from a friend, and one of the loveliest of them all. Poulette lies right on the bustling Rue Etienne Marcel, within steps of Les Halles and the Centre Pompidou, and is easily overlooked when you are navigating the pedestrian traffic there. But, once you know it’s there, it will soon become a favorite when in the area. The gorgeous little place is dominated by a historic tiled image of an Art Nouveau maiden flanked by mirrors and a lovely bar.  You can sit and have coffee at the bar, sit in the window, or snuggle further in; either way, Poulette is a lovely little spot away from the hustle and bustle outside.

What To Order At Poulette

This is another one of those restaurants that thrive on fresh food and a menu that changes daily with whatever looked good at the market that morning. Classic bistro dishes, fresh salads such as a Capricciosa , and small plates dominate here, making it a perfect lunchtime choice.

Pro Tip: It is always the best idea to ask for the dish or menu of the day when eating out in a restaurant in France because it is always a sign that the ingredients are fresh and seasonal and the dish is created especially for those ingredients. I tend to see it as a sign of a good restaurant if there is only a blackboard and an ever-changing menu, with maybe a few staples.

8. Le Petit Lutétia

7th arrondissement.

Le Petit Lutetia is a small bistro/brasserie with a vintage feel and sidewalk seating, serving French fare and homemade desserts. The interior is of Le Petit Lutetia a typical old-fashioned Paris bistro, with stained glass, newspapers at the bar, mirrored walls, monogrammed dishes, stacks, and small tables.

Le Petit Lutetia recently got its culinary facelift by introducing a new menu, new staff, and a renewed sense of energy. The new owners have kept the style and substance of the bistro, but the food, if anything, has gotten even better. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see a raft of old-fashioned fare that shows a fine sense of authenticity, history, and good flavor. 

While the food is certainly good, don’t forget that at Le Petit Lutetia, it’s recommended that you have a glass of wine with every course and that you dress in your very best attire

What To Order At  Le Petit Lutétia

Don’t miss the cassolette D’escargots (the snail casserole) which arrives smoking hot with a lovely garlic and basil sauce or fried calamari rings. This dish is rarely done well, often arriving soggy, flavorless, and fatty but not at Le Petit Lutétia where it comes just perfect.

What Time Do Locals Eat in Paris?

There are two distinct service times in Paris. The Parisians usually have lunch between 12 and 2:30 pm and dine from 7:30 to 11 pm, but you can always step into a patisserie or boulangerie for a snack in between. No need for online reservations in a French diner but they can be crowded at meal times.

Which is the Best Neighborhood For Restaurants in Paris?

Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Canal Saint-Martin, Belleville, The Latin Quarter, and The 11th Arrondissement are just some of the popular areas where you’ll find restaurants and vendors offering a wide variety of food from smoked herring to stuffed cabbage to roasted pigeon. Ensure you know your budget and enjoy the food.

How Many Restaurants Are There in Paris?

With 40,000 places to eat out, Paris has more restaurants than any other European city. From cheap and cheerful street food to high-end cuisine served in one of the many Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, Paris is a destination for self-professed food lovers.

What Are Five Rules for Eating Out at a Restaurant in Paris?

These five rules will clarify and improve your dining experience of eating like a local in Paris: Eat at the right hours, look for table settings, get the fixed menu, understand the order of operations, and lastly, take your time. 

What Are the Local Paris Restaurants Called?

There are bistros, brasseries, and cafes. Bistros are small, relaxed restaurants frequented by locals where food is simple but delicious. More formal are the brasseries that feature white linen, uniformed servers, and typically serve sauerkraut and sausages. Cafés are the most casual of all, similar to what we call wine bars.

A travel writer and guidebook author for the last 20 years, Ulrike's work has been seen in National Geographic , BBC , The Independent , Australian Women's Weekly , The Telegraph , The Australian , Fodor's , France Today , CNN Travel , Lonely Planet , Travel + Leisure , CNTraveler , numerous inflight magazines, and many others.

She has written three books for Moon Travel Guides: 'Living Abroad in Australia' (3rd edition), 'Sydney & the Great Barrier Reef', and the shorter version 'Spotlight Sydney' and are all available in print and as e-books.

Having lived in seven countries (Germany, UK, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Australia, and France) to date and traveled to more than 100, she specializes in writing about travel, art and architecture, expat living, and life and style.

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The 27 Best Restaurants in Paris

By Lindsey Tramuta and Sara Lieberman

In the capital of haute cuisine, hard-and-fast kitchen etiquette, and bustling bistros, the Parisian dining landscape has evolved radically over the years to highlight a kaleidoscope of quality food experiences, influences, flavors, and atmospheres. On a given day, dining out in Paris today might mean throwing back a piping hot pita stuffed with beef bourguignon for lunch and following it up with a multi-course tasting menu with cinematic presentation.  From the classics that shouldn't be missed to the newer and notable food destinations, our list of the best restaurants in Paris highlights meals that stand out among the masses.

Read our complete Paris travel guide here .

This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Substance Arrow

For the sleepy 16th arrondissement, Substance is a refreshing jolt right from the door. Expect a relaxed, but exacting, foodie crowd in the evenings; these are diners who are either well-versed in chef Matthias Marc's resume (a Top Chef candidate), champagne connoisseurs, or locals of Western Paris. The biggest draw here is the champagne selection, with more than 180 cuvées from both well-known houses and small producers; Substance, named for a top-end bubbly, is the only restaurant in Paris serving the Jacques Selosse Initial Brut cuvée. For food, you might find potato emulsions with trout eggs and pickled onions, goat cheese and beetroot cannelloni, and lots of plant-based dishes (be sure to specify any food allergies or intolerances right when you get the menu). From start to finish, dishes are refined and modern, predicated on the seasonality and local-sourcing that diners have come to expect from the best French restaurants.

Clover Grill Arrow

A modern French steakhouse that’s as well suited for a business lunch as for a lengthy meal among friends, Clover Grill, from award-winning chef Jean-François Piège, is an elegant spot popular among the fashion and media crowd. The chef found a location with a big enough space to fit a custom meat cabinet as well as two dining rooms. Beef is the obvious star of the show here—filet, prime rib, or as a burger—but don’t overlook the elevated starters, such as tomato tartare with basil and straciatella, or a gravlax of wild sea bass with lemon and dill. There’s divine braised shrimp and local fish, served with a choice of sauces. Go light or go all in, but whatever you do order the churros for dessert, which you’ll dream about long after you’ve left the restaurant.

Épicure Arrow

There's no mistaking it, this is a triple-Michelin-starred restaurant with the white tablecloths, immaculate service, chic decor, and culinary muscle to prove it. The dining room is vast and widely spaced—the best tables are those in front of the window that overlooks the hotel's ( Le Bristol ) interior garden. Music is hushed, as are conversations, which allows you to focus on a meal experience that borders on religious. Lean into the fussy Frenchiness of it—though you'll hardly be thinking about the decor once Eric Frechon's first dish is placed before you.

Allard Arrow

Allard is among the last-of-its-kind classic gourmet (if ever there were an apt if antiquated word) bistros you come back to again and again. "Here, beauty is both in the room and on the plate," says Mimi Thorisson. "The duck with green olives is utterly satisfying." Frogs' legs, poached turbot, and duck foie gras are prepared as they should be and without unnecessary or unwanted flourish.

Jessica Puckett

Alex Erdekian

La Tour d'Argent   Arrow

This Seine-facing beacon of French dining was built as an inn in the 16th century, and it wasn't until the 19th century that it became the restaurant as we know it today. If ever there was a place to leave your meal up to the chef, it's at La Tour d'Argent. Or if surprises aren't your thing, opt for the several course tasting menu which includes signature dishes from the restaurant's long history that have been updated by the chef Yannick Franques, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France who took over the kitchen three years ago, in addition to the chef's own recipes. If you're into duck, that's a longstanding draw for diners since the late 1800. (If meat doesn't inspire you, everything from fish to plant-based dishes are balanced and sublime.) With 300,000 bottles in the wine cave and 15,000 different references, this is absolutely the destination for wine lovers. On the way to the elevator, pay attention to the photographs and newspaper clippings of all the world-renowned personalities, from JFK to Angelina Jolie, who have dined at the restaurant.

Benoit Paris Arrow

Like a time capsule to your first trip to Europe, dishes from this classic bistro, which first opened in 1912, look like still life images from the Time-Life "Foods of the World" series. Think escargots bathing in butter, garlic, and parsley (and the warm baguette with which you sop every last drop up), cassoulet, pâté en croûte, Scottish salmon with Béarnaise sauce, seared scallops with leeks, a perfect cheese course, and even crêpes Suzette, if you can believe.

Le 52 Arrow

A hangout for 10th arrondissement locals and other Right Bankers who love the accessibility of the neo-brasserie format that Charles Compagnon helped pioneer. These are diners that are serious not only about food but also a high good-times quotient and the comfort of knowing the servers. The menu changes at least once a month and it's that endless variety that keeps them—and the occasional out-of-towner—returning. In addition to more classic cuts of meat and fish, you might also find sardines, mackerel, root veggies like Jerusalem artichokes, and poultry, which can make for an affordable but no less interesting meal.

Septime Arrow

Meals in this warm yet pared-back Scando-inspired space start with exquisite, creative, plant- and vegetable-focused dishes that change every two weeks. But despite the ambition of the food, this is fine dining without the pomp and circumstance or cult-of-chef arrogance. Grébaut is a master at coaxing out the flavors in every ingredient and playing on texture; it isn't uncommon to have a mix of raw and cooked (in a variety of methods) on the same plate.

Breizh Café Arrow

Breizh offers, quite simply, the best Breton-style crêpe in Paris. And while not gratuitously tricky, the menu includes more original flavor combinations, beyond the usual egg, ham, and cheese. To wit: smoked herring with Saint Malo potatoes; smoked salmon with ikura salmon roe, crème fraîche, and dill; poached peaches, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, and fresh mint; rolled crêpe with white chocolate mousse and matcha tea, with strawberries; and a brown sugar with Bordier salted butter, classically done with top-shelf ingredients.

Tekés Arrow

Tekés is perhaps the most unique of the restaurants from Chef Assaf Granit and his team. For one, there are two ways to enter—from the street or via the calm, cobblestone-covered courtyard for Klay, the posh fitness club that the restaurant is associated with. But the real reason to go is for the menu, which is entirely vegetarian. Talk about a menu that's so bright and flavorful! The name means "ceremony" in Hebrew so you better believe the food is both a celebration of food and the best introduction to vegetarian cooking in the city for even the most carnivorous of diners. Most dishes are cooked over charcoal and embers, a nod to ancestral cooking in Jerusalem, and include a fluffy Challah-like bread made with olive oil from east Jerusalem and sea salt, cold and hot mezze (a highlight: the grilled courgette with cinnamon labneh), and mains such as the vegetarian “chicken liver”. The latter is cooked without butter and made with caramelized onions and mushrooms. Everything is meant to be shared, and the portions are generous.

L'Ami Jean Arrow

Stéphane Jego is among the visionaries of the early bistronomy movement, which in this case simply means the environment is anything but stuffy, the food is hearty (think American hearty, not your usual French hearty), the ambience is rollicking, and the food has the technique and presentation of fine-dining establishments without the exorbitant prices. And good thing because the food is absolutely the star of the show and far more refined, adventurous, and surprising than the space would lead you to believe it will be. A few sample dishes: Parmesan soup with cabbage and bonito flakes; roasted pigeon with thyme and garlic; pork belly and lentils; and a rice pudding, the chef's signature dessert.

La Coupole Arrow

A living memorial to Paris' Art Deco legacy, La Coupole has seen more than its fair share of Parisian who's who. Patti Smith played guitar on the terrace. Henry Miller came for breakfast. Jane Birkin used to lunch here, as did Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and James Joyce. The menu includes typical French brasserie food, with a particularly strong seafood emphasis. Order a side of buttery whelks or winkles with one of the seafood platters, which are as delicious as they are photogenic.

Bouche Arrow

Set up in a former kebab joint, Bouche is a bit of an outlier for this section of the 11th arrondissement-20th arrondissement border. The small plates and natural wine bar stands out for its slightly Brutalist interior (exposed textured stone, picture windows, vintage furnishings, and sparse decor–the kind of details more common in Berlin than Paris), and a menu of seasonal dishes that change every two weeks. You might find skate fish steamed in a Thai bouillon with lime, garlic, and chile pepper on the menu alongside an octopus okonomiyaki coated with lardo, spelt-beetroot risotto with a cream of dill, or a veal tartare with Jerusalem artichoke chips and tarragon. Sunday is the only day Bouche is open for lunch and it's one of the most sought-after reservations in Paris. Expect a shorter menu with brunchier additions: get the fried egg with smoked ham, aged mimolette cheese, and spicy mayo on an English muffin. 

Bistrot Paul Bert Arrow

There’s no escaping a food coma following a meal here. This is a gut-busting traditional French meal at its finest—from the seasonal plump white asparagus and the Côte de Boeuf for two (served medium-rare only with the most perfect French fries) to their signature praline-buttercream-filled Paris-Brest pastry or big-as-your-head steaming-hot soufflé. There’s tartare, too, of course, plus a yellow-as-the-sun egg served with shaved black truffles. During lunch, the $25 two-course prix fixe is a steal; you can do a formule at dinner, too, or order a là carte.

Les Enfants du Marché Arrow

This is a stools-only, silverware-in-buckets, blackboard-menu kind of joint serving seasonal small plates out of an open-kitchen vendor stand inside Paris's oldest covered market, Marché des Enfants Rouge . But what it lacks in deco refinement, it more than makes up for it on the plate. Owner Michael Grosman and chef Shunta Susuki offer variations on dishes including a ceviche, a soup of the moment, and a few other "regulars" such as oysters and a selection of finely sliced charcuterie. Expect heartier fare, too, like crispy fish croquettes with a red pepper dipping sauce, grilled octopus  smothered in chimichurri, and a perfectly pink skirt steak served with creamy mashed potatoes and greens. In general, the prices are high for the setting, but that's part of the appeal: high-class, neo-bistro cuisine in a rough-and-tumble joint. 

L’Avant Comptoir Arrow

The idea behind this quirky standing-room only joint is to load up on the first-class finger food. While the menu does occasionally change, you’ll almost always find the likes of ham croquettes, fried Parmesan cheese puffs, boudin noir macarons, and artichoke and cured ham waffles on offer.

Pierre Sang Arrow

Each dish is creative, unexpected, and full of diverse flavors—some totally new to Parisian tastes (especially the Korean touches the chef and his team are likely to fold into the mix). A sauté of pork and white beans in a tomato sauce topped with anchovies and radishes is both comforting and umami-filled with just the right note of acidity. Dishes are artfully plated and always so fresh.

Mokonuts Arrow

Omar, who’s responsible for the savory dishes, got his start at Daniel in New York City , while Moko, a one-time lawyer, dreamt of making macarons at Ladurée. Together, they’ve created something wholly their own. Despite only serving lunch, they actually don’t do a prix-fixe option. But shortly after you take your first bite—of their famous zaatar-spiced labne; of Moko’s oddball flavored cookies; of Omar’s daily dish—you still feel as if you’re getting a deal. While the lunch menu changes daily, the Middle Eastern-skewed dishes plated on raw ceramics may include fish topped with artichokes and crushed potatoes or moist chicken served with fresh greens.

The Lebanese diaspora in Paris is well-documented, and while there are a plethora of casual Lebanese restaurants, few are as well-known, and as stylish, as Liza. Don't be surprised to dine alongside Lebanese visitors, or locals with Lebanese heritage: It's a veritable destination that draws big groups—its spacious; something of a rarity in Paris. Pair Lebanese wines and arak or homemade orange blossom lemonade with the mezze. Think black-lemon labneh, codfish hummus, and riz au lait (rice pudding) developed with the help of L'Ami Jean chef Stéphane Jego. Everything is meant to be shared, so go for the mixed plates if you can't decide. Don't leave without trying the grilled halloumi, served with sesame-coated tomato jam.

La Dame de Pic Arrow

Anne-Sophie Pic's hyperseasonal cooking is both bold and delicate. Japanese flavors and ingredients inflect many of her dishes; on one visit, there were baked carrots with hazelnut and Nikka Black whiskey foam; blue mackerel marinated in the salts of smoked Lapsang Souchong tea, served with celery risotto and brightened with bergamot; and Wellington style veal with anchovy filets, Swiss chard from Provence and English Stilton. And for dessert, a highlight: a whole pear with cocoa pebbles and candied pear, mint cream, and chestnut cream.

Vivant 2 Arrow

Originally opened in 2011 by the young and incredibly talented Pierre Touitou, Vivant 2 is now a showcase for chef Léo Dauvergne to hold court from his small kitchen behind the long marble bar. The lighting goes from soft to moody in the span of the first service, which encourages more of the schmoozing you had already casually begun to engage in with your neighbors. By the time it fills up, the space feels intimate, even a little steamy. But that's why it's magical. The liveliness starts slow and measured, reaching a crescendo by 9:30 p.m., at which point the team is moving to the music as they slice, dice, stir, and serve. Shareable, seasonal dishes define the menu here, and go big on seafood and meat (sometimes, paired together as with the beef tongue, Breton sea urchin, and black truffle dish during the winter). But there are enough veggie-forward options to satisfy all tastes. One recurring dish to look out for is the melt-in-your-mouth onion with juniper and Taggiasca olives.

Le Baratin Arrow

On the surface, the food could be considered typical. But once the, say, joue de boeuf (beef cheek) arrives and immediately melts in your mouth, you'll understand what all of the fuss is about. Since there isn’t much in the way of atmosphere, Le Baratin is best reserved for those who can appreciate simple, authentic dining experiences. It’s fairly quiet, too, so if you’re after good conversation over an excellent meal—be it with the parents, that college friend you haven’t seen in a decade, or a co-worker—this is a safe and solid choice.

ÅKE - Table & Vin Arrow

This restaurant just off Canal Saint-Martin, in the 10th arrondissement, feels like a breath of fresh air. It's a shared, seasonal-plates spot with a limited selection, so we're going to go ahead and suggest you just order the whole menu (if you're not alone, of course). From mixed-mushroom gnocchi in a parsley jus, to pork shoulder with soy dressing, you'll only want more of everything. Do not, under any circumstances, skip chef Linda Granebring's pavlova—meringue paired with cream, caramel, and candied ginger—if it's on offer. Even if you think you're not into something (like, say, meringue) Granebring will change your mind.

Le Chardenoux Arrow

This newly restored Belle Epoque-era dining room in a trendy corner of the 11th arrondissement attracts well-heeled locals who know they're also about to throw down for a memorable meal. Prior to celebrity chef Cyril Lignac taking over the restaurant in 2014, it was predominantly seafood-focused; nowadays, the cocktail bar itself is so inviting that you could easily come for a cocktail and not even eat. That said, there's poké, crispy sushi, and meats like satay-marinated chicken and a very good hamburger (the bun alone is worth the calories); highlights are the mussels gratin and the avocado-covered crab served atop a crusty cracker. Don't skip dessert, because Monsieur Lignac is known for his pastries; while some may say his Baba au Rhum is the best in Paris, he also knows how to keep things simple, like with a bowl of naturally sweet strawberries topped with meringue crumbles and vanilla cream.

yam'Tcha Arrow

It can be challenging to book a table here ever since the chef was featured on her own Netflix episode of “Chef’s Table” —often requiring a month advance even for lunch. But a true harmony of Asian ingredients and French cooking methods make Yam'tcha worth planning around; there is a sort of unifying that goes on at Adeline Grattard’s Michelin-starred (and much-loved) table. You might be served Chanterella Mushroom with oca potatoes and sweet chives in chili fuyu broth, a Stilton and Morello cherry steamed bao bun, or shrimp chips alongside pork wonton soup. The only thing left to decide is whether to go for the wine or tea pairing.

Miznon Arrow

The idea here is Israeli food with a French twist. Generally, everything comes in or with the softest, most plump pita you’ll taste outside Israel. There’s a ton of vegetarian options, too, whether it’s their famous whole-roasted cauliflower, simple baked sweet potato, or ratatouille. Whether you stuff it inside one of those piping hot pitas or go carb-free, the choice is yours—and you can never go wrong.

Le Rigmarole Arrow

One of the most unique tasting menus in town can be found on a quiet street in the 11th arrondissement—the same neighborhood where all of the city's most epoch-defining neo bistros and contemporary restaurants, such as Le Châteaubriand and Septime, have gotten their start—in a blink-and-you-miss-it space. There is warm, dim lighting and a smattering of simple wood tables but the best seats for solo diners or duos are those right at the long counter where the chef-couple Robert Compagnon and Jessica Yang (who met working for Guy Savoy in Paris) preside over an open kitchen with a binchotan grill. The menu des chefs might read like a shopping list–pigeon, oysters, salmon, mackerel, endive, leek–but these are the ingredients that will be grilled and served one at a time. Among the non-grilled dishes, there may be fresh pastas, tartare, and almost always a butternut beignet.

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The 38 Essential Restaurants in Paris

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Paris has reclaimed its status as one of the world’s favorite cities to eat. The French capital is bustling with a brilliant constellation of restaurants these days, including a bevy of openings that show off how deliciously cosmopolitan it’s become: Menkicchi is maybe the best ramen shop in town, while young French Malian chef Mory Sacko cooks stunningly original dishes at Mosuke. Plus there’s an inventive and diverse array of casual dining options, like the affordable Café du Coin, excellent Montmartre bistro Le Maquis, and Parcelles, an outstanding bistrot a vins in the Marais. There’s also been a renaissance of Paris’s long-established gastronomic landscape, with traditional bistros, brasseries, and stylish restaurants serving classic French cooking made famous by chef Auguste Escoffier.

Updated, January 2024:

A new generation of young chefs bristling with talent are delighting visitors and locals with intriguing new takes on contemporary French bistro cooking, creating meals that are seasonal, local, and sustainable. People like Clément Vergeat at Tracé and Maxime Bouttier at Géosmine are bringing the precision and technical excellence of haute cuisine to this more casual style of cooking, blurring the boundary between bistros and fine dining. Vegetables play an ever larger role on the menus of these restaurants, where seafood is often favored over meat as well.

The still very good Eels makes way for the outstanding Tracé, which has become the talk of the town, and Géosmine replaces Les Parisiennes to showcase the rising star of Bouttier.

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Paris dining scene. The guide is organized by arrondissement, spiraling out from the First.

Alexander Lobrano is a Paris restaurant expert and author of Hungry for Paris, Hungry for France , and his gastronomic coming-of-age story My Place at the Table . He blogs about restaurants and writes often for the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , Saveur , and other publications.

Tracé Restaurant

Located near the Comedie Francaise in the heart of Paris, chef Clément Vergeat’s highly praised new restaurant generates a low-lit, monastic atmosphere with a minimalist decor of gray chairs and bare wood tables. The small, quiet space creates a setting that allows you to concentrate on the intricate, original, and very subtle dishes that compose the chef’s regularly changing tasting menu. The two memorable dishes stuck out from a recent meal: The first was a raw langoustine steamed in seaweed vapor and topped with a nearly transparent ribbon of squid cured to resemble the Italian fatback known as Lardo di Colonnata. The othe was roasted pigeon with fermented strawberry puree, turnips, beets, and other winter vegetables. Located in the First Arrondissement.

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Young chef Eugénie Béziat’s debut as the new chef of Espadon, the Hotel Ritz’s headliner restaurant, represented a daring departure from the conventions of luxury hotel restaurants in Paris. Instead of foie gras and truffles, Béziat’s very personal cooking references the flavors and produce she knew from her childhood in West Africa even as she shows off her supreme mastery of French culinary technique. The chef’s signature dish is her chicken yassa, which combines French and Senegalese flavors in an heirloom fowl from Houdan in the Yvelines. Located in the First Arrondissement.

Right in the heart of the city, midway between the Opera Garnier and the Musee du Louvre, you’ll find a cluster of Japanese and other Asian restaurants along the Rue Sainte-Anne and adjoining streets. Stop by the very popular Menkicchi for some gyoza and a bowl of some of the city’s best ramen. The regulars love the Le Speciale ramen, which comes with handmade noodles in rich pork bouillon, a marinated egg, a slice of pork breast, and seaweed. Located in the First Arrondissement.

This friendly wine bar and bistro is the perfect place to find really good French comfort food and a great bottle of wine without the hassle of booking three months in advance. Scottish wine merchant and longtime Paris expat Tim Johnston founded the restaurant, which is now run by his daughter Margaux and her French boyfriend, Romain Roudeau. With Roudeau in the kitchen and the younger Johnston running the dining room, the pair orchestrate a Gallic gastronomic experience that lives up to their motto: “We always deliver the goods.” The menu follows the seasons, but the kitchen displays its style with dishes like celery soup with cockles, chives with whipped cream, sauteed wild mushroom with egg yolk and prosciutto cream, duckling filet with Swiss chard and chestnuts, and scallops with leek, baby potatoes, and parsley cream. Located in the First Arrondissement.

Hidden on a small side street on the edge of Les Halles in the heart of Paris, this intimate restaurant sports contemporary decor of cutout wooden paneling and an open kitchen. It’s become one of the most sought-after reservations in the city for the superb contemporary French cooking of young chef Thomas Meyer, the former sous chef to Anne-Sophie Pic at her three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Valence. Meyer presents his cooking in a tasting-menu format that showcases his perfectly tuned creativity, love of fresh seasonal produce, and culinary loyalty to his native Jura in the east of France. The menus evolve regularly, but standouts of a recent meal included a grilled cepe mushroom with meadowsweet-flavored sabayon and a sauce of deeply reduced mushroom jus and white miso; sea bream with kale in Granny Smith apple juice with a gelee of lovage; roast pigeon in a sauce of its own gizzards with green cardamom and citrus; and an intriguing dessert of rice pudding wrapped in rice roll with mirabelle plums stewed with vin jaune. Located in the First Arrondissement.

