Whenever I hear somebody say “I hate Paris”, I always think it’s more of a comment on them as a person, rather than the city itself. It means they’re one of those people who doesn’t do their research before visiting a city, walks into any tourist trap, and can’t handle a few piles of rubbish bags, some bad smells and a rude waiter now again. Paris is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. You feel like you’re in a French movie when you’re walking round. And of course, the food is incredible. On this list I’ve included more traditional bistrots, casual spots and patisseries only rather than fine-dining. There are way too many good places to eat in this city and I’m not claiming these are the best, but they’re my favourite. My hit-list is still massive.
Notes;
📝 Restaurants have pretty frustrating opening hours. They almost always close between lunch and dinner as well as a couple of days a week, so make sure you check on Google ahead of time and plan your days.
📝 Drinking; Le Syndicat, Gravity Bar, Moonshiner, Harry’s Bar, Bar Hemingway.
📝 You can pay with card most places but tip always has to be in cash so make sure you always have some. They only tip around 5-10% here.
📝 Most restaurants don’t have an online booking system so you’re going to have to