Au Pied de Cochon

Channel your inner Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern by ordering the Tentation de Saint-Antoine (the Temptation of Saint Anthony), served at this famous brasserie in Les Halles that’s been open nonstop — 24/7 — since it opened in 1947. Saint Anthony is the patron saint of charcutiers, and this plate includes a muzzle, ears, breaded pig’s foot, and a tail with lashings of bearnaise sauce. This lively place satisfies less assertively carnivore appetites, too, with trays of oysters and other shellfish, and dishes like its famous onion soup and beautifully made sole meuniere.  Located in the First Arrondissement.

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La Bourse et la Vie

Chef Daniel Rose’s second Paris restaurant has become one of the city’s best bistros. He delivers superb versions of the rock-of-ages French dishes that people yearn to eat. His superb foie gras de canard comes to the table perched on a fresh artichoke heart with a dribble of aspic-like shallot vinaigrette on the side, a brilliant detail. Don’t miss the collier d’agneau provencal (braised lamb neck Provençal style) either. Located in the Second Arrondissement.

From the moment it opened in May, 2021, this bistrots a vins in the Marais has been packed to the gills by a crowd who love proprietaire Sarah Michielsen’s hospitality, sommelier Bastin Fidelin’s wine list, and the delicious cosmopolitan modern bistro cooking of chef Julien Chevallier. The chalkboard menu evolves constantly but runs to dishes like baby clams steamed with herbs and shallots in white wine, vitello tonnato, braised beef cheek in breadcrumbs with a beef jus and baby vegetables, and tiramisu with toasted hazelnuts. This stylish comfort food is exactly what Paris is hungry for right now, especially paired with charming service and a great selection of wines by the glass. Located in the Third Arrondissement.

L'Épicerie du Breizh Café

Brittany-born Bertrand Larcher’s brilliant creperies are found everywhere from Cancale to Tokyo. In Paris, Larcher’s kitchens star first-rate Breton produce, and his outpost in the Marais is a terrific choice for a meal of galettes and crepes. Go with a smoked herring- and potato-filled galette, then tuck into a matcha and white chocolate mousse-filled crepe garnished with strawberries. There are five other addresses in Paris, so check the website for the one nearest you. Located in the Third Arrondissement.

Young chef Martin Maumet has created one of the best restaurants on the Left Bank with his nervy, vivid, and inventive French cooking. A meal in the minimalist, gallery-like space begins with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres and then segues into a suite of Asian-accented contemporary French dishes that showcase vegetables and seafood. The menu evolves constantly, but options might include Sardinian gnocchi with mussels in herb-garnished shellfish bouillon, free-range heirloom chicken with carrots, and Iberian pork with roasted root vegetables and chimichurri sauce. Desserts are often made with vegetables, as in the butternut squash ice cream with chestnuts, pistachios, and yuzu.  Located in the Sixth Arrondissement.

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Huîtrerie Régis

This minuscule, white-painted, no-reservations raw bar in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a pearl, and it serves the best bivalves in Paris. The owners get them shipped daily from pedigreed producers in the Marennes d’Oléron, Normandy, and Brittany on France’s Atlantic coast. Start with some smoked scallops, tuck into a dozen oysters, and finish up with the runny chocolate tart. Located in the Sixth Arrondissement.

Joséphine Chez Dumonet

With its lace curtains, cut-glass room dividers, and bentwood chairs, this century-old bistro is why you put up with all those terrible hours in economy class to get to Paris. The boeuf bourguignon is the best in the city. The dish is a testament to Gallic genius, calling for slowly simmering meat to create a flavor-rich sauce from the juices. You must book in advance, and don’t miss the Grand Marnier souffle for dessert either. Located in the Sixth Arrondissement.

Arnaud Nicolas

With excellent handmade pates, sausages, and terrines, award-winning charcutier and chef Arnaud Nicolas has revived an ancient branch of French gastronomy. The space, on a leafy avenue in the silk-stocking Seventh Arrondissement, is decorated with exposed stone walls, a beamed ceiling, and battleship-gray moldings. Roasts and meat pies, Gallic pleasures that date back at least to the Middle Ages, figure as first courses, before an evolving menu filled with seasonal produce. Nicolas shows off his style with turbot cooked with cep mushrooms, salmon koulibiak for two, beef cheek braised with carrots in red wine, veal sweetbreads with girolles mushrooms, and a luscious chocolate souffle. Located in the Seventh Arrondissement.

Chez L'Ami Jean

Chef Stéphane Jego’s heaving Left Bank bistro is perpetually packed. Like so few other Parisian chefs, Jego knows how to deliver beautiful, traditional French bistro food, modernized with tweaks so subtle most people won’t even notice. He’s barely touched the 1930s space since taking it over nearly two decades ago from a Basque rugby pub. The earthy dishes, often inspired by southwestern French farmhouse food, are so deeply satisfying you won’t mind the occasionally slow service or boisterous regulars. The menu includes Parmesan soup with cabbage and bonito flakes, roasted pigeon with thyme and garlic, roast lamb with smoked oregano, and light and fluffy rice pudding. Located in the Seventh Arrondissement.

David Toutain

After working with Alain Passard and Marc Veyrat, David Toutain first wowed Paris at Agapé Substance in Saint-Germain. Now he has his own place, and his constantly changing tasting menus (which range from 70 to 250 euros) deliver some of the boldest and most interesting food in Paris. Think dishes like seared foie gras in baked potato bouillon with black truffles; a monochromatic white composition of cuttlefish with yuba; and nearly translucent Parmesan gnocchi, seasoned with the juice extracted from cooking the cheese at very low temperatures for hours. Located in the Seventh Arrondissement.

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Golden poppy.

Slaying a slew of negative local stereotypes about American food, the return of one of their own is proving to French diners that there’s actually some spectacularly good food in the United States. Chef Dominique Crenn moved from France to San Francisco in 1988, trained with Jeremiah Tower, and became the first female chef in the country to earn three Michelin stars at her restaurant L’Atelier Crenn. Now she’s opened Golden Poppy, named for the official flower of her adopted state, as a very personal homage to California cooking, all presented in trippy, through-the-looking-glass Victorian conservatory decor done by trendy designer Martin Brudnizki. The small-plates menu runs to dishes like Parker House rolls with shiso-miso sauce, egg-yolk jam, and rice cream; griddled corn tacos with grilled conch; and gem lettuce wraps of aged sea bream, mint, coriander, and Korean condiments. Don’t miss the coconut beignets with pineapple for dessert. Located in the Ninth Arrondissement.

Raviolis Nord Establissements

The small dining room may have bare-bones decor, but you’re here for the homemade jiaozi (small Beijing-style dumplings), which are probably the best meal you’ll find in Paris for a fiver. Served grilled or boiled in orders of 10, they’re stuffed with your choice of pork and green cabbage; mushrooms, beef, and celery; egg, chives, and shrimp; or tofu, mushrooms, and green cabbage. Located in the 10th Arrondissement.

Faubourg Daimant

Often acclaimed as the best vegan restaurant in Paris, Faubourg Daimant aspires to deliver high-level gastronomy regardless of its animal-free restrictions. Dishes show off the kitchen’s precise technical skills and culinary imagination, including items like carrots glazed with barbecue sauce and tofu croquettes meant to resemble pig’s trotters. The tiled dining room is a beautiful place for a meal too, and there’s also a pleasant courtyard for outdoor dining when the weather agrees. Located in the 10th Arrondissement.

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The 15 Essential Vegan Restaurants in Paris

The neighborhood near the Gare du Nord train station is nondescript, and this tiny bistrot a vins packs its clients in like sardines. No one minds the humdrum location or the crowd, though, because the restaurant serves some of the best and most reasonably priced French comfort food in Paris. Chef Thomas Brachet’s chalkboard menu changes daily but always offers an irresistible mix of contemporary dishes — like a salad of green beans, apricots, speck, and fresh almonds, or John Dory meuniere with vegetable accras (beignets) — and traditional ones, which may include langoustines with house-made mayonnaise, or the best sausage and potato puree in Paris. The stuffed cabbage and rice pudding with cinnamon and orange shouldn’t be missed either. Be sure to book a few days ahead of time. Located in the 10th Arrondissement.

Café les Deux Gares

With charmingly quirky railroad themed decor by trendy British interior designer Luke Hall, this hotel restaurant is conveniently situated between the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est stations. But Café Les Deux Gares serves such bright, original, flavorful contemporary French cooking that it’s well worth a visit even if you don’t have a train to catch. Chef Jonathan Schweitzer’s chalkboard menu evolves according to what’s best at the market, expressing his culinary imagination with dishes like smoked scallops with raw cream, chives, and herb oil; line-caught red tuna with cherries, nasturtium leaves, and elderflower vinegar; and lovage sorbet with meringue and cucumber ribbons. Located in the 10th Arrondissement.

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The carefully studied interior of this handsome modern bistro — olive-green banquettes, globe lamps, dark wood tables, stenciled tile floors, and custom-made ceramic tableware — is a perfect reflection of the casually stylish Oberkampf quarter of the 11th arrondissement. Japanese-born chef Ryuya Ono serves an intriguingly creative menu of refined dishes with potent flavors. The menu evolves constantly but recent dishes express the chef’s exact and cosmopolitan style: suave haddock velouté with trout roe and smoked and charred potatoes; tuna sashimi lightly dressed with Stracciatella and translucent slices of cucumber and yellow peach; and a juicy suckling pig shoulder in a punchy clam jus. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

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Young chef Maxime Bouttier first got noticed for his cooking at Mensae in the arty Belleville district of northeastern Paris. Now he’s gone out on his own with a stylish new bistro, set in a loft-like, white duplex in a former textile factory in the 11th Arrondissement. At Géosmine (“odor of the soil,” as in a freshly plowed field), Bouttier works to enhance and enunciate the natural flavors and textures of the produce he works with. On a recent menu, artichokes barigoule (braised in white wine and herbs) were wrapped in fine ribbons of lardo di Colonnata (fatback) to create a contrast of earthy tastes and textures, and green asparagus was slathered with pistachio cream and chickweed to similar effect. The most unusual dish on the menu is mamelle, or cow’s udder, served with raw cream, caviar, and seaweed, and the dessert not to miss is the baked-to-order cake of chocolate, vanilla, praline, and fleur de sel. At dinner, Geosmine serves a prix fixe menu, while lunch is a la carte. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

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Restaurant le Tagine

Paris has dozens of North African restaurants serving couscous and tagines, but what sets this cheerful Moroccan restaurant apart is the outstanding quality of its produce, making it a favorite among Parisian chefs. Here, the couscous is made with fresh seasonal vegetables and succulent baby lamb from the Pyrenees. They also bake their bread and North African pastries in-house, while the wine list features an interesting selection of mostly natural wines. The atmosphere is vivid but avoids cartoonish indulgence, with mosaic-topped tables, lanterns, and candles. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

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Aux Bons Crus

The tongue-in-cheek decor nods to les routiers, the roadside restaurants once frequented by truck drivers — think red-and-white checkered tablecloths, plastic bread baskets, and moleskin banquettes. Deals like a solid two-course meal for 16 euros, including wine, have kept this jaunty bistro packed since it opened. The menu changes constantly but you can expect dishes like celery remoulade with crabmeat, steak au poivre, stuffed cabbage, beef braised with carrots, and chocolate mousse. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

Given how hard it is to score a reservation at chef Bertrand Grébaut’s relaxed modern bistro, you’ll probably come to the table expecting a meal that will induce instant rapture. But that’s not Grébaut’s style. Instead, his cooking is “innocent, spontaneous, and balanced,” in the chef’s own words, which translates to superbly delicate, subtle dishes like mushrooms with oyster and foie gras bouillon, or seared tuna with raspberries and tomato water. Service is friendly and easygoing, and the loft-like space is airy. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

16 Hot and Essential Restaurants in Paris

Chef Bertrand Grébaut’s seafood bar is perennially one of the hottest places in Paris right now. It does not take reservations, so if you want to beat the line, try to go right when it opens, at 7 p.m., or late, after 10 p.m. The menu changes daily, but offers dishes like smoked shrimp with roasted red pepper and white beans, tuna tartare, ceviche, oysters, crab fritters, and more. It also boasts terrific platters of raw seafood like clams, shrimp, sea snails, and other seaworthy delights. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

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Le 6 Paul Bert

Le Paul Bert, one of the best-known bistros in Paris, successfully caters to the Gallic gastronomic stereotypes of tourists with traditional French bistro cooking. The restaurant’s edgy little sibling, Le 6 Paul Bert, is very different, offering inventive cooking in a contemporary French bistro. This popular, lively restaurant, outfitted with a marble counter and red tables, is now helmed by Pauline Séné, who’s emerged as one of the most talented female up-and-comers in Paris after a stint at (now closed) Fripon in Ménilmontant. In regularly changing menus, Séné proclaims her love of vegetables, fresh textures, and cosmopolitan flavors with dishes like yellow pollack with ajo blanco, zucchini, fennel, and apple; dill gnocchi with smoked herring; pigeon with creamed corn, prunes, and harissa; and brownies with miso caramel and peanuts. N.B. The 26 Euro lunch menu is one of the best buys in town. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

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Café du Coin

Paris is filled with cafes du coin, or corner cafes, but very few of them serve such good food at such reasonable prices all day long. Run by trendsetting restaurateur Florent Ciccoli, this cheerful, popular place in the super bobo 11th Arrondissement changes its chalkboard menu daily, but you’ll likely find dishes like freshly baked pizzettes, caillette (a caul fat-wrapped, herb-filled sausage patty garnished with pickled mustard seeds on a bed of potato puree), and blood sausage with roasted corn and guindillas (pickled green peppers from Basque country). Don’t miss the lemon tart for dessert. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

The talented couple Omar Koreitem and Moko Hirayama run this friendly cafe-bakery, the place to head for a casual but outstanding lunch or snack. French Lebanese chef Koreitem creates the savory dishes, such as bonito with spring tabbouleh, while Japanese chef Hirayama is a superb baker, serving up fennel, pickled lemon, and almond cookies, and flourless chocolate layer cake with coffee-mascarpone cream. Open from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., it’s deservedly one of the most popular places in eastern Paris. Located in the 11th Arrondissement.

At his bistro that looks like an Edward Hopper painting near the Bastille, chef Christophe Philippe serves the best chocolate mousse in Paris. It’s made from the sublime chocolate produced by Italian Claudio Corallo on the tiny African islands of Sao Tome et Principe. Unctuous, funky, deep, this dark fluff will leave you with a craving you’ll never, ever escape. Located in the 12th Arrondissement.

The 13th Arrondissement is the largest of Paris’s Asian neighborhoods, with a mixed population originating from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Head to Phở Tài for an excellent bo-bun composed of freshly made nem (deep-fried spring rolls) and sauteed beef on a bed of rice noodles with an umami-rich sauce. The namesake pho is very good, too. Located in the 13th Arrondissement.

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Young chef Mory Sacko has become a rising star of French gastronomy for the originality of his intriguing African French Japanese cooking in Montparnasse. The son of Malian immigrants to France, he grew up in the suburbs eating African dishes made by his mother and American fast food for an occasional treat. At a job at a big Paris luxury hotel, he discovered his fascination with cooking, and went on to work with two-Michelin-star chef Thierry Marx, a Japanophile who taught Sacko to love Japanese ingredients and techniques. Expect dishes like lobster in miso sauce with smoked pepper and lacto-fermented tomato, sole seasoned with togarashi shichimi, and lovage cooked inside of a banana leaf and served with a side of attieke, a couscous-like preparation of dried fermented cassava pulp. The name of the restaurant derives from the names of the chef and one of his heroes, Yasuke, the first and only African samurai, an emancipated Mozambican slave who lived in 16th-century Kyoto. Located in the 14th Arrondissement.

It is quiet, hard-working, limelight-shunning chefs like David Rathgeber who make Paris such an enduringly terrific food city. He took over this locally famous restaurant — previously helmed by a flamboyant chef named Lulu who charmed the likes of late President François Mitterrand and other celebrities — and has made it one of the city’s best bistros. It’s well worth the trek to the quiet 14th Arrondissement for his deft take on traditional dishes like pork-knuckle rillettes with foie gras and a superb cassoulet. The menu also offers lighter fare, including sea bream tartare with green tomato and coriander jus, and cuttlefish carbonara. The creme caramel is nothing short of epic. Located in the 14th Arrondissement.

The bulk of Paris’s famed haute cuisine is fiscally out of reach for many. However Michelin-starred Comice, headed by Canadian chef Noam Gedalof and sommelier Etheliya Hananova (the two are married), is an indulgence that won’t completely melt your credit card. The look strikes a similar balance: elegant but relaxed, with striking arrangements from a renowned local florist. Hananova’s wine list — which features lesser-known wines from around the world — is terrific, as is Gedalof’s light, inventive contemporary French cooking. Try the duck foie gras with hazelnuts, strawberries, balsamic, and black pepper, or the roast chicken with polenta, wild mushrooms, and a salad of wild herbs. Located in the 16th Arrondissement.

Founded in 1872 by Albert Prunier, this restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe has always epitomized Parisian chic and the city’s avid love of the best quality seafood, including the caviar that Prunier started producing on farms in the Aquitaine region in 1921. Most recently owned by the late Pierre Bergé, cofounder of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house, Prunier’s new proprietors hired chef Yannick Alleno, who earned three Michelin stars at Pavillon Ledoyen, to reboot the restaurant’s menu. Seated among the landmarked art-deco decor, be sure to try dishes like the Oeuf Christian Dior, a coddled egg on a bed of ham aspic in caviar-speckled cream; langoustines carpaccio with geranium and caviar; and the sole meuniere. Located in the 16th Arrondissement.

Located in the tranquil 18th Arrondissement far from the crowds of tourists around Sacre Coeur and the Place du Tertre, this laidback neighborhood bistro pulls a discerning crowd of locals and word-of-mouth customers from other parts of Paris for the excellent bistro cooking of Paul Boudier and Albert Touton. Many of their dishes have a Southern French or Italian accent, including superb homemade pastas, ceviche with shavings of poutargue (bottarga), and pork belly cooked in cider with roasted fennel. Located in the 18th Arrondissement.

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An old working-class neighborhood on the northeastern edge of Paris (and the birthplace of Édith Piaf), Belleville is coming on strong as one of the most interesting food neighborhoods in Paris. Brother-and-sister team Léa and Louis-Marie Fleuriot run this very affordable modern bistro in a former corner cafe. While she works the kitchen, he runs the dining room, and together they offer the kind of market-driven cooking that exemplifies the area. The petroleum-blue facade has big picture windows, and inside there’s an indigo-painted zinc-topped service bar, an open kitchen, and wooden tables with cloth napkins and French-made Opinel knives. The chalkboard menu changes daily but runs to dishes like mussels in creamy, saffron-spiked bisque, haddock in coriander court bouillon with mushrooms and potato puree, and egg-rich, caramel sauce-lashed creme caramel. Located in the 19th Arrondissement.

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When Paris chefs want to unwind they head for this little wine bar in Belleville where Argentine-born self-taught chef Raquel Carena serves up some of the most deeply satisfying food in Paris. The chalkboard menu changes constantly, but Carena loves offal and fish, and her palate favors tart and sweet-and-sour flavors, as seen in dishes like mackerel tartare with smoked vinegar, tuna steak with black cherries, and rabbit and mushroom ragout with red wine sauce. The bohemian soul of rapidly gentrifying Belleville has taken refuge here, too. So go now while the good times last. Located in the 20th Arrondissement.

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Where To Eat In Paris? 12 Must-Try Restaurants (Listed By Type)

I often get asked, “Where should we eat in Paris? What are your restaurant recommendations?” It’s hard to choose when there are so many, which is why I’ve compiled a short list of must-try restaurants in Paris that are sorted by type of cuisine or venue you might be interested in (ie. crepes, traditional French cuisine, soufflés, at a bistro or at a café with a view of the Eiffel Tower, etc). I’ve eaten at all of them and highly recommend them all.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission at no extra charge to you. It helps support the running of this website and I do appreciate your help.*

Originally published November 12, 2022 and updated April 21, 2024.

Table of contents

1. café with a view of the eiffel tower: café lucy.

• 2. Crêpes:  Breizh Café

3. Bouillons: Reasonably-Priced Classic French Cuisine

4. soufflés: le récamier, 5. provençal cuisine and a huge chocolate mousse: chez janou, 6. bistro: poulette, 7. bistro: le petit vendôme, 8. averyon cuisine: bistrot des vosges, 9. boeuf bourguignon: au bourguignon du marais, 10. meat-lover’s bistro: a la biche au bois, 11. oysters: le baron rouge, 12. bistro highlighting a market menu: les papilles, (a) not your typical food courts, (b) wine bar: 5e cru, (c) if you love cats: café des chats, (d) more crêpes: crêperie brocéliande, (e) meal in the eiffel tower: jules verne, (f) other restaurants to consider, recommendations for where to eat in paris.

My list of recommendations for where to eat in Paris covers a wide variety of dining types. There are bistros, cafés, bouillons, restaurants that specialize in regional cuisine, and places that simply have one focus (ie. oysters). In addition to being categorized by type or uniqueness, I have also provided a pricing legend to help you out. Many of these dining experiences took place during Trip #35 , Trip #36 , and Trip #37 .

$- Very Inexpensive

$$- Inexpensive

$$$- Moderately Expensive (norm)

$$$$- Very Expensive

I highly recommend you stop in at Café Lucy, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Musée de l’Homme. It’s free to enter and you just go up the stairs. They have a cafeteria-style service that offers sandwiches, desserts, coffee, and tea.

I had an excellent chocolate cake and Kusmi tea for 7.5 €. It provides one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. This is especially true as there is construction on Trocadero Place but you are high enough to see over the mess.

• Address : Musée de l’Homme, 17 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre (16th arr)
• Website : https://www.mnhn.fr/en/cafe-lucy

2. Crêpes:  Breizh Café

(a) What Are Crêpes?

Crêpes are thin pancakes that come sweet (crêpes sucrées) or savoury (galettes). They come a dime a dozen in Paris and they are especially popular on February 2nd, La Chandeleur (Candlemas), also known as The Day Of The Crêpes. La Chandeleur celebrates changing from winter to spring and goes back to Roman times. But really, crêpes are a favourite year-round because they are typically cheap.

You can easily pick up a crêpe from a street vendor….but don’t. I suggest heading to an authentic crêperie that specializes in making Breton crêpes and galettes where buckwheat flour is used. [Note: buckwheat flour is gluten-free]. After all, crêpes originated in Brittany in the 13th century.

(b) Breizh Cafés

I first had a crêpe at one of the Breizh cafés a few years ago along the Seine river. They had a pop-up take-out booth and I had a delicious apple crêpe with a glass of cider. The Breizh restaurant group was started by Breton Bertrand Larcher and the restaurants are known for using high-quality ingredients, especially ones from Brittany.

One indication that this was truly an authentic Breton restaurant? They had pommeau on the menu. It’s very difficult to find outside of Normandy and Brittany so I was pretty impressed [What is pommeau? Check out this post: Pommeau de Normandie ]

Their galettes use organic buckwheat flour and their crêpes use organic wheat flour. I went to their Marais location and got a table for lunch without a reservation. I was lucky because soon after 12:00, there was a lineup. 

(c) My Lunch

I had a large pichet (50cl) of brut cidre (dry cider) served in a customary ceramic bowl, and the special for the day, the Complète Épinard Galette (sunny-side up organic egg, artisanal ham from Brittany, raw milk comté cheese, “Bordier” butter, and spinach). The meal was fabulous and I ate the whole thing!

I then had the Quimperoise galette for dessert. It’s a crêpe with homemade apple compote, salted butter caramel, and vanilla ice cream. It was one of my best meals in Paris and the bill came to 33.5 €. There are 9 Breizh cafés in Paris.

• Cost : $-$$
• Address in the Marais : 109 rue Vieille-du-Temple (3rd arr)
• Website : https://www.breizhcafe.com/

Bouillons are restaurants that popped up in the 19th and 20th centuries with the purpose of serving traditional, classic French food to workers at cheap prices. Their distinct, interiors (Belle-Epoque and Art Nouveau designs), and fast service made them very popular and while there are only a few left in Paris, the remaining ones continue the tradition as I wrote in this post about 4 bouillons in Paris .

I will say my favourite bouillon was: Bouillon Julien . It checked off all the boxes: great food, price, and atmosphere.

• Cost : $$-$$$
• Address for Bouillon Julien : 16 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (10th arr)
• Website : https://www.bouillon-julien.com/

(a)What is a Soufflé?

A soufflé is a very light and fluffy, savoury or sweet dish made with egg whites and a cream sauce. It is baked and served in small or large ramekins. The name uses the verb, “souffler” which means, “to blow”, “to blow out”,  or “to puff”.  All these words perfectly describe the soufflé which is light, airy, and large. Soufflés date back to the early 18th century in France.

(b) Le Récamier

If you want to eat a soufflé Le Récamier is the place to go. It was named after  Jeanne Récamier (known as Juliette) who was a socialite in the late 1700s and early 1800s in France. She was quite the beautiful celebrity hobnobbing with artists, politicians and intellectuals. Le Récamier opened over 15 years ago and is owned by chef Gérard Idoux and the restaurant continues to entertain and serve heads of state and celebrities much like Juliette did.

I had a cheese soufflé (soufflé au fromage) as my “main” course, accompanied by 2 glasses of white wine. I had heard that it was best to go with a “simple” soufflé rather than one with additional ingredients such as salmon, mushroom, or escargot. In this way, you would really be able to savour the true cheese flavour and it wouldn’t be overpowered by another flavour.

For dessert I had a sweet soufflé (soufflé sucré), a dark chocolate soufflé called, “Soufflé au Chocolat Noir de Saint-Domingue”. It came with a side dish of warm dark chocolate sauce. As soufflés are incredibly light, you don’t feel stuffed afterwards, even though they both look gigantic. (Cost: 57 € ). Highly recommend.

• Address : 4 Rue Juliette Récamier (7th arr)
• Website : https://lerecamier.com/page-daccueil.html

(a) Reservations and No Reservations

Chez Janou is an incredibly popular restaurant. Getting a reservation was impossible. You can’t reserve online. You can only call. I tried but was told nothing was available. So I asked the concierge at the hotel to try. No luck. My friend and I dropped by and were told if we showed up at 6:30 another night, we would have a chance to get a table. We did and were so happy we got a table (albeit outside) and it was cool but manageable. In all honesty, sitting outside was nice because it was more spacious. It looked a bit crammed inside. We were lucky it wasn’t too cold.

(b) My Dinner

Dinner was superb and very reasonably priced. The service was good after waiting 45 minutes to place our order. Chez Janou specializes in Provençal cuisine and offers more than 80 brands of Pastis! My friend and I got the Côte de Provence red house wine (a pichet-50cl) and shared one of the entrées, a small pot of ratatouille, anchovies, and tapenade. For the main course, I the Farcis provençaux (stuffed tomatoes) and my friend had the flambé prawns (Gambas flambées au Pastis with anise rice).

The dessert was unbelievable. I ordered the chocolate mousse and the waitress came with a large terrine, like the type you’d use for soup. She scooped out an enormous portion of mousse and slapped it down on my plate. Perhaps slapped is a harsh word, but it was shocking to see how much she gave me! I could not eat it all and it was very good! By the time we left, 2.5 hours later, there were many people waiting to get a table. The bill came to 45 € per person.

• Cost: $$-$$$
• Address : 2 Rue Roger Verlomme, 75003 Paris
• Website : https://www.chezjanou.com/

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My friend and I had dinner at Poulette (we made reservations). We shared the Beignets de fliers de courgette, and ricotta harissa (stuffed zucchini flowers with ricotta cheese and harass). The main course was pork belly caramelized with Chinese cabbage, carrot purée, and fried onions. Also had a glass of 2020 Cahors wine. Don’t be turned off by the pork belly concept. When done right (well) and caramelized, it is excellent. The bill came to 36.25 € and the meal was delicious. Highly recommend.

• Address : 3 Rue Étienne Marcel, 75001 Paris
• Website: (There’s nothing on the website except the ability to book a reservation) https://www.pouletterestaurant.com/

I had read that one of the best places to get a baguette sandwich is at Le Petit Vendôme, located very close to Palais Garnier. I’ll cut to the chase: I had both the plat du jour and the sandwich (later in the day) and one was better than the other.      

This French bistro is cosy and unpretentious which was surprising in view of the area it’s located in—full of high-end, expensive boutiques and 10 minutes from the Louvre. But I highly recommend having lunch here. Just really good food.

You can tell it’s popular with locals. I was lucky to get a table (although inside, as the terrace was reserved for those with reservations) because soon after the place filled up. It was packed and you are seated close to those at the next table. There was also a lineup out the door for those wanting to just take out a baguette sandwich.

I ordered the plat du jour-perfectly cooked pork tenderloin in a mustard sauce, accompanied by a small salad and linguine. With 2 glasses of wine and the recommended dessert, the “Classic Millefeuilles Parisien”, the cost for lunch was 36.5 €. I highly recommend this bistro for a meal.

Before I headed to the airport that evening, I did pick up the Jambon Beurre sandwich (Jambon beurre: 5.5 €). While it was made to order (and not just sitting on a shelf waiting to be purchased), it was okay….not any better than other ham sandwiches I’ve ordered. Perhaps I should have ordered something else.

• Address : 8 Rue des Capucines (2nd arr)
• Website : https://lepetitvendome.fr/en

During my 36th trip to France, my friend and I ate at Bistro des Vosges, located a few blocks away from our Citadines Bastille Marais apartment. It specializes in dishes from the Aveyron region, which I visited earlier in the year.

The meal was very good as was the service. I had the grilled sausage from the Aveyron and aligot, which is a regional favourite. As I mentioned in the post about Aveyron specialities , Aligot is mashed potatoes with cream and Tome Fraiche d’Aubrac cheese. Rather than putting the garlic in the potatoes, there is a small dish of garlic sauce where you can add however much you want.  The potatoes were beautifully whipped! It also came with a small side salad and I paired the meal with a glass of AOC Marcillac (Aveyron) red wine. The dessert was Movenpick Swiss chocolate ice cream. The bill came to a very reasonable 27.3 €.

• Address : 31 Bd Beaumarchais, 75004 Paris
• Website: https://www.bistrotdesvosges.com/

I guess with a name like “Au Bourguignon” you know you’ll encounter Burgundy favourites, such as boeuf bourguignon. So that’s what I had. The boeuf bourguignon was made with stewing beef (ie. beef chuck), diced bacon, mushrooms, and baby potatoes and came in an enamelled cast iron French oven or maybe it was a cast iron mini cocotte. Either way, there was a LOT of food in that pot and it was absolutely delicious! I added a side dish of fresh green beans. With a glass of red wine, the bill came to 38 €.

• Address : 52 Rue François Miron (4th arr)
• Website : https://aubourguignondumarais.fr/

As I wrote in this post, A La Biche au Bois is a reasonably-priced French bistro that specializes in meat dishes. The food, service, and atmosphere were excellent. I had the Coq Au Vin, which the restaurant specializes in. You could tell that the chicken had been simmering for many hours because the meat was incredibly tender. My friend’s peppercorn steak was perfectly done and she said she loved it. Our 2 meals with dessert and a bottle of house wine came to 83 €. Check out my review here .

• Address: 45 Av. Ledru Rollin (12th arr)
• Website: they do not have a website but do have a Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/alabicheaubois ). Reservations are recommended. We booked a table by calling the restaurant (Phone number: +33143433438)

I absolutely LOVED my meal and experience at Le Baron Rouge, which has been a fixture at the Marché d’Aligre for years. It continues to get rave reviews…and deservedly so. You can’t beat the prices and the friendly service. The fact that they shuck the oysters right in front of you before you head in is all part of the great experience. Read my review here: Oysters At Le Baron Rouge .

• Address: 1 Rue Théophile Roussel (12th arr)
• Website: As their single web page states, they don’t take reservations. http://lebaronrouge.net/index_en.php

Listed in the Michelin Guide, Les Papilles is a small brasserie that serves traditional French cuisine. But it’s not a typical bistro where you order from the menu. There is a “Retour du marché” menu, meaning the chef has created a menu based on what he has purchased at the market that day. So what you have one day may be different the next day…and that’s a good thing because the dishes use regional and local products and they are simple, fresh, creative and full of flavour. As others have said, it is definitely a “Michelin star-worthy meal”!

My lunch included a starter, main course, cheese, and dessert. The portions were generous and the service was excellent—helpful and friendly. I had:

• Starter : Vichyssoise—It was served in a tureen and you were to pour the soup over a crostini topped with some terrine that was already in the soup bowl. There were leeks, chives, potatoes and some other ingredients in this delicious soup.
• Main -simple braised meat. In this case, it was Beef (Filet) Sirloin Steak—-with onions, carrots, peppers, snow peas, baby tomatoes, baby potatoes, and more. It reminded me of Boeuf Bourguignon with all the vegetables.
• Cheese : Camembert with apple compote
• Dessert : Apricot Pannacotta-this was a seasonal dessert that was outstanding -1 glass white wine
• Total cost : 46 €

While there were walk-ins when I visited at lunchtime, I would highly recommend that you make reservations well in advance. You can purchase gourmet products and they do have an extensive wine cellar.

Cost : $$-$$$ Address : 30 Rue Gay-Lussac (5th arr) Website : http://www.lespapillesparis.fr/

Restaurants That Were Excellent When I First Visited

Here are some restaurants that served excellent food; however, I haven’t revisited them lately so I can’t comment if they’ve maintained the same high standards. You’ll have to do your due diligence and read recent reviews for them.

Beaupassage Address : 14 Bd Raspail (7th arr)

La Felicita Address : 5 Parv. Alan Turing (13th arr)  

5e Cru is a wonderful wine bar on the left bank that continues to get great reviews. The owner really knows his wines and foods. I had an excellent charcuterie board to accompany my wine. Check out my review here .

Address: 7 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine (5th arr)

While you go for the cats, the food is good too. When I visited in December 2023, I had an excellent cheese platter. Check out the updated post here: Café de Chats

Address : 9 Rue Sedaine (11th arr)

Thoroughly enjoyed my  “La Calvados” crêpe here and listed it as one of the unique spots in Montmartre . It continues to receive excellent reviews.  

Address : 15 Rue des Trois Frères (18th arr)

A very long time ago I had a birthday lunch (Bastille Day) in the Eiffel Tower at the Jules Verne restaurant. It’s #13 on my list of unique experiences in Paris . It has changed hands since then and is now headed by triple Michelin-starred chef, Frédéric Anton.

Address : 5 Av. Gustave Eiffel (7th arr)

Chez Georges – 1 Rue du Mail (2nd arr)

Aux Lyonnais – 32, rue St Marc (2nd arr)

Cremerie Restaurant Polidor -41 Rue Monsieur le Prince (6th arr)

Le Procope -13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie (6th arr)

Le Perraudin -157 Rue Saint-Jacques (5th arr)

Thoumieux -58 Rue Saint-Dominique (7th arr)

L’Epi Dupin -11 Rue Dupin (6th arr)

Le Sergent Recruteur- 41 Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île (4th arr)

Brasserie Balzar -49 Rue des Écoles (5th arr)

Bofinger -5-7 Rue de la Bastille (4th arr)

If you have recently eaten at any of the above restaurants and think the quality has improved (or deteriorated), please let me know!

TRAVEL RESOURCES Booking.com and Expedia : are the companies I use for finding accommodations. VRBO : is super for booking apartments and houses.  AutoEurope : is the only car rental supplier that I will use–with the best prices, and they will refund the difference if the price goes down.  Trainline : offers an easy way to book train tickets. Get Your Guide and Viator : Both offer tours, city cards, tickets, airport pickups, and so many other things you’ll need at your destination. Orange SIM Card -this is the company I use when I want a physical SIM card Airalo eSIM -offers eSIMS and get great reviews

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Hello again!

How up to date are these recommendations?

I wrote this post in November 2022 so it’s fairly current.

Les Papilles has been one of my favorites for several years. It’s always good!

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Where to Eat in Paris: 18 Restaurants You’ll love for 2023

This post is about the restaurants in Paris , the majority without Michelin Stars, that we liked the most and the ones that we want to visit. As you know, we live in Paris and we try to test and try as much restaurants as possible.

If you are looking for an itinerary, check this blog post, Best things to do in Paris , a complete guide with an itinerary for those who travel to the city of light for the first time.

This article will grow every month and hopefully, you will be able to find restaurants for all tastes and budgets.

We are trying to order this list by arrondissement so you will know where to go depending on your location.

Do You Prefer a Tour?

• Paris Gastronomic Bus : Tour the center of Paris aboard the Bustronome, a luxurious gastronomic bus where you can enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner during the city tour.
• A unique day: Dinner Cruise .
• Check out this Cheese and wine tour in Paris

Best restaurants in Paris

There are plenty of lovely places to go for lunch ( déjeneur ) or dinner ( diner ) in Paris. Depending on the area, prices will vary a lot.

Of course, the most touristy areas, like everywhere else, are the most expensive, but there are always little tricks to save money in Parisian restaurants.

When you travel to France don’t take for granted that they speak English, if you try to talk to someone in France, always start with Bonjour , it costs nothing, and the French people consider it mandatory to start a conversation politely. If you don’t, they can be rude. You can try to learn some French phrases and words like: Bonjour (good morning), Merci (thank you), S’il vous plait (Please) and Au revoir (goodbye)

Where to eat in Paris. 1st Arrondissement

Kodawari ramen (tsukiji). japanese cooking..

12 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris 1st Arrondissement

+33142613460

https://kodawari-ramen.com/

Chef: Jean-Baptiste Meusnier

Another Japanese restaurant we tried in Paris in March 2023 is Kodawari Ramen. There are two Kodawari restaurants; you have KODAWARI TSUKIJI at 12 rue de Richelieu and KODAWARI YOKOCHŌ at 29 rue Mazarine.

We went to the first one, which is specialized in fish ramen. Moreover, the restaurant is set in a Tokyo fish market. The truth is that it’s amazing, and the ramen is probably the best and tastiest I’ve ever tried, with the exception of the ones we tried in Japan .

Fer asked for the SARDINE BOMB!! the chef’s version and I ordered the PAITAN DE DAURADE ROYALE with egg (tamago).

If you already know Paris or are craving ramen, this place is fantastic. The only bad thing is that you have to wait.

Let me tell you how it works; when you get to the restaurant door, you’ll see a QR code; you have to use the code to be on the wait list. 10 minutes before your turn is coming, they send you a text message.

I think this is great because you don’t have to wait at the door, you get on the waitlist and you can walk around, do shopping or whatever you want until they call you.

We arrived at 12 noon on a Sunday and ate at 1:30 p.m. We went for a walk around the Japanese quarter, but you can also go to the Louvre and take some photos of the pyramids, but you won’t have time to visit the museum.

But without a doubt, a place that I loved. The next time, I will go to Kodawari Yokocho, which specializes in beef ramen. Oishii!

Verjus – Modern European cooking

52 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris 1st Arrondissement

[email protected]

http://www.verjusparis.com//

Chef: Braden Perkins

Verjus, beautifully tucked within the romantic nooks of Paris, is a celebration of Modern European cuisine.

Under the culinary genius of Chef Braden Perkins, the restaurant promises a harmonious blend of traditional tastes with contemporary techniques.

With an ever-changing seasonal menu, Verjus offers dishes that are both visually arresting and tantalizing to the taste buds at a fixed price of 98€ per person plus wines.

I would never think I would go to an American chef restaurant in Paris, but this is the case with Braden Perkins, it absolutely worth it.

The wine list, thoughtfully curated, ensures each dish has its perfect liquid counterpart.

Natural wines, a trend in sustainable and organic viticulture, find their presence on the menu, complementing the flavors of each dish beautifully.

Among the city’s many stylish restaurants, Verjus outshines with its unique character and flair. Whether it’s a quiet dinner or a celebratory evening, Verjus stands out as a jewel of Parisian fine dining.

Where to eat in Paris in the 2nd Arrondissement

Pizzeria popolare. italian (obviously).

111 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris 2nd Arrondissement

Reserve a table

http://www.bigmammagroup.com/

+33186478110

This is the second restaurant of Big Mamma group that we include in this guide but it is fair to admit that this group is doing an amazing job. I have tried 3 restaurants, one in Lyon and two in Paris, and I really enjoyed everytime I’ve been there.

As always in the restaurants of this group the truffled pasta is a classic and pizzas are excellent.

The dining experience though, is a bit different than the others because the concept changes.

The restaurant has long tables that are shared with other diners, which can create a lively and convivial atmosphere. You should take this into account if you decide to go, it’s better knowing before than expecting other thing and find out you will share a table with other people.

The service is top-notch, and the food is absolutely delicious. It’s definitely a place I’ll be returning to!

Where to eat in Paris in the 3rd Arrondissement

Restaurant l’oyat.

11 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, 75003 Paris 3rd Arrondissement

+33142725177

https://www.restaurantloyat.com/

Chef: Jeremy Sergeant 

Restaurant L’Oyat is a popular wine bar and restaurant located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris at 11 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth.

The restaurant is run by the talented (and rocker) chef from Dunkirk Jeremy Sergeant, trained in London and South Africa before establishing his own restaurant in Paris.

His culinary skills are undoubtedly reflected in the delicious dishes served here.

The restaurant’s interior is tastefully decorated, making it one of these stylish restaurants in Paris I love. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, making it the perfect place to enjoy a meal with friends or family.

There’s a menu (formula) for lunch with an affordable price of 28€ that given the quality of the dishes is a very good price. For diner “à la carte” though, price will be around 60€ or 70€ per person.

The menu is short, always based in high quality ingredients of the season. 3 or 4 starters, 3 or 4 main courses and 3 or 4 desserts. I love that because it means every single dish is mastered and thoughtfully designed.

“Restaurant L’Oyat” is a popular dining destination in Paris, with locals and tourists alike flocking to this restaurant for its exceptional cuisine and good ambiance.

I’m not surprised why the restaurant has received high ratings, with many praising the quality of the food and the service provided by the friendly staff.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a perfect place to enjoy a memorable dining experience in Paris, “Restaurant L’Oyat” is definitely worth a visit. Its stylish interior, extensive wine list, and delicious cuisine make it one of the most popular restaurants in the city, and a must-visit for anyone who loves Paris dining around the 3rd Arrondissement.

Where to eat in Paris in the 5th Arrondissement

2 Rue Descartes, 75005 Paris, France. 5th Arrondissement

+33143542243

It is a restaurant with typical French food, located 2 minutes from the Pantheon, in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement.

It is a restaurant with typical French food, located 2 minutes from the Pantheon, in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement. The establishment prides itself on its classic French cooking, capturing the essence of traditional culinary delights.

We sat on the typically covered terrace you’ll see in French restaurants. The customer service was excellent, and the food was as good as the service.

We ordered without really knowing what we were ordering since my French was zero at that time, Fer remembered a little from school, and the hotesse didn’t speak English.

The homemade chocolate coulant , is the best I’ve ever tasted!

Although it is located in the Latin Quarter, this restaurant is on the outskirts and is not frequented by foreign tourists.

We do believe that some were French tourists, or at least they seemed so, and the best thing is that it was not crowded or it seemed because the French people speak generally in a lower tone of voice.

Another thing that I liked, besides the food, is that they don’t rush you; behind us, there was a couple who had been sitting before we arrived with a coffee, and they were still there when we left.

The menu price was about € 19 per person plus the drink apart, Fer had a beer and I asked for tap water, in french they say “carafe d’eau”. By law, in this country, they are obliged to serve a bottle to you and do not charge for it.

The bill was forty-something euros. So, for me, I totally recommend La Methode de Paris.

If you want to go, this is the address: 2 Rue Descartes, 75005 Paris.

La Brasserade, Latin Quarter

15 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris 5th Arrondissement

+33143548943

http://labraserade.eatbu.com/

This provencal restaurant is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter. We got in because we were strolling the Latin quarter, we saw the chalkboard menu, we wanted to taste fondue, it was time for dinner and we were hungry!

The restaurant is charming; the waiter who attended us was a gentleman who spoke Italian, French, some Spanish and English.

The atmosphere of La Brasserad is noisy and active. La Brasserade has a lot of tourists and you can hear a lot of Italian and Spanish in the restaurant.

In addition, the area in which it is located invites you to have a drink in any of the gambling dens along Rue Huchette.

I’m not going to say that this restaurant is top but prices are affordable, on average, about 20 euros per person, we took a salad, a fondue, half a bottle of Bordeaux, and two coffees.

Le Jardin du Roy, Latin Quarter

28 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris 5th Arrondissement

+33143261008

https://es.foursquare.com/v/le-jardin-du-roy/4c815857e602b1f7d1f3917a

This restaurant in the Latin Quarter’s famous Rue de la Huchette is nice. Although we ate from the lunch menu (Formule midi), there were two or three menus of different prices.

We ordered the € 15 one that included a starter, a main dish, and dessert. And to drink a jug of water.

The menu was excellent, and the dessert was delicious. But, Fer ordered a pint of Affligem beer, and they charged him € 11, almost the same as the meal. So, keep that in mind, in case you ask without looking at the prices.

I ordered a salad with goat cheese, entrecote with fries, and a chocolate mousse. Very good, totally recommended.

Where to eat in Paris in the 6th Arrondissement

Little breizh, saint germain.

11 Rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006 Paris. 6th Arrondissement

+33143546074

https://www.facebook.com/LittleBreizhCreperie

Great for galettes (savory crepes made with buckwheat) and sweet crepes.

Price 20 euros per person, but they had menus of € 11.90, including the first plate, second plate, dessert, and a glass of cider or homemade apple juice.

Lovely customer service and the crepes are superb!

Address: 11 Rue Gregoire de Tours.

Where to eat in Paris in the 8th Arrondisement

Del papa restaurant, arc du triomphe.

233Bis Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris 8th Arrondissement

+33147633098

http://delpapa.fr/

It is an Italian restaurant that is near the Arc de Triomphe. This is where we dined on New Year Eve; we chose it for the location and because the price of the menu did not go too much, 50 euros each.

We take a look at the menu, and on an average day, you can eat for about € 20; as always, drinks raise the price the most depending on what you order.

Our experience in this restaurant is from December 31st, so many people from all over, French, Italians, Spanish, Russians, and others do not identify the language.

Despite the number of people there, the customer service was excellent, and the food was tasty and abundant.

The only downside, perhaps, is that there were many tables and we were very close to each other. It is almost inevitable to talk to the next person, we like that, but, probably, others don’t.

Pierre Hermé Paris

133 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris 8th Arrondissement . Several Location in Paris

+33045122402

https://www.pierreherme.com/

Pierre Hermé Paris is perfect for giving yourself a sweet treat or bringing a gift, but it is quite expensive. It has shops scattered throughout the French capital, including the Eiffel Tower. A must-try the macarons.

Miss Ko Restaurant

49-51 Av. George V, 75008 Paris 8th Arrondissement

+33153678460

http://www.miss-ko.com/

On March 2023, I finally went to dinner at the Miss Ko restaurant, I had it on my to-do list for a couple of years. And it did not disappoint at all.

This popular restaurant is a short walk from the Champs Elysées and the Louis Vuitton store. The minimum price that you are going to spend will be €50.

The decoration is excellent, it is modern, it has good music, a very good customer service, with waiters who speak several languages and of course, the culinary experience was delicious.

We each ordered a spritz to drink, some gyozas for starters, a 25-piece sushi mix for two people, a typical pizzetta, and for dessert, some mochis, and a cheesecake.

The sushi was of exceptionally good quality, the sauces were excellent, and the cheesecake was very rich. Undoubtedly, it is totally recommended, and I will surely return.

Of course, you must make a reservation online; they ask for it at the door; if not, you cannot enter.

Where to eat in Paris. 11th Arrondissement

Orgueil restaurant.

6 Rue Popincourt, 75011 Paris, France. 11th Arrondissement

+33183973480

https://www.hubrisgroupe.com/

Orgueil is a restaurant that we loved. We went at the end of May 2023 for the first time, and I’m sure I’ll repeat soon.

The Orgueil has a concept of zero waste with seasonal products. The waitress proposes a number of dishes per diner that is considered to be enough so that there is no excess food. This is why the menu changes depending on the season.

The idea is to share the dishes with your companions (or not!); they would be much more elaborate and chic like tapas.

The presentation of the menu is also very original; It looks like tarot cards. Each card has 3 dishes for you to choose starters, vegetables, fish, meat, and dessert. We ordered 3 dishes each plus a dessert to share, which was more than enough.

They have a good selection of wines and the waiters know how to guide you to choose the perfect wine for your dinner.

For starters, you can try the goat cheese with pine nuts, and green asparagus which is excellent. Don’t forget to order the croquettes.

They are not the typical ones like those made in Spain; they had a French touch, and they seemed to be made with rillettes.

By the way, if you haven’t tried the rillettes, I recommend the goose ones.

As main courses, we recommend you to try the gnocchi with compte cheese and mushrooms, the squid teriyaki with potatoes, and the lamb confit with hazelnuts.

Desserts are elaborate, we loved the brioche with chocolate and ice cream.

All the waiters speak English and several speak other languages too if you have any questions or want to get a suggestion, it’s much easier.

The price is reasonable for being in a cool neighborhood in Paris.

Ober Mamma, Oberkampf

107 Bd Richard-Lenoir, 75011 Paris. 11th Arrondissement

+33186477834

https://www.bigmammagroup.com/fr/trattorias/ober-mamma

It’s an Italian restaurant, where we celebrated my sister’s birthday. It is located in the Oberkampf area, near Bataclan.

You will eat wonderfully well, it has the most reasonable prices, the service is excellent and the waiters are super friendly.

If someone has a birthday, you can let them know and they sing you happy birthday in Italian and put a candle in your dessert or a cup of chantilly cream with a candle.

Here we ate like crazy (there were 5 of us), and we ordered everything we wanted, including two bottles of wine and two cokes. As starters, we ordered burrata, carpaccio, and octopus, then the main course each. I ordered gnocchi, probably the best I’ve ever eaten in my life.

We also ordered a classic spritz each, a dessert each, and 5 shots of limoncello. The whole bill was € 273.

One of these days I am going to prepare an exclusive post about this restaurant because I loved it and it is highly recommended. Or ask me if you want more information.

You have to book in advance. Note: It’s hot in the main room because of the pizza ovens.

Note: We returned to Ober Mamma and noticed that the menu was different. I ordered a dish of pasta with truffle, OMG! Delicious!!! I think it’s only for winter, but if you go and see this dish, ask for it, you won’t regret it.

Where to eat in Paris in the 14th Arrondissement

L’assiete. montparnasse.

181 Rue du Château, 75014 Paris. 14th Arrondissement

+33143226486

http://www.restaurant-lassiette.com/

Chef: David Rathgeber

I knew about this restaurant from the article in the New York Times The 25 essential dishes to eat in Paris and I said to myself that I had to taste that Cassoulette.

This popular place, a small and simply decorated pure Parisian bistrot that makes you feel at home when you get in, captivated me.

David Rathgeber, a chef with one Michelin star winner in Benoit Bistrot (2006), under Alain Ducasse management, decides to take the reins of L’assiette.

The cassoulette is absolutely amazing, is an absolute unit of cassoulette that probably is enough for two people, take this into account if you are not a great eater. I couldn’t finish it.

Using beans from the Vendée region (the most famous in France), a superb blend of six types of meat: lamb neck, hand-chopped sausage, confit of duck legs, pork ribs, garlic-infused sausage, and pork belly are cooked for several hours mixing the flavors.

The price was 35€ for the Cassoulette when I went there. It is definitely worth it.

La Coupole. Brasserie, French

1102 Bd du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris. 14th Arrondissement

+33143201420

https://www.lacoupole-paris.com/

The 14th Arrondissement is one of my preferred. Very well communicated with Montparnasse on its left side and with a historical neibourghood of cafes and restaurants one after the other that give you endless possibilities.

I really like to walk down the rue de la Gaité and stroll the Boulevard de Montparnasse to enjoy the ambiance. If you are in Paris during a football match of the French team (Les bleus), this neiborhood will not let you down, for sure.

In the Boulevard of Montparnasse you will find a lot of restaurants and bars, and La Coupole is one of the historic restaurants of Paris that since 1927 will catch your eye and will invite you to get inside with its art deco style.

Countless famous people like Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir or Jean-Paul Sartre were sitting there enjoying the music, several films have taken this restaurant as filming scenario and again Simenon with the commissaire Maigret uses La Coupole as the center of the investigation.

I have been there three times in the last two years. The best oysters I have had in Paris were served here in la Coupole.

The pork is stunning and the artichoke is simple, honest and delicious. I tasted the tuna tartar which was delicious but they changed the menu, now is bar instead of tuna.

If you’re really hungry you can ask for a choucrut or filet de boeuf, you will not be dissapointed.

Price will be around 60 to 80 € per person depending on what you order.

Mangue Rouge, Porte d’Orleans

127 Av. du Général Leclerc, 75014 Paris. 14th Arrondissement

+33951312253

https://www.manguerouge.fr/

If you like Thai food, this restaurant is going to enchant you. It is not located in a tourist area, and we found it by chance in October 2021 because we stayed at the Acropole Hotel , which is a few steps from this restaurant.

This Thai restaurant has typical Thai food, the menu is in French and Thai, but many of their names will sound familiar to you if you like this type of food.

It’s honestly one of the best Thai restaurants I’ve ever had.

Here we went for dinner and ordered from the menu, the main course for each, a dessert and a beer. The price did not reach € 30 per person. It would probably have been around € 50 per person if it had been in the center.

Where to eat in Paris 17th Arrondissement

Chez fred. contemporary french cooking..

190 BIS Boulevard Pereire Street, 75017 17th Arrondissement

+33145742048

https://www.chezfreddepuis1945.com/

A classic Bistrot restaurant that we love in Paris is Chez Fred. A French cuisine restaurant that has been open since 1945. It has a classic Parisian touch and exquisite food.

This restaurant was a “bouchon lyonnais” and it has been pictured in the books of Georges Simenon as one of the preferred restaurants of the famous commissaire Maigret, the main character of his novels.

Chez Fred, under the direction of Laurent Hullo, has been reborn today as a Parisian bistro in the glory of good, authentic, and seasonal cuisine.

But what can you expect from Chez Fred? A bistronomic, tasty, gourmet, friendly cuisine based on the right product: the area and the season.

We ordered a carpaccio from the bar, very fresh and tasty; I ordered a shrimp risotto, it has been a long time since I tasted one so delicious, and Fer ordered a pepper sirloin, super tender. We also ordered dessert and coffee. Excellent espresso coffee!!!

Everything really excellent. We will repeat it for sure. Also, one of the waiters spoke a little Spanish.

Open from Monday to Friday for lunch and dinners.

• Check Out: What to do in Paris in December

Where to eat in Paris in the 18th Arrondissement

Bibiche, montmartre.

42 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris. 18th Arrondissement

+33146060836

Café – Restaurant – Cocktails • Paris Montmartre

Here we were visiting Montmartre and on the way to the Moulin Rouge, we decided to find a place to eat. We arrived by chance, it looked good.

We dined at the typical Parisian tables on the heated terrace. My photos have all come out red because of the stoves, hehehe.

Here you have to taste, the foie grass and the camembert roti are highly recommended. It’s what we ordered first and it was great. We also ordered Os a Moelle as a starter, it was good, but I have tried better.

As main courses we ordered meat, 2 onglets that were very good and Fer and Mati ordered Cote de boeuf to share, it looked good, but I found it too much food!

Address: 42 Rue Lepic, Paris

Other Restaurants that We Want to Go

The number of restaurants in Paris is incredible; you have something for all tastes and budgets, so recommending it is challenging because there will always be another to try.

Here are several, some of which we will be testing in future trips, but if you see this post before I update it and you feel like it, you know.

• Mister T restaurant, this restaurant was recommended to me, if you’ve already been there, give me your opinion, please.
• Les Ombres, for an exceptional occasion, is a costly restaurant with views of the Eiffel Tower
• Brasserie Auteuil, looks great
• Café Pouchkine is an elegant place for a special occasion. The average price is € 65 per person.
• Flesh restaurant for meat lovers.
• Freddys restaurant
• Le Souffle is supposedly where you can eat the best souffle in Paris.

How to Save Money in Paris Restaurants

In general, Paris is a fairly expensive city, but you can save money with these tips.

• “Formule” looks for restaurants that have “Formule”, it can be formule midi or formule soir. This means lunch menu or evening menu. These menus usually include a main course with dessert or with a starter, or all three. Of course, it is cheaper than ordering from the menu.
• “Carafe d’eau” is pronounced something like caraf do, and means tap water. That is, ask for tap water. In France, it is totally normal, especially at noon lunch, the water is good and free.
• Escape from the tourist areas , avoid going to restaurants in the more expensive tourist areas, and look for the Formule if you have no choice.
• Stay in an apartment; one of the best ways to save money on any trip is to prepare the food yourself. So you can look for an apartment on Booking.com and go to the supermarket and at least prepare breakfast and dinner yourself.

Lunch and Diner Time in Paris

In France, in general, the eating hours are European.

At noon, you have lunch between 12 noon and 1:30 pm and dinner at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. These hours are for restaurants, brasseries, and bistros, but fast food places have longer hours. Exceptions depend on the area, time of year, etc.

But the good thing about Paris is that you can find excellent places with much longer hours or serve food all day than in other parts of France.

Of course, if you want to go to a more unique or famous place, you must book in advance, sometimes for a month or more!

What to Eat in Paris

If you want to eat typical food from Paris, here you have some must.

• Le croque-monsieur : Young and old love it, the croque-monsieur puts everyone in agreement. It was born in 1910 in a cafe on the Boulevard des Capucines, and its name comes from a joke pronounced by its creator. Croque-monsieur is as easy as it is quick to prepare. You only need two slices of sliced bread, cooked ham, béchamel cheese, and grated cheese. Some bake it in the oven, others in a skillet. There are also devices specially designed for this typical Parisian dish.
• Shepherd’s pie ( Le hachis parmentier ): Another typical dish from Paris, the shepherd’s pie or pie, is made with mashed potatoes and minced meat (or fish). The history of this dish? Antoine Parmentier, a pharmacist, created this recipe and made Louis XVI change his mind; who considered that the potato was a common and good food for animals.
• Entrecote with French fries : In the 19th century, La Villette was a slaughterhouse where butchers liked beef entrecote with butter and herbs, accompanied by “Pont-Neuf potatoes.” Today, we find this dish (rather with fries) in many Parisian bistros and even beyond the borders of Ile-de-France.
• Les Halles gratiné : Gratiné des Halles is also a typical Parisian dish. It is an onion soup topped with grated cheese that is browned in the oven. Simple, but good!

Here you have more things to try in Paris; I leave you the names in French, which is how you will find them in France.

• Le mille-feuille
• L’Opéra
• Le Saint-Honoré
• L’amandine
• The baguette Tradition (there are many varieties, ask for the one you like best at the boulangerie )
• Les chouquettes
• Les macarons (essential)
• Les fromages (cheese: you will see that sometimes they eat it for dessert)
• Le croissant and le Pain au Chocolat (essential)

Have a Drink in Paris

• Harry’s New York bar in Opera, where they (supposedly) invented the Bloody Mary
• FAT (French Art Touch) combines street art, hip-hop, and cocktails.
• Café des Chats, to have a coffee with kittens keeping you company (16 rue de Michel Le Compte).
• Go for a drink in a 1920s-style bar, hidden behind a pizzeria (5 Rue de Sedaine)
• Have chocolate in Angelina

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• What to see in Paris when it rains (or original visits to do in Paris)
• Visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery
• Must-visit tours in Paris
• What to see in Paris in 5 days
• Day Trip to Versailles

By the way, this post is not sponsored (sadly) by any of the restaurants I mentioned. I recommend them because we tried them, and we liked both the food and the attention.

Last Updated on 14 October, 2023 by Veronica

Disclosure: Some of the links on this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Author: Veronica

Vero, a seasoned traveler, has explored 25 countries and lived in five, gaining a rich perspective and fostering an infectious passion for travel. With a heart full of wanderlust, Vero uncovers the world’s hidden gems and shares insights, tips, and planning advice to inspire and assist fellow adventurers. Join Vero and let the shared passion for travel create unforgettable memories.

Soy Verónica, una apasionada de los viajes, me gusta compartir mis experiencias viajeras en mi blog. He estudiado Empresas y actividades turísticas y ando metida en el mundo del Marketing Digital. Me gusta aprender algo nuevo cada día, conocer nuevos lugares y culturas diferentes.

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Veronica, thank you so much for the restaurant update. It’s the first time I was able to read about good restaurants in Paris from regular people and not food critics. We’re planning to visit Paris in September and will try a few of your recommendations.

Thank you for your comment Donny! I hope you have a great time in Paris and enjoy the food and restaurants!

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7 Absolute Best Restaurants in Paris for 2024

Brandon Shaw Last Updated: October 29, 2023

It is undeniable is that French cuisine is one of the best in the world which is best contested firsthand! This guide is updated annually by our very own consortium of Parians with the best restaurants in Paris!

Pro Tip: If you are planning a trip to the City of Lights and you like this article, I highly recommend bookmarking it in your browser. This way you can come back to it as a reference later on. Also, check out our Paris tours if you want to have a more memorable trip. Local guides + small groups make for a great tour!

Best Restaurants in Paris in 2023

Some associate ” Best” with expensive, but as you will see that is not always the case. You will find all shapes and sizes in this list. See which one suits you and go for it.

1. Les Marches €€

Why the Best: Open every day of the week and close to the Eiffel Tower, Les Marches brings you back in time when things were simple. Family owned with no extra frills besides, good, traditional French cooking.

The chefs take extreme care in each dish and it shows when it hits your mouth. Go back in time when you were a boy in France and your grandma was cooking. That is the best way I can explain your experience here.

What is it near : Eiffel Tower

Address : 5, Rue de la Manutention – 75116 PARIS

Want more in depth restaurant recommendations around the Eiffel Tower? Click on the article below for a more comprehensive list.

• Where to eat near the Eiffel Tower

2. Baieta €€€

Why the Best: It is true that this restaurant has a Michelin star, but that’s not why I listed it. It is not based on Parisien fare, but on Southern France’s wide bouquet of flavors. You can feel that you are in the Mediterranean when you walk in and taste the food.

Baieta means ” Kiss” in the Niçois dialect and their goal is to make it just as pleasant. The 7 course tasting menu with accompanying wine will run you 150€, but it is worth every Euro cent. Leave the cold and grey of Paris for a few hours and be kissed by the warmth of the South.

What is it near: Notre Dame

Address : 5 Rue de Pontoise, 75005 Paris

• Best Restaurants Near Notre Dame

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3. L’Oiseau Blanc €€€€

Why the Best? When writing an article like this, I usually avoid hotel restaurants so as to promote individual establishments. I will break my rule here, because I feel that this restaurant is simply divine. It has a Michelin star and definitely deserves it.

Their 5 course tasting menu will cost you 185€ ( excluding drinks) which is steep, but well worth it. Everything is immaculate and perfect. The dress code is chic/elegant and I almost forgot to tell you- It is a rooftop restaurant with a 360 degree view including the Eiffel Tower and pretty much the rest of the city.

If you are going to splurge one night, this is the place to do it

What is it near: : Arc de Triomphe

Address : 19 Avenue Kléber, 75116 Paris

Is your hotel around the Arc de Triomphe? Click the article below for a more in depth restaurant guide near the Arc de Triomphe:

• Where to eat near the Arc de Triomphe

4. La Cantine du Troquet Daguerre €€€

Why the Best? When you walk in, you might be wondering why I added this to the best list. The restaurant is very unassuming and most people walk past it, never knowing of the Delicious meals they will be missing. Quality/ Price ratio is outstanding and I would say that in other restaurants of this quality you are paying almost double.

The cuisine is a mixture of some classic dishes with a lot of new twists for the modern diner. The chefs usually come out to say hi and ask how everything is going and make sure you get the créme brûlée or the cheese plate for dessert!

What is it near: Paris Catacombs

Address : 89 Rue Daguerre, 75014 Paris

Is your hotel around the Paris Catacombs? Click the article below for a more in depth restaurant guide near the Paris Catacombs:

• Where to eat near the Paris Catacombs

5. Camille €€

Why the Best? Camille is definitely under the radar, which makes it even more interesting to visit, since you won’t find many tourists here, just local frenchman having a good meal.

The cuisine is classical French, so if you have been eating New Age, Fusion or non traditional French fare, and are saving yourself for the right place, welcome.

Perennial favorites such as Escargot, Filet de Boeuf with Béarnaise sauce, Magret de Canard ( Duck) and of course the Tartare are all dishes that will have your belly, and your wallet, thanking you.

What is it near: Marais

Address : 24 Rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75003 Paris

Is your hotel around the Marais? Click the article below for a more in depth restaurant guide near the Marais:

• Where to eat in the Marais

6. Sacrée Fleur €€

Why the Best? Be aware of the many tourist traps that you will find in Montmartre- there are too many to count. I highly recommend when you are in this area to take a bit of a walk and eat here. The food is great, the staff is super friendly- what else do you want in a restaurant?

Full disclaimer- this is a meat restaurant. Their speciality is meat and they are proud to say it. If you haven’t already tried at this point, then I recommend trying the frog’s legs here as well.

What is it near : Sacré-Coeur Montmartre

Address : 50 Rue de Clignancourt, 75018 Paris

Is your hotel in Montmartre? Click the article below for a more in depth restaurant guide in Montmartre:

7. Le Bistro du 11 €€

Why the Best? I know I know, this was an article about Paris, but Versailles is not far away and most people will visit Versailles during their stay, so I wanted to add it. Plus, so many people have asked me where to eat in Versailles, I decided to slip this one in here.

The cuisine is Modern French and the menu is not big at all. The price/quality ratio is super and the staff are very accommodating. If you happen to be in Versailles, don’t miss the chance to eat extremely well for a good price.

What is it near: Versailles

Address : 10 Rue de Satory, 78000 Versailles

Is your hotel in Versailles? Click the article below for a more in depth restaurant guide in Versailles:

• Where to eat near Versailles outside Paris

Where To Stay in Paris

With a city as magnificent as Paris, it can be hard to find the perfect hotel at the perfect price. Explore the best hotels and places to stay in these incredible neighborhoods in Paris.

About Brandon Shaw

Brandon is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He left the States to travel the world at 18 and never looked back! As an official Tour Guide of Rome and Certified Sommelier, he loves to travel the world and share these experiences with his readers.

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Good restaurants in Paris' tourist districts to avoid tourist traps

Whether you live in Paris or are in the process of planning your visit to the French capital, with a view to the 2024 Olympics for example, it's always a good idea to avoid the tourist traps and turn to some good places to eat after a good stroll with friends or family.

In the vicinity of must-see monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysées and the Sacré Coeur , some restaurants offer long menus - never a good sign, unfortunately - and dishes straight from the freezer. Some restaurants even offer menus exclusively for tourists , with prices higher than for Parisians.

To make sure you don't get taken for a ride and find a quality restaurant that won't take you for a sucker, check out our recommendations . Our tried and tested restaurants prove that even in the most touristy and crowded areas of Paris , it's possible to eat well.

Here are the best restaurants in the capital's tourist spots, to avoid tourist traps as much as possible!

• Paris's finest hotel restaurants, our best addresses
• Restaurants around Gare du Nord, our top addresses
• Restaurants in the Gare de l'Est district, our top addresses

Good restaurants in the tourist areas of Paris to avoid tourist traps:

Where to eat traditional French dishes in Paris? Our best addresses Would you like to try some typically French and traditional dishes? Frogs' legs, foie gras, snails, oysters or onion soup: here are our top addresses in Paris! [Read more]

Enjoy your stroll through the streets of Paris, and bon appétit!

Refer your establishment, click here Promote your event, click here Join our community of readers, click here

Enter a search term or a page code from the guide.

A Guide to the Best Restaurants in Paris

The French capital enjoys an enviable reputation as the epicenter of gastronomy and modern dining culture. The pleasures of good food and convivial dining shape a cityscape of vibrant cafés, aromatic boulangeries, and colorful street markets. But the best restaurants in Paris are where culinary alchemy unfolds.

Related articles

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• Magical Rooftop Bars in Paris
• Wonderful Markets in Paris

Bistro or brasserie, creperie or fine dining temple, every quartier is home to inventive kitchens and comforting menus to please all appetites. It is joy for gourmands and a headscratcher for ravenous travelers seeking unforgettable Parisian experiences.

table of content

What to look for in a Parisian Restaurant

The days of following your nose or a well-thumbed Michelin Guide are long gone. Today, every tidbit of info is at our fingertips.

But if you don’t want to frantically filter reviews to find restaurants in Paris that match your mood and budget and prefer to let your senses lead you, a few clues can help you find a decent meal for a fair price.

• A short menu indicates a kitchen focused on quality, seasonal fare, and showcasing its talents.
• Changing daily specials is another sign that chefs are bringing something extra to the table.
• Look for mentions of fait maison (homemade). In many restaurants, it’s unsaid because the alternative is too horrific for the chef to imagine. But it can be a telling clue that quality is king in lesser establishments.
• Michelin guide mentions are a cast-iron guarantee of quality. Typically at a price to match. The esteemed directory is peerless if you have a gourmet itch to scratch.

Things to avoid at Restaurants in Paris

• Tourist hotspots usually display English menus out front . Not necessarily an indicator of poor quality but a sign they focus on turnover rather than winning accolades. However, English or dual-language menus are widely available upon request, even in fine dining temples.
• Doorway recruiters and picture menus are rare. But like everywhere, it’s a flashing warning sign that the venue is not prospering on reputation alone.
• Views and evocative settings charge a premium. However, some of the finest restaurants in Paris occupy the prettiest spots, well aware that guests are looking for the complete package. Others survive merely because of the setting.

To help you get a feel for restaurants in Paris, we’ve pulled together 25 of our favorites for every budget and appetite . From gastronomic showstoppers to homely French bistros, and everything in between.

The 25 Best Restaurants in Paris

Nestled under the skylights at the atmospheric Saint Quentin covered market is Pardi, an exciting introduction to the dazzling diversity of Parisian restaurants. You’ve got a singular setting, chefs diligently working in the open kitchen, and a medley of exquisitely finished dishes with a French and Southern European temperament. Sharing plates include their famous croque with truffle, a moreish marriage of cheesy, crunch, and umami. But the star turn is the plat du marché that converts the seasonal delights of neighboring stalls into a daily culinary surprise. On theme, natural wines dominate the drinks selection. The bill won’t shock, in Paris at least. And the offbeat experience is one for the memory banks.

• Address: 85 bis Boulevard Magenta – Marché Saint Quentin, 75010
• Nearest Métro: Gare de l’Est (4, 5, 7)
• Le Potager de Charlotte

Once left to scour forsaken corners of meat-laden menus, vegans have plenty to cheer about in Paris nowadays. The two restaurants from Le Potager de Charlotte are setting the pace.

Veganism is optional to appreciate these pioneering restaurants. They’re cozy, homely affairs with enthusiastic staff and customers. Among them, hesitant carnivores with smiles on their faces.

Menus are essentially the same at both restaurants and sparkle with field-fresh vigor. Try sesame-marinated tofu for starters, followed by cajun wild rice for dishes packed with flavor. Save room for their raved-about vegan chocolate mousse.

Many restaurants in Paris might be sleeping on the growth in vegan and healthy lifestyles. But Le Potager de Charlotte is doing their part to wake Parisians up to its culinary potential.

• Address: 12 Rue Louise-Émilie de la Tour d’Auvergne, 75009 (Rochechouart)
• Nearest Métro: Poissonnière (7)

Le Bistrot de Madeleine

Bistrot were once avant-garde culinary nooks for individual chefs to showcase their talents to a discerning audience. The concept may have evolved as Parisians and travelers caught the bistro bug. But Le Bistrot de Madeleine retains the charm and culinary inventiveness that made the dining experience so seductive. The menu is reassuringly short and balanced; the primacy of quality over quantity is a signature of Parisian bistros. Vegetarian dishes show up each round, although the enduring star is a meaty French classic, pot-au-feu, indulgently finished with foie gras. With a homely interior of exposed brickwork and low lighting, this old-school gem is a delightful complement to the village charms of nearby Montmartre.

• Address: 4 Av. Trudaine, 75009 (Rochechouart)
• Nearest Métro: Anvers (2)

Pink Mamma in Paris

Paris has long been a welcoming home for their culinary soulmates across the border in Italy. Pink Mamma, with its atmospheric setting and love of all things Italian, brings something extra to the cross-border party. They currently have seven restaurants in Paris. The original on bustling Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine is 100% traditional trattoria. All branches are individually stylish, but one that stands out like a Hawaiian pizza in Naples is the gorgeous Pigalle venue. The art-laden stairwell and pretty sky-garden terrace are the stuff of Instagram legend. Booking is essential if you plan to sit under skylights on the picturesque upper floor. The menus are Italian through and through, all homemade. Truffle pasta and cocktails shine. A delightful spot to enjoy a plate of Italian sunshine under grey Parisian skies.

• Address: 20bis Rue de Douai, 75009 (Pigalle)
• Nearest Métro : Pigalle (2, 12)

Pantobaguette

With a sprinkling of gallic je ne sais quoi, Pantobaguette has added some pizzazz to the flourishing tapas love-in sweeping across restaurants in Paris. The tapas and pintxo menu at this vibrant urban hangout is pleasingly short. What made it past the tasting committee are Spanish-inspired combinations given a gastronomic buff-up with offbeat flavors. Boudin noir croquettes and a vegetarian dish of fried eggplant, goat’s cheese, and white peach underline the philosophy.

Pantobaguette pulls off a delicate balancing act; a fun and neighborly bar with sharing plates of exceptional sophistication. Exceedingly modern Paris in feel and flavor.

• Address: 16 Rue Eugène Sue, 75018 (Clignancourt)
• Nearest Métro: Marcadet – Poissonniers (4, 12)

Bouillon République

Kilometers behind the culinary vanguard is Bouillon République, a timeworn space where the food and prices have bucked contemporary trends. The wood-paneled interior and carpeted floor are a romantic step back to a forgotten Paris. There’s a menu to match. Boeuf bourguignon and steak frites star on a menu that, thankfully, will never go out of fashion. It might be the most French menu you’ll see in Paris. With prices, you certainly won’t see anywhere else.

If you fancy a blowout banquet of French classics without emptying your bank account, this Place de la République icon will leave you giddy.

• Address: 39 Bd du Temple, 75003 (Le Marais)
• Nearest Métro: République (3, 5, 8, 9, 11)
• 114 Faubourg

Unsurprisingly, there is a sea of Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. 114 Faubourg in the luxurious Le Bristol hotel only has one. Yet it’s been winning loud praise for its masterclass in classic French cooking. The backdrop is plush and trim, with banquettes and splashes of floral color lining the wall. It’s a brasserie upscaled for the well-heeled locals and hotel guests.

You can see that reflected in a menu with ostensibly simple French fare dialed up in decadence. Dishes like beer tartare and entrecote steak would be at home in any brasserie. But not with a panache that reminds guests how French favorites can still excite the inner gastronome.

• Price: €€€€
• Address: 114 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 (Madeleine)
• Nearest Métro: Saint-Philippe-du-Roule (9)

Il était un square

Burgers can be hit-and-miss in Paris. But not at Il était un square, where you can also savor the gallic version, with steak tartare occupying the other half of the menu. Traceable beef is at the heart of these bovine culinary triumphs. The croquemonsieur flavors of the Parisian burger exemplify their unique take on an American classic. But the tourists travel from afar for the tartare, drawn by crazy spins on the original like the Ziggy Stardust showpiece made with cajun spices and nuts. Go French, or go American. Either way, you get the corner café bistro vibes and creative takes on two wonderfully contrasting comfort foods.

• Address: 54 Rue Corvisart, 75013 (Croulebarbe)
• Nearest Métro: Corvisart (6)

Alix et Mika

Still thinking about steak tartare? Then you should know about Alix et Mika, peerless tartare specialists in colorful Montmartre.

The joy of focusing on one dish is that there are countless possibilities to make it exceptional. Outside the heavily-loaded fixed menus, it’s all custom-made (sur mesure) with myriad combinations. It begins with a choice of bases: beef, tuna, salmon, and white fish. A vegetarian friendly quinoa, bulgur wheat medley arrives with a creamy burrata to pop. Then add an array of mouthwatering styles and sides. The frites maison fried in duck fat are irresistible.

Alix and Mika’s modern and laidback bistro illustrates how utterly modern culinary inventiveness is still being mined from French classics.

• Address: 37 Rue Lamarck, 75018 (Montmartre)
• Nearest Métro: Lamarck – Caulaincourt (12)

Les Freres Bretons

Our next stop is Les Freres Bretons. The name might clue you up that we’re stopping at a creperie. As you would hope of proud brothers from Brittany, they know how to transform a humble pancake into something irresistible. They achieve their glowing reputation with more-than-fair prices, a warm welcome in a cozy venue, and heartily filled crepes.

The flavors are sublime and could be eaten sans crêpe and still be delicious. La Fermière — goat’s cheese, bacon, honey, and salad — is a heavenly combination. Cider is customary; a sweet pancake and a scoop of their organic ice cream are obligatory. You’ll leave refueled and content without hurting your vacation budget.

• Address: 117 Bd de Grenelle, 75015 (Grenelle)
• Nearest Métro: La Motte – Picquet Grenelle (6, 8, 10)

Chez Ajia brings the unfamiliar delights of Taiwanese food to the French capital. If you’ve already fallen for Taiwanese food, you’ll appreciate the attention to authenticity. If you’re a first-timer, this is your chance to sample an assortment of street food gems and national dishes from the island. Gua bao (pork belly bun) is the headline act.

Go with friends if you can; sharing is happiness here. The bright, fresh venue is a chilled space in the lively Marais. The welcome is consistently warm, prices are low, and the food leaves a full-flavored impression.

• Address: 4 Rue du Roi de Sicile, 75004 (Le Marais)
• Nearest Métro: Saint-Paul (1)
• La Table de Colette

3 to 7-course tasting menus and wallet-pleasing haute-cuisine await at the achingly modern and inventive La Table de Colette. Their eco-responsible sourcing places seasonal vegetables at the heart of everything. In their words, meat and fish are merely the accompaniments.

Creativity seeps into the combinations and playful presentation. Les Amuse Bouches arrive carefully balanced on rocks and in presentation boxes. The Poireau et la sardine (leek and sardine) could be mistaken for a mini baguette sculpture on display at the Pompidou. Choice wine pairings enliven the fresh and eye-opening flavors. Yet to win une étoile, this is a place to savor Parisian excellence and revel in farmfresh goodness. Get there before they win a star and reservations are swallowed up.

• Address: 17 Rue Laplace, 75005 (Latin Quarter)
• Nearest Métro: Cardinal Lemoine (10)

Parisian bistros range from culinary trailblazers to homely spaces for comforting foods cooked with skill. Poni is a fine example of the latter. The menu embraces French culinary heritage and expert cooking. Burgers or steak tartare, sharing plate or salad, the options are familiar.

Bavette with shallot confit and garlic cream takes a rustic lunchtime favorite up a level or two. There are nods to vegetarian diets and international tastes; vegetable lasagna or octopus and chorizo croquettes are highlights. With a trim and contemporary café setting and effusively praised staff, Poni is a sophisticated haven. Just what you might be craving amongst the bright lights of Paris’s former red-light district.

• Address: 24 Rue Saint-Lazare, 75009 (Pigalle)
• Nearest Métro: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (12)

Au P'tit Curieux

Bistronomy and music thrive at Au P’tit Curieux. Lauded for a relaxing vibe and uplifting music, this is another venue that nails French classics with style. This intimate and charming hidey-hole near Canal Saint Martin carries the gourmet torch for traditional French cuisine peppered with European delights. A balanced carte includes steak from Argentina and duck from southern France. Oysters from Normandy are a popular opener.

Locals don’t head to Au P’tit Curieux for innovation. They go for the welcoming ambiance and supremely satisfying food. A worthy detour when strolling along the nearby canal.

• Price: €€-€€€
• Address: 27 Rue de Sambre-et-Meuse, 75010 (Hôpital-Saint-Louis)
• Nearest Métro: Colonel Fabien (2)

Les Apotres de Pigalle

Historic Montmartre and Pigalle are much-visited locales and finding locally-loved jewels among the tourist traps can be a challenge. Les Apotres de Pigalle will not disappoint. The light and up-to-date café-bar is known for its comforting sharing boards. They’re right at home in the colorful neighborhood. Mac ‘n cheese with truffles and pulled pork quesadillas are winners, as are the quinoa falafel and beetroot hummus. Cocktails complete the Friday night vibe.

There’s plenty to like about an understated menu studded with delights for all moods. Ideal for a pause before visiting the famous red windmills of the Moulin Rouge moments away.

• Address: 2 Rue Germain Pilon, 75018 (Pigalle)
• Nearest Métro: Pigalle (2, 12)

Les Epiciers

Les Epiciers sets a high standard among the city’s bars à manger. The idea of wine first and food second is hardly unique in the French capital, but both get a platform to shine here. A proper cave à vins where you can pop in and pick up some wine knowledge and a bottle to go, drinks are invariably first-class.

The short menu chalked above the chairs and tables in front of the pretty store burst with flavor and diversity. Daily specials like lamb confit and tajine invite lingering. Smaller plates, including sandwiches and sharing planches, work for people pausing as they trail around Le Marais. Hidden down a side street, it’s a belle experience that tourists can easily miss. This is perhaps a positive; the sidewalk seats are already in short supply.

• Address: 33 Rue de Montmorency, 75003 (Le Marais)
• Nearest Métro: Arts et Métiers (3, 11)

Nestled behind a quaint façade and under vaulted ceilings, La MiN exudes a hip, bohemian personality. The reassuringly precise menu sparkles with Frenchness and bistronomic heart. Start with a gooey parcel of breaded camembert and fill up with a chicken ballotine in tapenade sauce for the main course.

Proving short menus equal gourmet excellence, everything is freshly prepared. Truffles are worked into the menu, delighting many patrons. But the pistachio lava cake gets the biggest smiles. There are plenty of restaurants in Paris doing what La MiN does. But with felicitous prices, a prime spot on the absorbing rue de Montreuil, and genuine skill on display, it’s one to note.

• Address: 45 Rue de Montreuil, 75011 (St Marguerite)
• Nearest Métro: Faidherbe – Chaligny (8)

Bistrot Beyrouth

Lebanese cuisine is flowering amongst the established restaurants in Paris. It makes sense with kitchens like Bistrot Beyrouth delivering tastes of Lebanon with consummate proficiency. The backdrop is all laidback café, more gallic than Lebanese. But the food is distinctly different.

Hot and cold mezze are ideal for fun nights with friends. Grilled brochettes and stacked falafel sandwiches help fill stomachs. Laminated menus and eye-popping low prices for fixed meals set an easygoing tone. But it’s all done with a flourish to create a seductive dash of Mediterranean flavor right in the heart of the lively 11th arrondissement.

• Price: €-€€
• Address: 103 Rue de Charonne, 75011
• Nearest Métro: Charonne (9)

Petit Boutary

The polished exterior of Petit Boutary is as pleasing to the eye as the culinary creations filing out from the kitchen. Modern bistro stylings extend from the crisp décor to fixed menus built around “chef’s market finds.“The ultimate blowout is the Omakase (I’ll leave to the chef) tasting menu. The ever-changing menu keeps guests guessing, but rarely disappointed, judging by the reviews. Caviar is one constant everybody loves.

Batignolles may be off the tourist path, but the capital’s “second village” (after Montmartre) is home to many inventive and local-cherished bistros. In our humble opinion, Petit Boutary is among the finest.

• Address: 16 Rue Jacquemont, 75017 (Batignolles)
• Nearest Métro: La Fourche (13)

La Bonne Franquette

If dining in evocative old surroundings is on your scorecard when choosing restaurants in Paris, La Bonne Franquette should be on the shortlist. The landmark 16th-century building sits in the heart of cobbled walkways thronging with tourists. An aesthetically gorgeous relic for photo albums and old-school Parisian experiences. Just next door is Le Consulat, one of the most photographed Parisian restaurants.

Despite its romantic setting and time-shifting interior that sells the spot before tourists read the menu, the food is good and reasonably priced. Predictably, it’s traditional French all the way. But there is something for all appetites. And with two lovely terraces where you watch the world come to Paris, you can be confident that you’re not walking into an overpriced tourist trap.

• Address: 18 Rue Saint-Rustique, 75018 (Montmartre)
• Nearest Métro: Abbesses (12)
• Le Réciproque

We stay in Montmartre to raise a chapeau to Le Réciproque, a far more contemporary affair in the shadow of the soaring Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Exposed brickwork and an open kitchen set the tone. The menu is French food with modern sensibilities. Think anolini ravioli stuffed with mushrooms followed by rib of beef served in its jus. In customary bistro style, the menu is concise and adapts to the chef’s whim and seasons.

Guests are welcomed like long-lost family, and the food quality is unpretentious yet top-tier for the price. A sterling example of why the small venues you sail past without noticing often house the best value restaurants in Paris.

• Address: 14 Rue Ferdinand Flocon, 75018 (Montmartre)
• Nearest Métro: Jules Joffrin (12)

Trattoria dell'isola sarda

We’ve always got room for another good Italian among all the great Parisian restaurants. Trattoria dell’isola sarda is like a slice of bygone Sardinia plopped into the bustling heart of Paris. This rustic setting is slightly offbeat for the neighborhood; plates flying out of the kitchen are unmistakably Italian.

The carbonara is legitimately good (rare in France). Seafood is on point, especially the seafood platter. Plating up Italian comforts like they are still in Sardinia, Trattoria dell‘ Isola Sarda has gained a neighborhood fanbase. The right place to be if (when?) you get a sudden craving for Mediterranean sunshine flavors.

• Address: 40 Rue Rodier, 75009 (Rochechouart)

The French capital has long cultivated a love for Asian fusion food, and some of the finest restaurants in Paris have earned Michelin stars championing Japanese food. There are no Michelin stars at Marclee, which is good news for budgetconscious fans of Asian fusion food.

Light and flavorsome dishes hog entrées and plats, including the acclaimed Rainbow Ceviche, served with giant grilled gambas. With zero chance a French audience would skip the sweet course, you can get a gyoza tatin for dessert; possibly the most Japanese French dish you’ll ever encounter. The dimly lit space would look at home along Tokyo’s Golden Gai, while the curious creations could only work in Paris. A fusion food gem.

• Address: 10 Rue Saulnier, 75009 Paris (Faubourg-Montmartre)
• Nearest Métro: Cadet (7)

As we reach our final couple of picks from the best restaurants in Paris, it’s time for one more taste of where French cuisine is today. The chic decor and intensely modern fare at Mumi is a terrific showcase just moments from the Louvre.

An ever-changing dégustation (tasting) menu celebrates seasonality and the gastronomic mysteries of terroir. One day diners might start with rock octopus or asparagus, followed by quail or pork from the Tarn département. The sommelier, who happens to be the owner, is on hand to pair the wines. Very much at the vanguard of the modern bistrot, the marvelously situated Mumi offers a mouthwatering insight into the ideas and influences fueling a new wave in French cooking.

• Address: 14 Rue Sauval, 75001 (Louvre)
• Nearest Métro: Louvre – Rivoli (1)

La Grange Aux Canards

Fittingly, we end our epicurean odyssey with a taste of old Paris at the quintessentially gallic La Grange Aux Canards. Despite sitting in a Latin Quarter bursting with character and tourists, the menu pulled from the gourmet wonderlands around Perigord is a magnet for residents. The cozy and compact bistrot is frequently packed.

As you might expect, duck is the box office draw. Easily some of the best you’ll find at Parisian restaurants. With only a few diversions to accommodate French essentials (escargots included), duck reigns supreme across the menu. Try the cassoulet with three confits (duck, Toulouse sausage, pork) for an authentic taste of the South. An unequivocally French conclusion to our sweeping tour around some of the best restaurants in Paris.

• Address: 23 Rue Frédéric Sauton, 75005 (Latin Quarter)
• Nearest Métro: Maubert – Mutualité (10)

Helpful Tips for Dining in Paris

With Google Translate ready to go and your stomach rumbling with hunger, you might wonder what else there is to know about restaurants in Paris. There’s little to worry about, but a few tips might help you relax and enjoy your Parisian feast.

• Lunch begins at midday, dinner at 7 pm in France. In Paris, the rules have adapted to international expectations, but many restaurants still follow these timings.
• It frequently pays to book ahead . Use a universal booking site like La Fourchette (the Fork) for many of the best restaurants in Paris. https://www.thefork.fr/
• If you are stuck in a line, “Excusez-moi, combien de temps est l’attente” will help you find out how long the wait is.
• Unlike cafés, you’ll be shown to your seat when it’s available.
• Children’s menus are widely available – sometimes made for children (steak haché, a burger without a bun, is popular.) Or sometimes just a smaller portion from the main menu.
• Remember, the menu is carte in French . When you see a menu on the board, it describes a fixed-priced meal including a main and/or dessert and starter. They are usually fantastic value, but limited to their most asked-for plates. Go à la carte for more choice.
• Staff at some restaurants may be attentive and keep your drinks topped up without asking. More often, you’ll need to signal if you need anything as the culture is to leave guests alone .
• Tap water is available free upon request. You do not need to accept any bottled water brought to your table.
• Bread is also freely available in most places. Ask for more if your basket is empty.
• Payment is frequently taken at the counter.
• Tipping is not required or expected. Service charges (15% service compris) are added already to most bills. Naturally, small tips (pourboire) are appreciated; rounding up the bill is a common thank-you for good service.
• Doggy bags are now a legal requirement in France. The practice may not have embedded itself in the culture. But it’s starting to take hold, so ask with confidence the law is on your side.

Frequently asked questions about the best restaurants in Paris

What are the best restaurants in paris.

There are a lot of good restaurants in Paris, for exemple:

How to pay the bill in Parisian restaurants?

At many restaurants in Paris, you can pay at the counter. If you’re in a hurry, the waiting staff may take payment when they give you the check. Fine dining venues discretely bring the bill and a card payment device.

When do Parisian restaurants open in the evening?

Cafés and brasseries commonly open all day. Other restaurants usually open at 7 pm for dinner (12 pm for lunch).

How expensive is eating out in Paris?

In a word, expensive. However, satisfying three-course menus can still be found for €25-30 at quality eateries; mains range from €13-20 at moderately priced restaurants in Paris. Views and heritage settings add a hefty premium. Above that, the sky is the limit, with Michelin-starred magnificence adding zeroes to the bill.

Where to brunch in Paris: the best brunch spots in the french capital

Magical rooftop bars in Paris – the best drinks and view over Paris

Explore Wonderful Food Halls and Markets in Paris

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The Best Restaurants Near Paris Tourist Attractions, According to a Local

Not every place to eat near the Louvre or Eiffel Tower is a tourist trap — but we turned to a local expert to weed out the best of the best.

Sometimes it may seem that restaurants located near popular tourist spots — museums, cathedrals, parks, theaters — tend to be pricey, bland, and basic.

They know you're hungry after waiting hours in line to see Mona Lisa's smile, or will be famished before curtain at the Opera Bastille, so they get you with their "prix-fixe" menus and well-located terraces. But meals in Paris (or any city, really) can — and should — be a main attraction, too. There's no need to sacrifice taste or budget for convenience.

Here are some of our favorites worth seeking out in the City of Light.

Near the Eiffel Tower: Francette

If you're visiting the city's iron lady — and, let's be honest, who isn't? — but you want more than a crepe from a cart and can't quite swing the multi-course meal at Jules Verne, head over to this floating restaurant at the foot of the famed monument that opened in summer 2021. Upon approaching the multi-level barge on the Seine, you may be confused by the lines of people waiting to cruise the river. But walk past them to find the host at the newish bistro-cocktail bar with both indoor and outdoor tables for year-round boire et manger . (That'd be drinking and eating.) Whether you're there for seasonal sunset snacks like homemade tarama and breaded Camembert, or to wine and dine on heartier classics like scallops or sweetbreads, sparkly views of Madame Eiffel are included. There's also a below-river wine cave that can be privatized for group dinners amongst the bottles.

Near the Champs-Elysées: Le Mermoz

You may be tempted to just duck into Five Guys because it's what you know; or wait on the giant line at Laudrée because it's what you read about. But after ogling or climbing the Arc de Triomphe, those who swing off a side street on the east end of this avenue otherwise lined with fashion and food chains will be rewarded by a gastronomic treat from American chef Thomas Graham . During the day, there's a more traditional entrée-plat-dessert à la carte menu, whereas at night it's all about shared small plates ranging in price from 9 to 21€, such as pillowy agnolotti with sweet potatoes and a chicken terrine with noisettes and prunes. While Graham shifts the menu seasonally, if it's on there, don't skip his deconstructed, not-at-all-classic onion soup featuring trout roe and slivered almonds. The wine is mostly natural or biodynamic, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting with quirky illustrations of French life lining the walls.

Near Montmartre and Sacre Coeur: Café de Luce

The restaurant scene up on the butte, as it's known amongst locals, has developed over the years. There's lots to choose from in this northern neck of the woods that actually used to be woodlands before it was home to artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Auguste Renoir, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The hilly and maze-like cobblestoned streets are not only great for getting lost amid old-time-y Paris, but where chefs like Amandine Chaignot, who trained with both Jean-François Piège and Eric Frechon, cook elevated cafe-meets-bistro fare from morning 'til night — ideal for travelers who can't commit to the city's otherwise strictly set dining hours of 12 to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 7 to 10:30 p.m. for dinner. Whether you head there first thing to try the stuffed croissant sandwich (that are quickly becoming legendary) or later in the day for something heartier like beef tartare or a smash burger with a bowl of fries, you won't leave hungry.

Near the Louvre: Ha Noi 1988

It's common to smell the scent of cardamom and cloves on the streets of Paris, but the best Vietnamese restaurants are not often located smack in its center on Île de la Cité, just off Pont Neuf a hop and skip from the Louvre. That is, they weren't until this bi-level restaurant boasting bamboo light fixtures and floral bird cages opened. Here, young chef Huy, (born in the namesake 1988), focuses on cuisine from his native northern Vietnam and makes everything in house — including the yeast for his signature whole-wheat steamed bao with ground beef and quail egg. Most Vietnamese classics are also on the menu — from piping hot bowls of spicy beef pho to heaping plates of bò bún with the crispiest of nem to dip in the house chili sauce. Even better? It's open every day for both lunch and dinner with continuous service on the weekends. Reservations aren't necessary, but recommended.

Near Opéra Bastille and the Marais: Brasserie Rosie

The southern part of the Marais , closer to the river, is more densely packed with chic boutiques and parks like Place des Vosges than it is truly stand-out, sit-down dining establishments. So when Brasserie Rosie opened on busy rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine near Place de la Bastille, those of us who live nearby were trés contente. The space is surprisingly large for Paris with a few distinct sections for seating: diner-style booths and counter seats up front, a more open dining room towards the back, and two private rooms with large tables for groups upstairs where vintage wedding photos are hung on whimsical wallpaper. While the menu itself is standard brasserie fare — swapping meats with the season — the execution and presentation is anything but. Rosie prides itself on using seasonal ingredients from local purveyors. The cocktail menu is also spectacular, with drinks like the "Chai Pineapple Kush" served on napkins that cleverly list a phone number and, "You are cute, call me" note. (Sadly, the call didn't go through!)

The Best Restaurants to Eat in Paris Right Now

Despite the pandemic, Parisian restaurants are bursting with new energy and there's probably no more exciting place in the world to eat at the moment. Here are 8 we love.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Paris is a reassuringly constant city. The good restaurants tend to stick and stay, or even get better; when new ones appear—and please the palate—chances are they’ll be around for at least a decade, if not two or three. But after 18 months of pandemic and many months of closures, curfews, and lockdowns, I worried I’d find my favorite haunts gone or somehow muted, chefs out of form and practice. (I partially grew up in Paris, and for the last 11 years have been a food columnist for the Wall Street Journal .) A little gastronomic investigation seemed de rigueur , and off I went in mid-July to Paris. I’m happy to report that my worries proved absolutely unfounded. Paris restaurants are bursting with energy, their chefs serving up the fruits of months of musing about, re-inventing, and perfecting their dishes and honing their craft. It is an exciting time to eat in Paris. Here are my suggestions for a wide range of eating occasions, my choices skewed somewhat in favor of outdoor dining and/or well-spaced tables. Note: Reservations are definitely needed, as many restaurants are operating under limited capacity or solely outdoors.

For a special occasion at the most romantic garden restaurant in Paris: Apicius.

For when you want a taste of fusion extraordinaire: Yam ‘Tcha.

Yam ‘Tcha is a masterful and innovative fusion of French and Hong Kong cuisines, cooked at the highest level of craft and with great imagination by chef and proprietor Adeline Grattard. She calls it her Paris-Hong Kong love story, but that doesn’t begin to explain the cult-worthy bao buns filled with molten British Stilton and Amarena cherries from Modena. Grattard’s husband, Chi Wah Chan, curates a pairing list of rare teas for anyone not drinking alcohol or curious to experience the subtle nuances of his teas. Michelin-starred, Yam ‘Tcha has tasting menus that change weekly, if not daily. For a casual and more affordable meal, try also Grattard’s recently opened Chinese bistro Lai ‘Tcha, conveniently located steps from La Bourse de Commerce-Pinault Collection.

For pre- or post-Pinault Collection sustenance: The Halle au Grains.

La Halle aux Grains , on the third floor of the newly opened museum in La Bourse de Commerce, is the perfect place for sustenance during or after viewing Pinault’s contemporary art collection. Father and son chefs Michel and Sebastian Bras, known the world-over for their eponymous restaurant in Laguiole, in Southwestern France, looked to La Bourse’s early history—as a marketplace for grains, particularly wheat, rye, and oats—for their inspiration. Grains infuse nearly every dish and drink here, offering unexpected earthy notes and surprising layers of texture, and the eating experience is notable as well for architect Tadeo Ando’s remarkable, light-filled interior. If possible, book the table d’hôte, which has an unparalleled view of the Gothic church of Saint Eustache, pictured. For an afternoon snack (you can also have lunch, tea, or dinner here), I recommend the croque-moelleux de céréales au jambon blanc et au fromage Laguiole , made with barley bread and accompanied by a green salad topped with sprouted grains.

When you're in the mood for a tartine for lunch: The Comptoir Poilâne.

There’s no better place in Paris for a tartine, or open-faced sandwich, than Comptoir Poilâne in the heart of the 6th arrondissment and housed in an annex to the world-renowned bakery Poilâne. Here, you can lunch on a long slab of miche (the sourdough precursor to the French baguette) with a classic topping of smoked salmon and dill—or an utterly contemporary version, with lacto-fermented vegetables and Roquefort (perhaps with a side of miso soup dotted with grains), or, a favorite of mine, thinly sliced Wagyu beef with honey mustard. Apollonia Poilâne’s menu couldn’t be more of-the-moment, but the extraordinary bread is still made downstairs in the wood-fired oven that her father and grandfather used long before she was born.

For apres-Marais-shopping hunger: Chez Janou.

Chez Janou is a much loved and very chic bistro around the corner from the Marais’s picturesque Place des Vosges. I’ve always gone to Chez Janou for its liveliness and location, as well as for the food, especially the great mousse au chocolat , which comes in a vast terrine and is doled out generously at your table. But this time, I was struck by a new freshness to the old classics. The richness of the magret de canard was cut with fresh rosemary; the gambas flambées au Pastis was accompanied by anise-scented basmati; and the crème brulée carried notes of orange blossom.

For the ultimate gourmet food-hall crawl: The Beau Passage

The name Beau P assage —as in alley—does not begin to do justice to this gourmet mecca that is also a brilliant example of urban planning: a series of connecting courtyards and outdoor and indoor spaces that link the rue du Bac with the rue du Grenelle and the Boulevard Raspail (in the 7th arrondissment). It’s chic, it’s fun, and it has a little bit of everything—well, high-end-foodie everything. It’s open throughout the day, making it an easy option for, say, a late lunch after spending the morning at the nearby Musée D’Orsay or the Invalides. What’s there? In addition to probably the best cheese shop in the world, Barthélémy, pictured here, there's Chef Yannick Alléno’s hip, laidback restaurant L’Allénothèque ; a lovely café and pâtiserrie from Pierre Hermé; a bakery from Thierry Marx; % Arabica coffee bar for those in need of a brew that skews more Italian than French; and, for carnivores, there’s the venerable Polmard, possibly the most expensive butcher shop in the city, which also houses a restaurant where you can lunch or snack on an exceptional charcuterie board, excellent bread, and a smart wine list—or indulge in sixth-generation butcher Alexandre Polmard’s exquisite steak. The indoor-outdoor design of Beau Passage was not, of course, conceived with Covid in mind, but it provides the spacious, outdoor options we need right now with food that makes it a destination in its own right. There are three possible entrances: 53, rue de Grenelle; 83, rue du Bac; and 14, Boulevard Raspail.

For When Nothing But a View of the Louvre Will Do: Loulou.

With less tourists in Paris this summer, areas that normally might fill with crowds are dotted only with a scattering of Parisians. This is the moment to go to Loulou . Situated on the ground floor of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on the rue de Rivoli, and opening onto one of the large outdoor terraces of the Palais du Louvre, Loulou couldn’t be more perfectly located, but the light Mediterranean menu is what draws in the locals. Try the salade de haricots verts, pistaches de Sicile, Pecorino fumé and—this is a must—the truffled pizza. The team behind Loulou previously opened Monsieur Bleu in the Palais de Tokyo.

For when the mood is “most exciting new restaurant in Paris”: Liquid.

Mattias Marc (pictured) of the restaurant Substance just opened what is perhaps the most exciting new place in Paris: Liquide . Jarvis Scott, formerly at Arpége, helms the kitchen, producing bold, vibrant fare that may have its origins in France but clearly has a global pantry and a well-traveled team of cooks. Timut pepper gives pickled cucumbers an astringent sharpness, while elderberry blossoms perfume a plate of fresh peas, and wood sorrel enlivens the rice pudding. Liquide will, I believe, have the sort of culinary impact of Semilla, Septime, and the much-missed Spring, and this is the chance to try it before it is discovered. It is too new to have its own website, so try its older sibling for details.

For when a literary amuse-bouche is in order: "My Place at the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris."

Paris-based food writer Alec Lobrano’s beautiful memoir, My Place at the Table , contains some of the most sensual descriptions I know of great Parisian meals, juxtaposed with an honest and, at times, hauntingly poignant narrative. It’s just the book to start on the plane to Paris and finish at the Café de Flore.

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9 Legendary Paris Restaurants That Live Up to the Hype

Here's which iconic Paris restaurants are worth including in your itinerary.

Vicki Denig is a freelance wine and travel journalist who divides her time between New York and Paris. She is a certified wine specialist who has worked in the wine trade since 2013.

It's no secret that Paris is full of spectacular places to dine. As much as we love exploring new-to-the-scene Paris restaurants, sometimes traditional French comfort food is exactly what the doctor ordered, and where better to get your fill than at one of the city's most classic establishments? We've put together a list of the most iconic places to eat in the City of Lights. Don't worry if you can't hit all of these Paris restaurants in one visit; keep this list handy for repeat visits. Because as Audrey Hepburn famously said: Paris is always a good idea.

La Tour d'Argent

One of the oldest restaurants in Paris, La Tour d'Argent's roots date back to 1582, when it first operated as an inn. Over the centuries, the restaurant became a favorite of nobles, royals, and wealthy individuals alike. Although the meal will still cost you, the experience promises to be unforgettable. Best known for its stunning views of Notre Dame and Ile Saint-Louis (as well as its Bible-like wine list), this classic French favorite overseen by Michelin-starred chef Philippe Labbé is simply unmissable. 19 Quai de la Tournelle

Le Train Bleu

While dining in train stations generally evokes memories of takeaway containers and cardboard coffee cups, a visit to Le Train Bleu couldn't be more elegant. First opened in 1901, this former Buffet de la Gare hosted artists, actresses, and clothing designers alike, from Coco Chanel to Salvador Dali. Today, the restaurant's stunning interior features sparkling chandeliers and intricately painted ceilings, as well as massive windows overlooking the swarms of train-bound travelers in the station below. À la carte and set menus are available for all three meals of the day; we can't think of a better way to instantly upgrade a travel day. Pl. Louis-Armand

Le Café de la Paix

Located just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Paris' famous opera house (and constructed by the very same architect, Charles Garnier), this breathtaking Right Bank restaurant has been an absolute must-visit since its opening in 1862. Expect classic favorites such as foie gras, côte de veau, and lamb shoulder served alongside elegant paintings and an overall jaw-dropping interior design. For fresh seafood lovers, Le Café de la Paix's extravagant raw bar is unforgettable. Past regulars include Oscar Wilde and Emile Zola, and don't be surprised if you recognize the establishment's famous dining room from a handful of quintessential Paris-based films. 5 Pl. de l'Opéra

Café de Flore

Marc Piasecki / Getty Images

Frequented by the likes of Picasso, Sartre, and Gertrude Stein, this famous Left Bank institution is beloved for its quaint Saint-Germain location and expansive outdoor terrace perfect for people-watching. Menu favorites include a variety of green salads, omelets, and other classic bistro fare. Café de Flore is one of the only spots on this list where heading over for a simple pint, glass of wine, or p'tit café is totally acceptable, no food required. 172 Bd Saint-Germain

Le Fouquet's

Conveniently located on the lively Champs Elysées, Le Fouquet's has been a Paris institution since 1899. Boasting picture-perfect views of the Arc de Triomphe, this beloved French favorite (frequented by ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy) is overseen by Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire. Expect pristinely cooked meats, fresh fish, and perfectly executed vegetables served up in a luxurious brasserie setting on the ground floor of the celebrated Hotel Barrière. Whether catching a film at the Gaumont or simply taking a break from high-end shopping, Le Fouquet's offers the perfect Parisian reprieve. 99 Av. des Champs-Élysées

L'Arpège

Vegans and vegetarians, listen up — this may just be the absolute best meal of your life. Spearheaded by chef Alain Passard, this three-Michelin-starred restaurant has been a benchmark for produce-focused dining since its founding year of 1986. Previously known as L'Archestrate, chef Passard purchased the restaurant from Alain Senderens during the mid-1980s, changed it to L'Arpège, and has maintained its three-star status since 1986. Seasonal menu items are created and based around Passard's own-grown produce, cultivated in gardens across France. L'Arpège is regularly lauded as one of the best restaurants in Paris, and upon visiting, you'll quickly realize why. 84 Rue de Varenne

La Closerie des Lilas

Similar to Café de Flore, La Closerie des Lilas is best known for its high-profile clients of yesteryear, many of whom ran in the writer, philosopher, and overall creative circles — think Hemingway, Verlaine, and Picasso. Located on the Boulevard de Montparnasse and laden in greenery, this beautiful Parisian classic is known for its shellfish platters and traditional meat dishes, as well as its extensive menu of homemade cocktails, including absinthe-based drinks. Grab a seat on the lofty terrace on warmer weather evenings, or simply enjoy the nostalgia of the red leather banquettes indoors for a more old-school feel. 171 Bd du Montparnasse

Bouillon Chartier

Unlike the other pricier institutions on this list, Bouillon Chartier remains one of the most affordable meals in Paris. We're talking 2€ entrées, 10€ main courses — meat and fish included — and a number of budget-friendly vins de table, available in glass, bottle, and carafe formats. With locations at République, Pigalle, Montparnasse, and the original (best) Grands Boulevards, these iconic dining rooms boast high ceilings, Art Deco-inspired interiors, and a slew of traditional dishes that promise to leave your stomach — and wallet — full. Beloved by tourists and locals alike, a trip to one of the buzzy Bouillons is simply unforgettable. Multiple locations

Chez Georges

Located just steps away from the Palais Royal and Jardin des Tuileries, Chez Georges is the ideal place for traditional French fare served up against classic wood-paneled decor. Expect hearty classics such as leg of lamb and beef tartare to grace the restaurant's belly-warming menu offerings, plus a variety of French wines to boot. In the hustle and bustle of the restaurant's Sentier neighborhood, Chez Georges offers a blast from the past in one of the most fun and flavorful ways, white tablecloths and customary French service included. 1 Rue du Mail

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• Where to Stay and Eat in Paris by Neighbourhood

In emblematic districts where most of the capital's monuments are to be found, or in "villages" popular with Parisians, we've selected the best of our picks, from intimate hotels to emblematic palaces, from Bib Gourmand-awarded bistros to trendy Michelin-starred restaurants. Follow the Guide !

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To the untrained eye, Paris is a uniform city of Haussmannian boulevards and sunny café terraces. At a glance, on the Right Bank you’ll find the classical elegance that is quintessential to Paris, while the Left Bank is more relaxed and bohemian in spirit. But really, the city is fragmented into 20 arrondissements each with its own unique flavour.  With 20 different pockets each having their own distinct culture, neighbourhoods to traverse and incredible restaurants to discover, there are some arrondissements that are better than others when it comes to unique hospitality experiences – those that provide a strategic location for exploration and culinary institutions right outside your hotel door.

Of course, the choice was difficult. But whether you're a first-time visitor or rediscovering the capital, we set out to identify the neighborhoods with the best hotels and the most representative restaurants on the Parisian culinary scene. There's something for every taste... and every budget !

1st arrondissement

For many first-time visitors to Paris, the 1st arrondissement is their first stop. This district is home to the world-famous Louvre museum and the Jardin des Tuileries, as well as hotels and restaurants brimming with over-the-top luxury. To summarise the 1st in two words? Majestic and touristy. Nevertheless, a stroll down the Napoleon-conceived Rue de Rivoli is a true sign that you’ve arrived in Paris.

Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal  – Sometimes the name pretty much says it all. That’s true of the Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal, which isn’t shy about pointing out that it’s the only luxury hotel near the Palais Royal – in fact, it overlooks the royal gardens, and is thus mere yards from the Louvre and the Tuileries as well.

Benoit  - For the atmosphere of a true Parisian bistro, push open the door at 20 rue St-Martin. It was here, in the heart of Paris, that the brand was born in 1912, at the time of the 'Halles populaires'. La Dame de Pic  – Celebrated Chef Anne-Sophie Pic brings her daring creations to life, Parisian-style. Le Sergent Recruteur – In a house that exudes elegance and cosiness, skilfully combining contemporary design and ancient walls, this historic tavern on the Île Saint-Louis has been converted into a gourmet restaurant. La Poule au Pot – In an old-fashioned Parisian bistro setting, Jean-François Piège revives the great classics of the French culinary repertoire.

3rd arrondissement

5th & 6th arrondissement

La Tour d’Argent – Founded in 1582, this historic restaurant on the quays of the Seine, with its view of the river and Notre-Dame, is as magical as ever.

Guy Savoy – In the exceptional setting of the Hôtel de la Monnaie, we pay daily tribute to great French cuisine.

Baca’v – A gourmet bistro offering bistro classics with a modern twist.

Marsan par Hélène Darroze – The culinary signature of a great chef.

Relais Louis XIII – This now-historic restaurant serves classic French cuisine.

Armani Ristorante – Where gastronomy meets fashion, in the original location on the 1st floor of the Armani boutique in St-Germain-des-Prés.

Allard – An institution now part of the Ducasse Group. Served in true 1900s style, dishes range in style from bistro to rustic.

8th arrondissement

Restaurants & hotels.

9th arrondissement

Les Canailles Pigalle – Opened by an experienced duo from Brittany, Les Canailles Pigalle’s specialities include beef tongue carpaccio and rum baba piled high with cream.

15th arrondissement

11th arrondissement

17th arrondissement

Le Bistrot Flaubert – A true Parisian bistro that has been a fixture in the neighbourhood for decades. In the kitchen, Chef Louis de Vicari delights with well-crafted, richly flavoured dishes. Comme Chez Maman – In the heart of Batignolles, is this contemporary bistro where you'll feel right at home. Belgian Chef Wim Van Gorp, serves up contemporary recipes seasoned with creative touches.

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The Best Tourist-Free Restaurants In Paris

Trade in touristy bistros for culinary gems beloved by locals.

While crepes coated with butter and sugar, and flaky croissants peeled away one laminated layer at a time are essential parts of the French culinary experience , the city's vibrant dining scene contains a multitude of options for Parisian foodies looking to dig into diverse and modern fare—if you know where to look.

While many tourists are drawn to the overpriced traditional bistros that line every busy street and avenue, promising their visitors an authentic French experience, for the true culinary gems of the City of Light, dining obsessives must get off the Champs-Élysées and seek out these eight spots, which are all beloved by the locals.

①  Au Passage

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Down a quiet alleyway in the Bastille neighborhood of Paris lies this cozy, modern French spot, which has become the place where chefs congregate on Monday nights, when most restaurants are closed. Snag a seat at the bar and dig into house-made bread and butter, a glass of natural wine and inventive, veggie-forward dishes . The small chalkboard menu, which changes frequently to ebb and flow with the seasons, is sure to bear all of the best ingredients of the moment. 

②  Frenchie to Go

A mini empire composed of three adjacent diverse operations including the wine bar and namesake higher-end restaurant, Frenchie caters to all kinds of crowds and occasions on the Rue du Nil. But the real standout for those seeking a quick and comforting meal is Frenchie to Go, the Parisian equivalent of a smokehouse that dishes playful takes on favorites like  pastrami on rye , pulled pork sandwiches and all-beef smoked hot dogs with homemade sauerkraut .

Located across the street from L'As du Fallafel, the popular (and tourist-heavy) falafel spot , the Parisian outpost of this Israeli chain serves the likes of heavenly lamb kebabs with fresh mint and whole charred cauliflower heads tucked into pitas and drizzled with tahini sauce. While snagging a seat can be difficult in the small space, the creative pitas are perfectly portable, made to be carried out into the charmant streets of Le Marais. 

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As the sun sinks below the cobblestoned horizon, prepare to be bathed in the golden glow of this romantic, set-menu pasta spot , where chef Michele Farnesi rotates his unique dishes frequently, from ravioli with prawns and leeks, to linguini with mackerel and herbs, to rigatoni with pigeon offal. 

Next door to Septime, one of the city's most buzzed-about (and impossible-to-get-into) eateries, is the owners' more casual, no-reservations seafood spot, where platters of oysters and a few glasses of perfectly curated natural wines preface heartier dishes of fried cod fitters, whole grilled fish , and an upscale take on a classic filet o' fish sandwich.

⑥  Chez Alain Miam Miam

At Marche des Enfants Rouges, Paris's oldest covered market in the 3rd Arrondissement, gourmands have their pick from dozens of stands and eateries. The standout? Chez Alain Miam Miam, a gritty one-man show offering some of the best crepes and sandwiches in the city. Though chef Alain—a loud and lumbering man—is a far cry from the buttoned-up chefs of the classic French kitchen, his handheld meals can't be beat, and the long line of locals serve as proof.

⑦  Urfa Durum

Though Paris is not exactly known for their cheap eats, at this casual, low-cost Turkish eatery, customers huddle on street-side stools to eat simple wraps filled with chicken and lamb, plus Lahmacun, a  baked flatbread topped with crumbled meat and fresh vegetables, rolled up for prime portability and costing less than 3 Euro.

⑧  L'Avant Comptoir

At this tiny, standing room–only wine bar, locals are used to packing in close, nursing glasses of vin and snacking on hot bread with thick slabs of Bordier butter before ordering upscale bar snacks. The menu cards dangling overhead feature the likes of fried pig feet and blood sausage macarons with pepper jam . Craving seafood? Head next door to its fish-friendly sibling,  L'avant Comptoir De La Mer .

Gillie Houston is Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor currently traveling the world in hunt of good stories and great tacos. Follow her culinary wanderlusting on Instagram .

The Best Places to Eat in Paris Right Now

Restaurants, brasseries, bistros, and bars line the streets of paris. the only question is how many you can pack into one trip..

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The menu at Brasserie Dubillot is all killler, no filler.

Courtesy of No Diet Club

Paris’s reputation as one of the world’s culinary capitals is entirely justified. Food isn’t just a passion here, it’s as intrinsic to Parisian culture as summer evenings by the Seine, a love of understated fashion, and (of course) the right to endlessly go on strike. This is the city where two-hour lunches reign, prize-winning baguettes make front-page news, the coolest restaurants command month-long waiting lists, and bistros have refused to change for decades, maintaining the same time-honored menus year after year. In between, you’ll find seriously creative cooking that celebrates the simple beauty of French ingredients and produce, from artichokes and asparagus to prized Bresse chickens, with a farm-to-table focus few other places can rival. We’ve selected 11 of Paris’s can’t-miss restaurants—and what to order at each one.

19th arrondissement

Out in the far reaches of the 19th arrondissement, next to the sprawling Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, an inconspicuous corner restaurant serving elegantly modern seafood dishes has become one of the hottest adresses to dine in Paris. You’ll need to book in advance even to secure a bar seat at Soces , let alone one of the simple wooden tables, but the rewards are evident as soon as you sit down.

Start strong with its signature amuse bouche, a single oyster served with a spicy margarita shot, that sets the tone for the shellfish-heavy menu devised by Marius de Ponfilly (previously of Clamato, sister seafood bar to the Michelin-starred Septime). Plates are ideal to share and far more complex than descriptions suggest. Tuna tartare comes with Roman-style crispy artichokes and a ham gel. Fresh peas arrive warm with salty lardons.

On the meatier side, you might find an enormous pork chop to share for two, but it’s better to save room for cheese. A wedge of the triple-cream Brillat-Savarin and glass of natural cabernet franc is the perfect way to bring a meal at Soces to a close.

Brassserie Dubillot offers steak, duck, or blood sausage among other items on a menu that can do no wrong.

Photo by Leo Kharfan (left) and Lou Le Bloas (right)

2. Brasserie Dubillot

2nd arrondissement

Trust us, boudin noir (blood sausage) nuggets might be the culinary revelation you’ve been waiting for. You simply can’t order wrong at Brasserie Dubillot , one of the Nouvelle Garde group’s growing handful of funky brasseries, where the vibes rival the menu. Beneath belle époque–inspired posters and stained-glass light fixtures, meals deliver as much fun as flavor.

Everything is fait maison (made from scratch) by the young team, with ingredients sourced in the Parisian region wherever possible. Meats are the real specialty: steaks, duck breasts, and hunks of lamb cooked on a wood-fired grill and served with rich sauces (count on spending €30, around US$32, per person).

For dessert, save room for a towering Paris-Brest, a choux pastry wheel filled with hazelnut cream, before heading for drinks at one of the many dive bars nearby.

11th arrondissement

We’ll let you in on a secret: Vantre has one of the best wine lists in the city. This unassuming bistro is the place for Parisian long-lunch perfection, a succession of artfully plated dishes in a light and airy small dining room. Expect a big industry crowd for the wines, which run from somewhat out-of-place magnums of Dom to some of Burgundy’s most interesting premier crus.

Get at least two courses. To start, perhaps a light combination of roasted cauliflower and anchovies or the red pepper mousse, then the pigeon tart with chanterelles or a slow-cooked beef cheek. There are usually only a few options to choose from, each dish rich and flavorful without being heavy, generally making one ingredient the star.

4. L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre

6th arrondissement

Yves Camdeborde, the founding father of the bistronomy movement , has made L’Avant-Comptoir de la Terre the stuff of Left Bank legend. “No seats, no problem” might as well be its motto. Instead, you perch against the bar, carving off curls of butter from a shared boulder-size lump for your crusty bread. The menu dangles on cards from the ceiling.

Food is tapas style and meaty, although vegetarians might find joy in a truffled Comté croque monsieur or homemade fries dredged through tarragon mayo. Other options range from classic to creative depending on the day: beef tataki with asparagus, peas and (unexpectedly) peanuts, a superb pâté en croûte, or a pork burger with kale compote.

It doesn’t take reservations, so be sure to get there early or try its neighboring sister seafood bar, L’Avant Comptoir de la Mer .

5. Bistrot des Tournelles

4th arrondissement

Rarely has a new bistro become as much of an instant hit as Bistrot des Tournelles , which opened in July 2022. Apart from the hype, there are few giveaways that Édouard Vermynck’s homage to classic French dining hasn’t been serving steaks swimming in pepper sauce for centuries. (He previously ran the stylish bar-restaurant Entrée des Artistes in Pigalle, known as much for its vinyl record selection as its food.)

Behind half-height lacy curtains, you’ll find Parisian romance without a hint of cheesiness (unless you get the cheese course). Instead, it’s all about elegant French comfort food, cooked with passion. Mains hover between €30 and €40, the highlight the poulette des Landes (young chicken) with a cream sauce and morel mushrooms. You can choose among fries, mashed potatoes, or spinach on the side. New openings don’t get more traditional than this. New restaurants rarely deliver as much historic character and charm.

6. Passerini

12th arrondissement

Where do you find good Italian food in Paris? Passerini , helmed by perhaps the city’s best-known Italian chef, Giovanni Passerini, near one of the city’s best markets, the Marché d’Aligre in the 12th arrondissement, is the elegant answer.

The modern and low-key setting—big picture windows and scant decoration other than wine bottles stacked on high shelves—lends itself to easy dining. It’s a welcome antidote if you’ve been swimming in onion soup, cream sauces, and rich pastries.

Authentic fresh pastas are the essential order, with three on the menu most days. Don’t miss the tortellini in brodo or tagliolini with lamb meatballs, if you’re lucky enough to spot them. To follow, old-school recipes such as vitello tonnato might appear alongside plats making the most of the day’s freshest fish or fowl (think turbot with an onion and fennel gratin or a whole pigeon, served in two courses).

20th arrondissement

You’ll find Amagat hidden down a cobbled, fairy-light-lit pedestrian alley in the 20th arrondissement, in the far east of the city. You’re way off the tourist trail here, but plenty of Parisians and visitors alike find their way to this not-so-secret tapas spot.

It’s at once utterly Parisian (the buzz of the service, the outside tables) and pleasingly Spanish (the untranslated menu, the padron peppers sizzling on the grill).

Sharing, of course, is a must. Mix tapas crowd-pleasers—jamon iberico, croquetas, patatas bravas and a tortilla—with more elegant small plates. Add the baked Jerusalem artichokes in miso butter and the presa ibérica marinated in gochujang and you’ll have a feast for two.

8. Huguette

This Left Bank seafood restaurant could have been picked up straight from a chic seaside resort on the Brittany coast and dropped in central Paris. Seafood rules at the sidewalk tables beneath Huguette ’s striped awnings, where friendly staff in Breton-stripe tees navigate pedestrians while balancing towering platters of oysters, lobster, and crab with frosty champagne buckets.

You can practically hear the waves crash as you scoop mignonette (a sauce of finely chopped shallots and red wine vinegar) onto a dozen fines de claire oysters. It does have some nonshellfish options (ceviche, poke bowls, and the like), but the old-school delights of the raw bar are the real draw. But make an exception for the fried calamari or fritto misto.

The ramen and the decor at Kodawari Yokocho will transport you from France’s capital to Japan’s.

Courtesy of Kodawari Yokocho

9. Kodawari Yokocho

At Kodawari Yokocho , steaming bowls of ramen are only half the appeal. The wildly but wonderfully over-themed decor—a veritable forest of paper lanterns and bamboo screens that evoke the spirit of a moonlit Tokyo alleyway—is as much of a reason to come.

This is a ramen joint unlike any other in the city, inspired by the spirit of a typical Japanese izakaya. The menu is based around six different ramen choices, including one veggie option with a sesame, miso and cauliflower base, each customizable with toppings (nori, extra chashu pork, spicy sauce, and so on).

Everything is freshly made and ingredients impeccably sourced, the wheat for the noodles even grown and milled right outside the city.

10. Le Servan

French Filipina sisters Tatiana and Katia Levha have been running Le Servan for nearly 10 years, but their menu feels as inventive today as when they opened this small yet special restaurant in 2014. Their cooking draws on Asian influences as well as French techniques, with seasonality and sustainability always front and center.

They made their name by turning veal brains and sweetbreads into Paris’s must-try (and must-photograph) dishes. Equally exciting are an elegantly simple soft-boiled egg with ponzu jelly and trout eggs or their version of a magret de canard (duck breast), served with a carrot puree and spicy jus.

Dinner here is a bit of a splurge—expect to pay $60–$70 per head before wine—but well worth it for the lovely dining room (check out the ceiling moldings), memorable dishes, and charming service.

OK, so Le Doyenné is slightly outside Paris, but it’s worth the trip.

Photos by Luke Burgess

11. Le Doyenné

Saint-Vrain

A short drive, or RER (the suburban trains that extend beyond the metro) and taxi journey, outside Paris in the small village of Saint-Vrain, Le Doyenné more than merits a detour on a primarily Parisian culinary adventure. This farm, restaurant, and rooms from James Henry and Shaun Kelly (previously of Au Passage and Yard) epitomize the field-to-plate movement, vegetables grown outside the magnificent conservatory-style converted stables where you dine on rough-wood tables.

On the menu? Whatever the potager has yielded that morning, along with wild game, seafood, and sustainably reared meats. Once you’ve made it this far, you might as well go for the carte blanche (€95 plus €70 for wine pairings), a skillful four-course introduction to its philosophy.

Since it scooped a Michelin green star, you’ll need to book well ahead for a table, even earlier if you want to stay overnight in one of the 10 rustic-chic rooms, too.

14 Trendy & Fun Restaurants in Paris

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Are you chasing after fun Restaurants in Paris? Then this post is for you! I put together a list of fun places to eat in Paris. Restaurants with a unique flair, or a fun interior where you can enjoy your meal in a casual atmosphere. Because fine dining is not everything that there is. Not even in Paris.

I am adding as well a few eateries that are in my opinion, some of the best family restaurants in Paris. Perfect if you are traveling to Paris with kids or teens .

⪼ see this fun  wishlist  for family-friendly activities & attractions that I created for  GetYourGuide

Salut, I am Lena – travel planning expert and parisienne since 2006 🩷

Here are a few articles, that you shouldn’t miss

• 62 Fascinating French Food Facts
• 5 Cocktail Bars in Paris you need to try!
• The Best Bakeries in Paris – 5 pastry shops you must try!
• Vegan and Vegetarian Paris – Where to eat out?

Paris is food heaven, that’s for sure! You find tons of amazing restaurants that will guarantee you the ultimate food experience.

But what if sitting down in a fancy restaurant with Eiffel Tower views is not really what you’re looking for? Especially if you’re traveling to Paris with kids or teenagers ? I know how frustrating it can be to eat at a great (and pricey!) place but rather than enjoying the food and the wine, you are busy entertaining your kids. Or maybe upscale restaurants are just not your cup of tea.

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14 trendy Restaurants in Paris you shouldn’t miss

Are you wondering which treats should find their way into your belly? Check our Paris Food Guide!

And well, many French restaurants do tend to feel a wee bit… stiff. It’s hard to find fun and easy-going places in Paris where you don’t have to compromise on food.

Read on to know where to find fun restaurants in Paris! Places that even your picky eaters or bored teens will enjoy!

You might also like:   Secret bars in Paris – discover Paris’ speakeasies!

What are the most quirky and fun restaurants in Paris?

I curated a list of places I love – because you don’t need to be a teenager anyway to like casual and fun places 🙂

#1 TranTranZai

This restaurant specializes in Chinese noodles from the Sichuan region, and it’s my personal discovery of the year. The homemade noodles at TranTranZai come with a different garnish and with or without soup. It’s warm and tangy, fresh and comforting. If you don’t like spicy food, it’s not a problem.

For each dish, you can choose your level of spiciness, from 0-6. They also have a few other dishes and cater also to vegetarians .

Worth mentioning: is the fun interior, which makes it one of the cool restaurants in Paris. I could eat there every week.

Where is it? They have two restaurants in Paris: on 3 Rue de l’École Polytechnique (near the Panthéon) and at 94 rue Saint-Denis in Châtelet. No reservation needed.

#2 Dernier Bar avant la Fin du Monde

The last bar before the end of the world… This bar is as geeky as it sounds. From Star Wars and Marvel to Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who. With film quizzes in the restrooms, a cozy common room with free board games to play, requisites from cinema and TV, and, of course, themed dishes and drinks.

Perfect to spend a cool family lunch or afternoon tea, while playing some games. Click here for more info if you are looking for a cool restaurant in Paris.

Where is it? Le Dernier Bar is right in the center of Paris, Metro Châtelet. Close to Notre Dame, Pont Neuf, and the Rue de Rivoli.

#3 Le café des Chats – the Cat Café

It is what it sounds like – a tea house with cats. 11 of them to be precise! Well, the 11 cats own the place, and they generously let you hang out to enjoy a cuppa.

Le café des chats is a classic Parisian tea house with a good choice of teas and coffees, and, of course, cake and pastries. However, they do serve as well classic french brasserie dishes like Croque Monsieur or a salad with goat cheese.

If that’s nothing your kid would possibly eat – they do serve burgers as well, even veggie burgers!

Where is it? Metro Bréguet – Sabin or Bastille. The Café des Chats is also close to the Place de Vosges.

#4 La Maison Rose

If you are looking for a cool and trendy restaurant in Paris that is in the Montmartre area, the Maison Rose is the place to be. This very Instagrammable restaurant probably popped up already on your social media feed.

I ate there during the summer, and I was very skeptical. Thinking that it wouldn’t live up to the hype and that I end up lunching in a tourist trap. But Not. At. All. I had a delicious meal, the waiter was very friendly and forthcoming, and the surroundings were just beautiful. I warmly can recommend this place.

Where do you find it? 2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir

#5 La ReCyclerie

One of the most people and environment-friendly eateries in Paris. La ReCyclerie serves foods and drinks but is way more than that: an urban farm, a “repair café”, a place of humanity and conversations, room for exploration, nature, and well-being. For everyone interested in zero waste and sustainability.

Where is it? Metro Porte de Clignancourt, not too far from Montmartre and the Fleamarket at Port de St.Ouen

#6 The Meltdown

Another geeky place in Paris, with a high focus on video games and e-sports. The Meltdown is equipped with several gaming PCs, consoles, and arcade machines that are free to play as long as you are buying a drink or a snack.

Where is it? Metro Ledru-Rollin, close to Bastille.

#7 James Bún – Hanoi Street Food

.. and it feels like Hanoi! The place resembles a food stall, including the colorful little plastic stools that are so typical of Southeast Asia, the open kitchen, and, of course, Bó Bún, Banh Mih, and Phó.

They have 3 restaurants in Paris – click here for more info .

#8 Hard Rock Café Paris

It’s a classic that shouldn’t be missing on the list of where to eat with your teenager in Paris. The Hard Rock Café in Paris is like any other Hard Rock Café in the world, you get exactly what you expect, plus a gift shop.

Burgers, pulled pork, apple pies, music, and the exhibition of original items from the music industry. It’s definitely a safe bet!

Where is it? Metro Grands Boulevards or Richelieu-Drouot, close to Opéra Garnier

#9 Hank Burger (vegan!)

Craving burgers but need a vegan option? Head over to Hank Burger in the Marais! Hank Burger is a vegan-only place, with no eggs, and no cheese. Only veggie products.

They even have a gluten-free burger if that’s what you require! They are delicious and one of the most popular vegan addresses in Paris!

Where is it? Metro Rambuteau, close to the Centre Pompidou and the Picasso Museum.

#10 Dans le Noir 

The name of the restaurant is “in the darkness”. You need to take the name of this restaurant literally, as you will indeed enjoy your dinner in complete darkness.

It might be a bit creepy, but you get an entirely new perspective on flavor and tastes. Just know that it’s not that cheap and nothing for fuzzy eaters – it’s an organic gastronomic menu. Check here for their menu and prices.

Where is it? Metro Rambuteau, close to the Centre Pompidou and Les Halles.

Cool Paris Restaurants: Mama Shelter, La Felicità and Pizzeria Populare

#11 la felicità – a cool place to eat in paris.

Craving Italian food in a location that is perfect for showing off on your Instagram account? Head over to La Felicità !

La Felicità is basically made for being captured. It’s a spacious Italian indoor food market in an old train station. You get delicious Pizza and amazing Italian salads. Pasta and pastry.. And the coffee! The decoration is spectacular – it’s full of plants, carpets, and plenty of seating areas, and did I mention that they have 2 full-size train wagons?

Felicità is also a good place to sit down, log in to their Wi-Fi, and get some work done.

Where is it?  Metro Chevaleret or Bibliothèque Francois Mitterrand, not too far from Jardin des Plantes and Bercy.

#12 Mama Shelter

One of the best restaurants in paris with kids.

Mama Shelter at Porte de Versailles is one of my favorite restaurants when eating out with my family or a bigger group. They have a more classic restaurant on the first floor and a wonderful Italian Pizzeria on the rooftop. It’s a very spacious restaurant and there is enough space for a stroller.

For me, it’s one of the best family restaurants in Paris. Already due to the space, but it’s a rather busy place and no one bothers if the kids are not 100% silent. There is even a little table football and it’s a families favorite, especially on weekends.

Did I mention that you get one of the best Pizzas in Paris here? Not surprising, though, as it belongs to the Mama group. They also run the Felicitá and the Pizzeria Populare, to name a few.

Nice Extra: you have a nice view of the Eiffel Tower from there! It’s one of the best casual restaurants in Paris, so you certainly need to make a reservation.

Where is it:  20 Av. de la Porte de la Plaine

#13 Baguett ‘s Café

If you are looking for a charming brunch spot and trendy restaurants in Paris, head to the Baguett’s Café . It’s one of these cozy Instagram places that serve avocado toast and chai latte’s, and that you find everywhere these days. But that are also excellent and serve insanely yummy food.

The Baguett’s Café is right by the Louvre and the Palais Royal, so a good place to build up some strength before heading to some of Paris’ most famous sights.

I tried a few dishes in this café, but the pancakes with bacon and egg were by far the best ones. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back.

Update December 2023: I have been back and even though it was still good, I realized it is indeed costly for what it is, and the portions are rater small.

They don’t take reservations, and you might need to queue a bit, but it usually goes rather quickly.

Where is it? 33 Rue de Richelieu

#14 Gossima Ping Pong Bar

That bar is one of a kind. Have some food, a drink – with or without alcohol, well..  and a ping pong match! The Gossima Ping Pong Bar opens already at 4 pm, and you can stay easily away from the nightlife scene.. if you want to! It’s certainly a fun way to end a sightseeing day in Paris!

Where is it? Metro Rue-Saint-Maur or Ménilmontant, between Père Lachaise and Belleville

So there you have it, our list of the 14 fun and trendy restaurants in Paris. If you’re looking for a fun and relaxed evening out with friends or want to take the family somewhere special, any of these places will fit the bill nicely.

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PS: Check out these posts, they will help you plan your trip to Paris

• 20 Arrondissements in Paris (Quick Guide + Map)
• Paris hidden gems: 80+ well kept secrets you shouldn’t miss
• What NOT to do in Paris -23 (costly) Paris Mistakes you need to avoid!
• 14 Hotels with stunning Eiffel Tower views- for (almost) every budget!
• Your Perfect 2 Days in Paris! Itinerary & Insider Tips
• 5 ways to get from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris – THE complete guide!
• Scams in Paris! How to avoid the most common cons

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Dining out in Paris is as much a part of the culture as the language or cuisine. The act of slipping into a small wrought iron chair and nursing a glass of wine and a plate of cheeses for hours on end while you idly flip through a Hemingway novel is so distinctly Parisian. There is a world of difference between the cafe culture of the City of Lights and the hurried, noisy experience of dining out American-style, and it’s important that you understand these differences before you go. Here are a few important details to keep in mind:

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN EATING IN PARIS

• Dining out in Paris is something to be done at a leisurely pace when you have time to sit back and relax and savor each course. It’s not uncommon for Parisians to sit at one table for several hours and order nothing more than a carafe of wine. In America, this would be considered rude, and one might even be asked to order something else or leave, but in Paris, it’s simply business as usual. Once a Parisian diner is given a table, it is considered theirs for as long as they want it (there is a rare exception to this, and that is when a restaurant is fully booked out for the night but has some availability earlier in the evening, in which case they will tell you in advance that you must be finished by a certain hour). As a result, don’t expect your waiter to be in a rush to serve you. Generally, they are quick to take your initial order, but after that, they give you privacy and space and assume that you will flag them down when you need service. In France, this is good manners, as they consider a waiter who is constantly checking up on you to be obnoxious and intrusive. If you would like to order something, simply raise your hand subtly at your waiter the next time you see him pass by, or offer a quiet excusez-moi, monsieur (pronounced: ex-koo-zay-mwah meh-syur ). DO NOT shout “garçon” as that is the word for little boy in French and it may be taken as an insult.
• With most outdoor cafes it is customary to simply grab whatever table is available without waiting to be seated. Tables that are set with paper tablecloths and silverware are for those intending to eat, whereas blank tables are for those who only wish something to drink. There are some exceptions to this, particularly if the restaurant is extremely busy, but for the most part, if you see several open tables you can grab whichever one pleases you and a waiter will come along shortly. If the thought of bursting in and grabbing a table on your own frightens you, or when dining inside, simply wait at the entrance and someone will come along and help you. A good phrase to remember is deux pour manger (pronounced: duh por mahn-jay ), which means that there are two people in your party and you wish to eat. If you only want a drink, the phrase would be deux pour boire (pronounced: duh por bwahr).
• The French eat lunch ( déjeuner , prounced: day-zhun-ay ) from 12-2, but they customarily eat dinner ( dîner , pronounced: dee-nay ) much later in the evening, between 8-12. If you wish to dine like a Frenchman but you don’t think you can hold out eight hours without sustenance, there’s always le goûter (pronounced: luh goo-tay ), which is French snacktime. From 4-7 every afternoon, French cafes and brasseries suddenly become crowded with Parisiens enjoying a glass of wine, cup of hot tea or coffee, or even just a glass of fresh-pressed juice. Most establishments offer a small snack along with a drink order such as nuts, olives, or chips. If your stomach is growling especially loudly you can order an assortment of cheeses or charcuterie. Personally I like to take advantage of the cultural difference and have an early dinner at 6 or 7, which allows me to get into very popular restaurants without advance reservations and still take advantage of happy hour specials.
• If you would like free tap water, ask for un carafe d’eau (pronounced: uh cah-raff doh ). Tap water is perfectly safe to drink and tastes just fine. If you prefer the pricier bottled version (and I do mean pricey – often 7-10 Euro per serving), request eau minérale naturelle (pronounced: oh men-eh-ral nah-tyoo-rell ) for still water or eau minérale gazeuse (pronounced: oh men-eh-ral gah-zuz ) for sparkling water. Bread is complimentary in all restaurants, but if your waiter fails to bring you some you can always ask for du pain, s’il vous plaît (pronounced: doo pan, see voo play ).
• The bill will not be brought to you unless requested by saying l’addition, s’il vous plaît (pronounced: lah-dee-cee-own, see voo play ). It’s very important to remember that in Paris, gratuity is already added onto your bill, so you only need to pay the amount stated. Restaurant receipts are required by law to list all kinds of various taxes and fees included in your bill, and to complicate matters further these fees are often printed below the total, but generally the largest number is the one you must pay. I often add on a extra Euro or two for especially good service (old habits die hard!) but it’s certainly not necessary. Also, when leaving it is polite to say goodbye to the waitstaff, particularly your waiter – a simple merci, au revoir (pronounced: mur-cee, oh-vwah ) will do.
• It’s not uncommon to be placed at a long rectangular table with other diners. The French don’t believe in leaving seats open unnecessarily, so if you go into a restaurant as a twosome, you may be paired up with another couple at a four top.
• Many restaurants do have English menus available, or at least one English-speaking waiter on staff who can help translate for you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

The best advice I can give you is to plan your dining out in advance.

French dining is world-famous for good reason, but if you allow yourself to get starving without a game plan, you’ll usually end up somewhere touristy, overpriced, and unsatisfying. It’s well worth the prep time to research the neighborhoods you’ll be in on each day of your trip so that you know exactly what direction to head in when your feet are tired and your stomach is growling. If you dine early (6-8) then you should be able to get into most places without a reservation. If you like to dine late, it’s especially important to plan your dinners in advance and make reservations.

Here are some of my favorite restaurants in Paris – if you have a fantastic experience somewhere, let me know!

Some of our favorite parisian restaurants, l’epi dupin.

11 rue Dupin, 75005 Phone: 01 42 22 64 56 • Website • TripAdvisor

This gastronomic eatery, located steps away from Le Bon Marche, is a foodie’s paradise. The small menu changes often and features creative twists such as blood sausage in a chestnut cream sauce, pureed scallops over butternut squash, duck confit egg rolls in a crunchy pastry cone, warm lentil parmesan salad with bacon and poached eggs, and homemade shortbread topped with fresh grapefruit and creme-fraiche. Personally, I have a more traditional palate, and I don’t often enjoy restaurants with “out-there” menus, but L’Epi Dupin is still my favorite eatery in Paris. It forces me to go out of my culinary comfort zone, but I don’t have to be nervous about it because I have yet to have a bad experience with any course. The price is a flat 42 Euro for appetizer, main course, and dessert (as well as a complimentary amuse-bouche), which is a steal for the quality of food you receive. Make reservations a few days in advance.

Robert et Louise

64 rue de Temple, 75003 Phone: 01 42 78 55 89 • Website • TripAdvisor

Walking into Robert et Louise feels like being welcomed into a French country home. Red gingham curtains, fresh flowers atop rustic wood tables, and the smell and sound of a warm crackling fire are the perfect complement to the hearty food. The menu is composed of several meat options, which are cooked to your preferences over the fire along with your choice of potatoes, salad, or the vegetable of the day. The menu is simple but deliciously seasoned and perfectly cooked. Robert et Louise is the perfect place to warm up on a cold, rainy Paris day. Reservations are not needed if you come early, but it fills up quickly. You can often eat for less than 30€ with their formule menu (plat du jour plus appetizer or dessert), but normally you can expect to spend around 30 Euro per person for two courses and a drink.

Du Pain et Des Idees

34 rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Phone: 01 42 40 44 52 • Website • TripAdvisor

This boulangerie repeatedly wins the title of “Best Bakery in Paris” and that designation is well-deserved. I was as skeptical as anyone, but one bite into a fresh, warm, slightly sweet croissant from their shelves and I was an instant believer. The lines here are often long, but they move fast and are worth the wait. Though their croissants are the can’t-miss star of the show, you can’t go wrong with any choice here. Save some money by skipping lunch one day and picking up a few items here instead.

Breizh Cafe

109 rue Vieille du Temple Phone: 01 42 72 13 77 • Website • TripAdvisor

If you’re feeling weighed down by heavy French meals and you need something fresh and light, Breizh Cafe will hit the spot. Breizh’s specialty is crepes and galettes (crepes made of buckwheat flour) made of fresh, organic ingredients. They also have a menu of 50 different ciders, accompanied by flavor descriptions to make it easy to choose the one that fits your tastes. I was pleasantly surprised by the appetizer of walnuts, honey, and blue cheese mini-crepes (a generous portion, enough to share). Whatever you do, don’t miss the Dame Tatin for dessert – a warm, soft, buttery crepe filled with sweet apple compote. Briezh is super popular, so make reservations well in advance.

84 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Phone: 01 47 05 09 06 • Website • TripAdvisor Chef Alain Passard is widely considered to be one of the greatest chefs in the history of gourmet cuisine, and this three Michelin starred restaurant will definitely show you why. Passard, who was famous for his treatment of meats (particularly red meats), shocked the cooking world when he took meat off the menu in 2001 to focus on his technique cooking vegetables. These days you can once again find seafood and meats on the menu, but only in sparing amounts. However there is no chance you will leave this restaurant feeling unsatisfied, even meat lovers like me. The prices are what you might expect from a restaurant of this caliber – 74-210€ per course. They do have several tasting menus as well. I often get asked for vegetarian restaurant options, and this is THE place for veggie lovers. They currently have a vegetable tasting menu at lunch for 175€. It won’t be a cheap meal, but it will be a meal you will remember and rave about for years to come. We were fortunate enough to eat there several years back when it was only 120€ for a tasting menu at lunch. It was out of this world!

Les Papilles

30 rue Gay Lussac, 75005 Phone: 01 43 25 20 79 • Website • TripAdvisor

The bad thing about Les Papilles is that you don’t get to pick what you eat. The good thing about Les Papilles is just about everything else. This small little restaurant tucked just outside of the Jardin du Luxembourg is the labor of love for its staff, who are dedicated to providing an amazing dining experience. The menu changes every day, offering one entree (usually a vegetable soup of some kind), a main course, a cheese course, and a dessert. On my last visit, we had a thick carrot soup with chunks of hearty bacon to start, followed by a family-style pot of chicken, mushrooms, and haricot verts in a creamy pesto sauce, a small medallion of chevre rolled in fresh herbs and pepper, and a light panna cotta with chunks of juicy pineapple. Each course was amazing and universally pleasing to the entire table. I understand the fear of going to a restaurant with no choices, but take a look at some of the items mentioned on the TripAdvisor reviews and you’ll see that every day’s menu sounds equally delicious. Worst case scenario, if you have a member in your group that has allergies or food preferences that conflict with the night’s menu, the chef will whip up something special for them. When first writing this post it was only 24 Euro a person for lunch or 33 Euro a person for dinner, which is a steal, and well worth making reservations for (reservations taken by email in English, just be sure to confirm your reservation the morning of or they will give it away). Upon updating the post we do not see the price posted on their website, so you may want to inquire. Based upon recent TripAdvisor reviews it sounds like it’s now 38 Euro for dinner.

Les Cocottes

135 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Website TripAdvisor

One of the many restaurants from famed chef Christian Constant, this small but chic diner-style restaurant offers dishes that are light, simple, and delicious. I could easily eat the creamy parsnip soup and crunchy croutons by the gallon, and the light and fluffy waffle with chocolate sauce is not to be missed. You can’t go wrong with any main course, but I particularly enjoyed the roasted pigeon with creamy mashed potatoes and the scary-sounding but non-intimidating and incredibly delicious pig’s trotter (think roasted potatoes stuffed with ground pork). The wine list is exceptional and reasonably priced, and they also have several great options for brunch or midday snacks. Les Cocottes does not accept reservations, so you’ll need to arrive early or prepare to wait, especially if you have a larger group (my group of 4 arrived at 6:45 for the 7 PM service on a Saturday night and just barely got a table). Expect to spend around 30-40 Euro for three courses without wine. *We’ve also since dined at Michelin star, Le Violin d’Ingres for CheyAnne’s birthday and had an exceptional meal there as well! This is a great spot for a romantic evening, as you can stroll over to the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the light show within minutes of your meal.

Frenchie Wine Bar

5 rue du Nil, 75002 Phone: 01 40 39 96 19 • Website • TripAdvisor

Although the Frenchie restaurant across the street is certainly more lauded (with a three-month wait list to prove it), virtually everyone I know prefers the wine bar for its amazing wine list and diverse menu. The food is served tapas-style, with each plate containing small bite-sized portions intended to be shared. I didn’t believe it when a friend told me that the butternut squash and brown sugar ravioli was the greatest thing she had ever had in her life, but I can now attest that it is in fact amazing and one of my favorite dishes in Paris. The pulled pork sandwiches are tasty, and the tagliatelle with beef ragu is especially good when sopped up with fresh bread. The employees at the wine bar are experts at selecting bottles based on your preferences, and although it’s not on the menu, they will serve you wine by the glass if you’re not in the market for a full bottle. However, prices are high-ish and the service, while friendly, can be stretched to the limit when the wine bar fills up (which is virtually always). Expect to spend 15 Euro per plate with 2-3 per person for a meal, and around 30-40 Euro for a bottle of wine. No reservations, come early if you want a table or be prepared to stand at the bar.

1, Place de Mexico, 75016 Phone: 01 45 53 89 79 • Website • TripAdvisor

Di Vino is neither cheap nor fast, but it is that rare, wonderful mix between a great meal and an unbeatable view. Located on the Place de Mexico, about two blocks from Trocadero, this tiny little Italian restaurant is the perfect place for a sunset dinner al fresco. It’s surrounded on all sides by beautiful classic French Haussmann architecture, it’s in a quiet but lively residential neighborhood that feels like something out of a movie, and if you’re lucky enough to grab one of the six or seven tables on the side terrace, it has a direct view of the Eiffel Tower. The pizettas are light and fresh, great for an appetizer or a midday snack (and large enough to share). The veal parmesan left my husband raving for days, and the risotto con pollo was a treasure that I have been searching all over Paris for, especially when mixed with the incredibly flavorful chicken jus surrounding the creamy parmesan risotto. Price tag was 150 Euro for one appetizer, two main courses, four glasses of wine, and one dessert. A bit high for our tastes, but well worth the atmosphere and the meal. Reservations not needed if you come early, but call in advance for a table with a view.

The Imperial

240 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Phone: 08 99 23 08 51 • Website • TripAdvisor

In general, I don’t recommend eating near any major tourist attraction or on any major street, as the food is usually pricey and mediocre, but the Imperial is a glowing exception. Located on Rue Rivoli across the street from the Tuileries, the food here is anything but mediocre. I’ve ordered everything on the menu from quiche lorraine to beef bourguignon to croque madame to a good old-fashioned cheeseburger, and I’ve never been disappointed. I especially love the hot crispy french fries, served in generous portions. The cafe creme (better known as cafe au lait in the US) is my favorite in Paris, and you can even order a double portion served in a massive mug with a side pot of frothy warm milk (the chocolate chaud is a treat, as well, and in my opinion better than neighboring Angelina’s). The interior is high-end and lush, and if you can, I recommend getting a table along the window tucked into the thick black velvet curtains for a rare bit of privacy. The downside is that the service here is unfortunately exploitative of tourists, and though the waiters are nice and friendly, they often pressure guests into leaving quickly (usually by bringing the bill early and asking regularly if you’re ready to pay yet) or by pressuring you to leave an extra tip. If you can ignore these things, and if you’re prepared to pay a little extra for the convenience of eating so close to the main tourist strip, it’s a nice place to grab a delicious lunch on a long day of sightseeing. Reservations not necessary.

La Petite Tour

11 Rue de la Tour, 75116 Phone: 01 45 20 09 31 • TripAdvisor

My current favorite neighborhood restaurant, La Petite Tour is most noticeable for its freshness and quality of ingredients. It is classic French cooking – simple recipes, well-seasoned and perfectly cooked proteins, fresh and delicious vegetable sides, and complex sauces to tie it all together. Every time I go I try something different, and I have yet to have a bad experience. The roasted artichoke and mini-ravioli appetizers are both wonderful, and I particularly love the grilled sea bass as a main course. The fish has a perfect smoky flavor and comes with a pot of creamed leeks that are insanely good. They also have several cuts and grades of beef to choose from – go with the top of the line Argentinian Angus beef. Good beef is very hard to find in France, but this filet was melt in your mouth good. For dessert, try the strawberries and raspberries with fresh cream. It sounds simple, but it’s one of the best desserts I’ve had in Paris. The chef manages to find the most flavorful fruits I’ve ever experienced – I didn’t even know fruit could taste like that! – and the homemade chantilly adds just the right amount of creaminess.

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Where To Eat In Paris Right Now

photo credit: Caspar Miskin

Sara Lieberman

March 21, 2024

Rebienvenue à Paris! Whether it’s your second visit or your seventh, you’ve probably already been to some of the classic bistros, bakeries , wine bars , and fancy starred joints in our first-timer’s guide . So if you’re looking for something beyond those, you’ve come to the right place.

Nearly all of the restaurants on this guide have opened over the past few years and built up plenty of buzz among restaurant-obsessed locals, especially those that are experimenting with less-French flavor profiles. And since the Hemingway Hangouts of today are mostly on the Right Bank, almost all of these spots are on that side of the Seine and further from the tourist sites. Consider these destinations a palette cleanser for when you’ve had your fill of foie gras and escargot or just can’t eat another steak frites. We promise your bouche will still be amused.

White doilies hang over light fixtures, the steel tables feel sleek thanks to thin single candlesticks, and there are brightly colored finger paintings on the walls in the bathroom. Basically, this place is anything but ancient Greece. The whipped feta and ricotta tyrokafteri dip full of spices and herbs comes dressed with toppings like marinated peppers and cashews, and the tzatziki gets a glow-up from some zucchini. Come with a group and spread out at the communal tables upstairs, and arrive hungry, because you’re likely going to want to order the whole menu.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés

This inconspicuous, multi-room restaurant is located on a narrow side street in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. In other words, you’d walk right by it if you didn’t know to stop. Inside, two things are happening here that you won’t often find at other nice-but-casual restaurants around town: servers will refill your water glass and fold your napkin when you’re in the bathroom, and there’s the option to pick between an a la carte or full tasting menu. If you’ve got the time, go for the tasting to sample the best of the chef’s seasonal hits, like an onion soup topped with Jerusalem artichoke or the excellent butternut squash ice cream with chestnut cream for dessert.

Before it closed in 2022, it was impossible to get a reservation at Balagan before 10pm. Which, as long as you didn’t mind eating hummus-soaked challah so late, was the most fun time to go anyway. (Shots! DJs!) But now, the team who also run Tékès , Shabour , and Boubalé are back in the same location with the same vibe. What has changed, beyond the name, is the chef—now, the menu infuses Iraqi and Moroccan takes on Israeli cuisine: smoked baba ganoush comes with a bruléed top, and a creamy, carbonara-like “risotto” is made with couscous instead of rice. But the must order is the sabich sandwich, which swaps pita for flaky boreka and comes topped with egg. It’s the ultimate hangover cure, only it’s served while you’re likely still drinking.

If you can’t get into Septime—which, unless you know someone, is almost certainly the case—then book a table at this new tasting menu spot instead. It’s in a different part of the same restaurant-packed 11th arrondissement, but has a similar look and feel: there’s exposed stone, wooden wingback chairs, and hip-hop playing overhead. The ground floor tables look down into the wine cave, but if you come during the day, the best place to sit is upstairs under the skylights. Fish is the focus for the 5-course, €79 lunch and 8-course, €109 dinner, where you’ll find things like Normandy scallops fermented in tomato sauce, smoked eel with spinach and sage, and a red mullet in a bouillabaisse dressing. Pace yourself, because if the simple-sounding chocolate mousse is still on the menu for dessert, it’s anything but.

photo credit: Leo Kharfan

In general, it’s rare to find traditional NYC-style pizza in Paris. But that’s exactly what you’ll stumble upon at Vecchio, an Italian-American spot in the 11th. Order one of those before moving onto the pastas, like fusilli alla vodka or the lemony bucatini dish with shaved bottarga and a dusting of parmesan. The mini tiramisu might be tempting, but save any remaining stomach space for their take on a rum baba that’s made with limoncello-soaked brioche. Vecchio may move from their current location on the rooftop of Le Perchoir come April, so check their Instagram to confirm where they set up next—hopefully, they bring the throwback ‘90s playlist and their lively, raucous vibe with them.

photo credit: Alejandra Hauser

While you may be tempted to walk in singing the Ritchie Valens slow jam of the same name, brace yourself for a much more vibrant scene at Donna—at least as the night progresses and the Japanese chef running the central bar-slash-open kitchen hangs up his apron and the DJ takes over. Come to socialize and sip on natural wines like the “Hobo” red blend from Languedoc-Roussillon that at least one of the young and eager sommeliers in matching tees may suggest. Pair it with some tuna tartare topped with simple herbs and berries, or a heaping bowl of spaghetti with clams slathered in a tart grapefruit sauce.

Delhi Bazaar

If you need proof that Parisians crave more than wine and cheese, you’ll find it on a quiet corner of the 11th arrondissement. Join the crowds of young locals congregating outside and book a table at this Indian hotspot, where a filling meal probably won’t cost more than €20 per person. The menu is divided by portion size, and while you could easily stick with the chaats like dahi puri smothered in spicy yogurt and chutney, you’d be missing out on larger plates like creamy chicken korma and spicy lamb. Whatever you do, don’t skip the cardamom soft serve. The cocktail menu also includes booze-free drinks, like the Mai Lassi Tai with pineapple juice and a hint of lime.

photo credit: Maurice Wright

Resist the smell of buckwheat crepes wafting from Briezh down the block—you’re here to eat pasta at Localino, an Italian restaurant in Saint-Germain-des-Prés that functions as a one-way ticket to Rome by way of metro lines 4 and 10. Plop into one of the plush chairs at the countertop facing the open kitchen for heaping bowls of veal ragout macaroni or fusilloni in a simple red sauce, and save some room for the tiramisu. If you come during lunch, take advantage of the three-course prix fixe that’s just €28. 

Cheval D'Or

Cheval d’Or has been around since 1987, and the facade hasn’t changed since. What is different, though, is who’s running it. New owners and chefs have taken over this former Chinese restaurant in Belleville and turned it into a fusion spot where fashion folk and their friends chow down on whole roast duck, croque madame stuffed with lobster and topped with chili oil, or their take on barbajuan: friend wontons wrapped in swiss chard. There’s French flair at dessert, too, thanks to an île flottante with hints of black tea and spoonfuls of tapioca, which makes for a soupy, soft, and chewy final bite.  

photo credit: Jessica Vosges

Technically, they’re calling this new spot from the popular Chambre Noire group a taqueria. But we’re still in France, so expect a heavy focus on natural wines in addition to tequila. If the floor-to-ceiling windows that open to the street and the Manu Chao songs playing from the sound system don’t lure you in, the scent of slow-roasted pork and fresh-pressed corn tortillas definitely will. Choose from six tacos (three are vegetarian) and your preferred €7 glass or €35-40 bottle of wine—most of them are from Europe, like a refreshing pet-nat from Germany with notes of green apple. Plan to linger outside with the rest of the crowd that’s spilled onto the sidewalk to drink and smoke.

The table next to you at this buzzy bistro near Jardin du Luxembourg might be full of politicians from the nearby French Senate, or twenty-somethings from a skate park. It’s a real mixed crowd, and just one of the reasons Right Bank residents are willing to cross the river to eat here. The menu is French but inspired by the chef’s time traveling in Thailand, which translates to things like tender beef served with a lemongrass jus and shrimp tartare topped with a crispy tamarind cracker that’s almost like deconstructed pad thai. 

Come by this cafe on a quiet side street between Bastille and Nation for fluffy almond pancakes with whipped mascarpone and fig leaf syrup. For the savory among us, the beyond-basic deviled eggs are topped with bacon, cheese, and jalapeño, while the Turkish egg and feta toast with pickled purple onions will finally allow avocado toast to RIP. There are plenty of reasons to stick around for lunch, and not just because they’re open continuously until 4pm. The grilled caesar salad trades romaine for cabbage, the polenta fries are thick and crispy, and there’s soft serve for dessert—recent flavors have included carrot cake and Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy.

photo credit: Pepa Sota

One half of the partnership behind this modern bistro on Square Trousseau formerly worked at Septime, which means there was some built-in buzz when it opened. Stroll through the nearby Marché d’Aligre before making your way here for a leisurely, €30 three-course lunch. They also have an a la carte menu with appetizers like green curry mussels and smoked trout in a sesame and peanut sauce, and mains like a hefty hanger steak with marshmallow-sized fried gnocchi in a light, Frenchified BBQ sauce. The beautiful, high-ceilinged room, with brass sconces and distressed leather seats, is nice and inviting, and the service is, as the French say, top.

Eastern European

From the team behind Kapara , Tekés , and Shabour comes (another) equally fun and lively spot inside the new Grand Mazarin Hotel in the Marais. The Eastern European menu isn’t Jewish per se— would your bubby put prawns in her matzah ball soup?—but it’ll definitely evoke a sense of nostalgia for those who are. Like most restaurants in Paris, there are only two seatings (and the second doesn't start until 10pm), so book ahead if you’re worried about falling asleep at the table after going to town on brisket paired with gnocchi. When it comes time for dessert, make sure you order the plump chocolate babka topped with a big scoop of ganache and drizzled in olive oil.

The shared plates trend in Paris reached a fever pitch pre-pandemic, though dining has since returned to a more traditional order of entreé, plat, and dessert. But Fugazi is sticking with the idea that everything’s better small and split across the table. The menu at this friendly, bric-a-brac-filled spot changes every couple of weeks—in September, that meant the last of the tomatoes dressed with a fennel crumble and the first of the king trumpet mushrooms, sautéed and topped with crispy onion and bacon. Choose a few dishes from the chalkboard, and expect them to come out whenever they’re ready. The rock-meets-heavy-metal soundtrack is a bit questionable, but this is the kind of place that’s lively enough to drown it out.

photo credit: Ilya Kagan

It’s unclear why more restaurants haven’t thought to pair oysters with a margarita shooter, but it’s definitely the best way to begin a meal at this restaurant near Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Tourists rarely come up this far, so expect to find fashionable locals gathering on the later side for a dinner of predominantly sea-based small plates. Service is friendly and attentive, and the food ranges from simple things like bulots with mayonnaise to more creative dishes, like whole mackerel doused in tandoori sauce and served with a broccoli puree and sliced kumquats. With a throwback soundtrack featuring “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Dancing in the Dark,” eating here is as much about the fun, feel-good ambiance as the food itself.

photo credit: Foucauld Combeléran

You won’t find tacos at this sunlit, all-white canteen that opened a block from Gare du Nord station in November. But you will find Mexican dishes like encacahuatadas (theirs features mushrooms smothered in a creamy mole sauce with peanuts and smoked pepper), and huarache, a plate of corn tortillas topped with shredded pork, black beans, and a tower of fresh herbs. Comer is only open for dinner on Thursday and Friday nights, but we prefer lunch Tuesday through Friday anyway. Grab one of the cushion-less stools and settle in for the three-course prix fixe that’s just €28. (You can order à la carte, too.) Whatever you do, don’t skip the rice pudding with toasted coconut and citrus.

Just like The Bangles, this 22-seat restaurant knows there’s nothing sexier than an eternal flame—they have a projection of one against a stone wall, single burning candles on tables set for two to four, and a small working fireplace. The romantic space is very grandma’s attic-meets-17th-century palace, with mismatched velour chairs, twinkling crystal chandeliers, and old sewing machine stands that double as tables. Unexpected flavor pairings on the four-course tasting menu might include a creamy brocciu cheese mille feuille topped with a lone capucine leaf or a kiwi pavlova featuring bits of extra crunch thanks to teeny-tiny pieces of celery.

photo credit: Gramme Paris

It’s not easy to execute a menu for three distinct meal times, but this spot in the 11th arrondissement nails it. Come by on a weekend morning for a filter coffee (that’s French for a real American drip, not an Americano) and a bowl of their homemade granola. For lunch, the heartier menu, which changes daily, might include a sandwich, stuffed cabbage, or rice soup with shitake mushrooms. They also do small plates for dinner, like beef meatballs and a French favorite: deviled eggs. There are plenty of tables and a terrace for when the weather’s warm, but inside’s where you may hear a throwback playlist of Eurythmics, Culture Club, and more from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Sing along while sampling something from the sweets selection displayed on the bar, like a slice from a glazed lemon loaf or a sea salt chocolate chip cookie.

Suggested Reading

The Best Restaurants For When You're Visiting Paris

25 of the best bistros, cafes, boulangeries, and more essential spots in the City of Light.

The Best Wine Bars In Paris

Where to pull up a stool, order a glass, or grab a bottle to-go.

The Best Bakeries In Paris

11 places to load up on carbs and sugar in the French capital.

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Best Casual Restaurants in Paris

Europe , Food , France

How & Where to Eat On a Budget in Paris

Paris is a culinary paradise with a rich gastronomic history and diverse culinary influences. With endless gourmet and Michelin-starred restaurants, it may seem almost impossible to eat well on a budget in Paris . But fear not. This list of the best casual restaurants in Paris will help you savor the city’s culinary treasures without breaking the bank .

Table of Contents

Check out my other articles to plan your perfect trip to the City of Light!

Start here >> Paris Itinerary for 4 days Then this >> Where to Stay in Paris First Time Should you buy Paris Pass or Paris Museum Pass? 10 Best Small Museums in Paris Without the Crowds Female Solo Travelers >> How to Take a Fabulous Solo Trip to Paris & 15 Things to Do Alone Shopping: 10 Trendy Travel Shoes for Paris Shopping: Best Shopping Guide in Le Marais Food: 25 Iconic French Desserts in Paris Food: 20 Best Casual Restaurants in Paris  Paris Neighborhood Guide: Hidden Gems in Montmartre Paris Neighborhood Guide: 22 Amazing Things to Do in Le Marais 7 Most Beautiful Covered Passages in Paris Day Trip: How to Survive Overcrowded Palace of Versailles in Summer Day Trip: Best Paris Day Trip for Spring & Summer: Giverny Monet’s Gardens   Weekend Trips from Paris by Train or Car

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P aris Eating on a Budget (under €25)

Parisians take their food seriously. It is a city where food is not just sustenance but an essential part of life and culture. Parisians often take a two-hour lunch break at a sit-down restaurant to enjoy the meal. They read newspapers while sipping coffee (and smoking) on the terrace cafe. The irresistible aroma of a bakery allures you at every corner.

You are missing out on this cultural experience if rushing between tourist sites or surviving on fast food.  

It is not an understatement to say that quality authentic French food comes with a steep bill, especially in Paris. However, even on a budget, you can always find a way to have a proper dining experience. Let me show you how.

Here’s my strategies for eating cheaply in Paris.

Opt out of Hotel Breakfast unless included

If breakfast is included in your room rate, of course, take advantage of that. However, in my experience, Paris hotels always charge an extra €15-25 for a simple croissant, coffee and some ham and cheese. 

Hotel breakfast is convenient but overpriced for what it is. I would rather go to a nearby boulangerie or cafe. Pastries are very affordable in Paris, with a croissant about €1.5-2 ( and they are heavenly! ). Or, try tartine with butter – a typical Parisian breakfast. Either way, it will cost far less.

Go for Sandwiches at Boulangerie

Sandwiches are always an excellent option for lunch on the go. Parisian boulangeries offer diverse, inexpensive sandwiches made with fresh ingredients during the lunch hour. Even the simplest French  jambon beurre  (ham butter sandwich) is phenomenal! 

I went groceries at a local supermarket and made an amazing salad to eat at the hotel.

Dine out for Lunch, Eat in for Dinner

Like everywhere else, lunch is cheaper than dinner, even at fine dining restaurants. To take the wallet-friendly measure, dine out for lunch and eat in for dinner on the day you dine in for lunch. This way, you will still get to explore the culinary excellence of Paris and eat well while balancing your budget.

If you feel fancy, lunch is the time to dine out.  Many Parisian bistros/restaurants offer a  formule  lunch  (also  prix fixe ) – a course meal menu at a set price – similar to a business lunch or set menu. A prix fixe ranges around €20-30.

For dinner, think of easy take-outs from supermarkets, such as crêpes, wraps, maki rolls, etc. You may also find cold pasta, fresh veggies, cheese for salad, etc. If you go to Eatly in Le Marais, you can even take out pizzas, sandwiches, and warm pasta for dinner. Also, don’t forget to pick up some French wines because they are much more affordable in France (duh)!

Feeling uneasy about dining in alone? Check out my experience and tips in this solo travel to Paris guide >>   

Plat du Jour for the Best Value

Whether dining in for lunch or dinner, ask about the daily special. In French, it’s called  plat du jour . It is specially prepared with fresh ingredients available that day and often the best value. But it is usually written on a chalkboard, so you may not immediately find it on the printed menu.

Where to Stay in Paris?

Paris has 20 arrondissements with distinctive pockets of neighborhoods. While Paris is gorgeous, some areas are better than others for tourists to stay. Here’s your guide to 10 Best Areas in Paris for all travel styles and budgets.

Explore Culinary Diversity

With the growing diversity in France, the culinary capital of the world offers a variety of international cuisines from all around the world. Exploring ethnic foods is all part of the diverse culinary experience in Paris. While I’m not suggesting all international eats are cheaper, I find certain ethnic dishes provide excellent value. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious Vietnamese and Cambodian dishes in the city. I had the best pho in Paris (not in Vietnam; more on that below). Banh Mi sandwiches on French baguette and Cambodian noodle soup were all amazing and affordable. 

Another great example is Middle Eastern flavors. You will find some of the world’s best falafels in Le Marais – the Jewish Quarter of Paris. 

Enjoy a Romantic Picnic

Going on a picnic is very Parisian and romantic. Stop by Carrefour or Monoprix to pick up finger foods and a bottle of wine. You are set for a picnic at the Seine or Canal St. Martin. Or, head over to the Champs de Mars in the evening for the sparkling Eiffel Tower view; this is the most affordable and romantic way to dine with the magical Eiffel Tower right before your eyes!  

Stay Away from Tourist Sites

Lastly, stating the obvious, stay away from tourist sites. If the restaurants are on Champs-Élysées, near the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe, be ready to pay the premium. (If you find any decent, cheap restaurant near the Eiffel Tower, let me know!) Get off the travel grind, and you can find cute little local places.

Best Food Tours in Paris

>> Paris Original Food Tour : Go all out for a French gastronomic tour. Wine, champaign, cheese, beef bourguignon, crêpe, desserts, etc.   

>> Montmartre Wine, Cheese & Pastry Guided Walking Tour : I joined this small-group tour to follow the foodie trail. But this tour is more than just a food tour. You will discover many hidden gems of Montmartre and mingle with other travelers at a sit-down wine and cheese tasting.

>> Saint-Germain Chocolate & Patisserie Tour : Indulge yourself with gourmet chocolates and pastries while discovering the historic Left Bank of Paris.  

>>  Le Marais Food & Wine Tasting Tour : Discover local eateries and eat like a local in the famous Le Marais, dotted with tasty restaurants and shops.

>> Saint-Germain Food & Wine Tour : Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of the Left Bank while tasting French delicacies.

#1. Les Philosophes

Don’t mistake the restaurant as a tourist trap because of its location in the heart of Le Marais.   Les Philosophes is a legitimate French bistro with a lively ambiance. As a typical bistro should be, imagine the aproned servers, daily specials on the choke board, trays of baguettes stacked on the corner, and smokers on the terrace. 

Les Philosophes has  the best French onion soup . It was recommended by multiple sources (chefs, Parisian friends, etc.) and did not disappoint. I’ll go there again just for the hearty, cheesy soup! Also, check for the daily special (plat du jour).

Hours: 9 am (breakfast & brunch) – 1:30 am (drinks). Restaurant service: 12 pm – 1 am. | Location: Le Marais, Paris 4e [ Open Google Map ]

#2. Le Bouillon Chartier

Le Bouillon Chartier is a traditional brasserie serving classic French flares and one of the most affordable restaurants in Paris. Expect to find steak-frites, duck confit, escargot, foie gras, etc., as well as table wine in a jar on the surprisingly inexpensive menu.

This spacious restaurant with a lively ambiance offers a unique dining experience. Strangers can be seated to share a table. And the waiters write down your orders on a paper table cover, which serves as your bill later.  

Hours : 11:30 am – 12 am | Location : Paris 9e [ Open Google Map ]   ​

#3. Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges

​Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges is a historic covered market with various vendors selling produce, cheese, flowers and street food. The food vendors feature a diverse selection of international cuisine, from Italian to Indian to Moroccan. There are tables and chairs to dine in.  

The market gets busy on the weekends. The best time to visit is the weekdays for lunch.  

Hours: 8:30 am – 8:30 pm (Sunday closed at 5 pm) Closed on Mondays. | Location: Haut Marais, Paris 3e [ Open Google Map ]

>> READ: Hey, you will need comfortable shoes to explore Paris without pain. Check out these 10 trendy sneakers French girls are wearing now! 

#4. Chez Alain Miam Miam

Chez Alain Miam Miam is a famous sandwich shop in Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges. It also serves crêpes and galettes.

The down-to-earth shop is best known for crafting simple, generous-portion sandwiches with high-quality cheese, ham and fresh vegetables. You can build your own sandwich. For carnivores, there are options of cooked ham, raw ham, pastrami, fish, and chicken, as well as yummy cheese. It also serves vegetarian versions. 

There is always a line at the market stand. Head to a nearby restaurant (5 minutes away) with tables and chairs.

Hours: 9 am – 5 pm | Location: Haut Marais, Paris 3e [ Open Google Map ]

#5. L’As du Fallafel

L’As du Fallafel is a Middle Eastern restaurant on Rue des Rosiers in the Jewish quarter. It has  the best falafel in Marais . (Considering how many falafel stands are on the block, it is not a light statement.) Other popular menus include shawarma and kebabs. There is a long line during lunch, so be there early.

Hours: 11 am – 11 pm (Closed on Saturdays.) | Location: Le Marais, Paris 4e   [ Open Google Map ]

Miznon is an Israeli eatery by chef Eyal Chani. If L’As du Fallafel serves more traditional Middle Eastern food, Miznon offers a creative version, like Beef Bourguignon Pita, and its signature grilled cauliflowers. The ambiance is also very young and hip.  

Hours: differ by location | Location: Multiple locations in Le Marais, Grands Boulevards and Canal St. Martin  

#7. Les Foodies

Les Foodies is one of the most trendy restaurants in the Marais. The chic mid-century modern venue is eye-catching yet inviting, adorned with cobalt blue and olive green velvet couches, globe pendant lights, and Mondrian-style section walls.  

Chef Davide Galloni, a prestigious Le Cordon Bleu graduate, creates a seasonally changing menu with Asian-infused Italian food. It is a refined restaurant worth splurging on. But the weekday lunch has the best value with a 2-course meal for only €25, or 3 courses for €32.  

I had the most delicious, refreshing, and beautiful gazpacho here!  

Hours: 12 – 2:30 pm, 7 pm – 12 am   | Location: Le Marais, Paris 4e [ Open Google Map ]

>> Check out Le Marais Shopping Guide, my favorite shops, from concept stores to affordable luxury French brands in Paris' trendiest district!

#8. Cafe Charlot

Cafe Charlot is a casual cafe on the busy corner of Rue de Bretagne. With the sunny outdoors and large-windowed greenhouse terrace, it has plenty of terrace seat choices, rain or shine.  

The cafe serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even late-night snacks, desserts, and cocktails with a diverse menu all day. I had a warm goat cheese salad (salade chèvre chaud; €20), which was amazing and fulfilling.

Hours: 8 am – 2 am | Location: Haut Marais, Paris 3e [ Open Google Map ]

#9. Carré Pain de Mie

If croque monsieur is on your list, head to Carré Pain de Mie. It is a Japanese-owned modern bakery with a fantastic aroma of freshly baked pain. Croque monsieur (€18) is made with Japanese-style thick toasts, which are soft, dense, and chewy simultaneously. And it is filling.  

By the way, its modern bright restroom is noteworthy as clean, free public restrooms are a scarce commodity in Paris!

Hours: 10 am – 8 pm | Location: Le Marais, Paris 4e [ Open Google Map ]

#10. Pink Flamingo

​Pink Flamingo is a pizzeria serving creative pizzas blending unusual ingredients. They are surprisingly delicious. I visited the Canal St. Martin location before they closed down and had a wonderful picnic along the canal with a pizza and wine.

Hours: 12 – 3 pm , 6:30 pm – 12 am | Location:   Le Marais, Paris 4e [ Open Google Map ] and Paris 12e [ Open Google Map ]

>> READ: Discover 20+ Hidden Gems in Montmartre & Munch-Worthy Shops  

#11. Presto Fresco

Presto Fresco is a homestyle Italian restaurant in Les Halles. This cozy pizzeria serves delicious single-serving pizzas, pasta with fresh ingredients and gelatos. A pizza and a drink came under €20. There is always a line before the opening, so make a reservation.  

Hours : 12-3 pm, 7-11 pm | Location : Paris 1e [ Open Google Map ]    

#12. Bouillon Racine

​Bouillon Racine is a classic Bouillon-style restaurant in the Latin Quarter. While similar in concept to Bouillon Chartier, you will find this art nouveau restaurant more elegant and sophisticated. It offers a great value Prix Fixe (€19.50) worth a try.  

Hours : 12-2:30 pm   7-11 pm | Location : Paris 6e [ Open Google Map ]  

#13.​ Au P’tit Grec Crêperie

Au P’tit Grec is a super popular crêperie in the Latin Quarter. The customizable savory and sweet crêpes are made to order. The generous portion serving costs as little as €3.50 and no more than €10. There is always a long line – usually an hour’s wait. And there are no tables, so you will see many people standing and eating around the area. I took it back to my hotel to eat on the balcony.  

Hours : 10:30 am – 8 pm (Closed on Sundays.) | Location : Paris 6e [ Open Google Map ]    

Dreaming of Paris?

No matter which season of the year, Paris is always a good idea . But it can be overwhelming to plan your perfect trip to the City of Light. Follow my Paris itinerary to see the highlights in just four days.

#14. Breizh Cafe

Breizh Cafe is another crêperie with traditional Breton galettes. While Au P’tit Grec is a food stand, Breizh is a sit-down restaurant. It specializes in buckwheat galettes and crêpes from the Cancale in the Breton region, where salted butter is famous. The menu goes beyond the usual ham and egg, offering original flavors such as smoked herring, poached peaches, etc. Wash down buttery treats with artisanal ciders; it is a French way to enjoy Breton galettes!

Hours : 9 am – 11 pm | Location : Multiple locations in Le Marais, Latin Quarter, Montmartre, etc.  

#15. La Montagne Sans Geneviève

Rue Mouffetard is one of the famous food streets in Paris. But my local friend suggested skipping the ones right off the street because most are overpriced. While searching for a more casual restaurant nearby, I found this cozy cafe bar with cute outdoor seating.

La Montagne Sans Geneviève is a little local cafe without tourists, serving excellent French food at a reasonable price. I had my favorite warm goat cheese salad, which was tasty. And the waitress was efficient even though the terrace was full.  

Hours : 8-2 am, Sunday: 9-2 pm | Location : Paris 6e [ Open Google Map ]

#16. La Boissonnerie

La Boissonnerie is a lovely little restaurant tucked away from Rue de Buci, one of the most charming streets in the fancy Saint-Germain-des-près neighborhood. The tile decors on the façade catch the eye. The laidback vibe inside is warm and welcoming. (The servers here are very kind!)

The intimate bistro offers incredibly tasty food with fantastic wine selections. It is always packed, so make a reservation.  

Hours : 12:30-2:30 pm, 7-10:30 pm | Location : Paris 6e [ Open Google Map ]

#17. Bo Bun Vivienne

Bo Bun Vivienne is a tiny Vietnamese restaurant inside the Passage des Panoramas. This casual, no-frill restaurant is easily overlooked in this lively covered passage lined with many other eateries. But it serves  the best pho I have ever had!  And the Vietnamese owner is very kind.

The piping hot Vietnamese rice noodle soup (€10) comes with fresh bean sprouts and mint leaves. The fait-maison (homemade) beef broth has a deep flavor, probably boiled for many hours. 

Hours : 12-10 pm | Location : Paris 2e [ Open Google Map ]

>> 7 Most Beautiful Covered Passages in Paris: the True Hidden Gems to let you travel back in time! 

#17. Vaudeville

Vaudeville is a classic Parisian cafe in the ritzy Bourse neighborhood. In the opulent brasserie in the 1920s art deco style, aproned waiters serve French classics (e.g., escargots and onion soup) and its signature seafood platter. The cafe has white-cloth tables inside with a bar table and a cozy covered terrace. Great spot for breakfast (formule: €13.50), lunch and dinner (formule: €23.90 or €29.90). Also, check out the daily special each day of the week.

Hours : 8 am-12 am | Location : Paris 2e [ Open Google Map ]

#19. Carette du Trocadéro

Carette is  one of my favorite cafes in Paris for chocolate chaud and macarons . But this cute cafe also serves a variety of menus all day long. For breakfast, check out viennoiseries like croissant and pain au chocolat. Opt for a salad, crêpe, sandwich or egg plate for lunch. Or even a French onion soup on a cold day.

The cafe has two other locations in Le Marais and Montmartre. But I like to sit on the terrace of Carette in Trocadéro with the view of the Eiffel Tower!

Hours:  7   am – 11:30 pm, Sat & Sun 7:30 am – 11:30 pm  | Location:  Paris 16e [ Open Google Map ]

>> READ: Discover 25 Iconic French Desserts in Paris!  

#20. Eataly

Eataly is an authentic Italian market and restaurant venue. You can go grocery shopping to find produce and other Italian culinary essentials, such as olive oils, balsamic vinegar, etc.  

It is more than just a market. You will find a variety of Italian food and desserts. Think of pizzas, sandwiches, gelato, an Italian bakery, coffee, cheese and wine. If you prefer not to go to a restaurant, it is an easy alternative to grab something quick yet delicious.    

Hours: 10 am – 10:30 pm (Closed at 11 pm Thurs. – Sat.) | Location: Le Marais, Paris 4e [ Open Google Map ]

Best Night Tours in Paris

>> Night Bike Tour : This night bike tour takes you around the highlights of Paris when a load of tourists disappear. See the illuminated Paris at night.

>> Eiffel Tower Dinner Cruise with a Moulin Rouge Show : The Eiffel Tower, Seine dinner river cruise and a Moulin Rouge show in one night? That’s the best of three Paris night sceneries in one memorable night!

>> Solo Travelers Meet Up at a Bar : This is a perfect bar crawl for singles to mingle in Paris.

>> Speakeasy and Hidden Bars : Explore speakeasy bar scenes in Paris with travelers from all around the world.

>> Latin Quarter Pub Crawl : Enjoy the vibrant nightlife in the Latin Quarter with other travelers.

​ Bon Appetite!

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Hello, I'm Chloe!

I'm an aspiring world traveler, who moved across the Pacific Ocean twice. After leaving my PR career, I'm currently exploring Asia from Taiwan and learning Chinese. Follow my journey as I will share my travel experiences, tips & tricks and cultural insights.

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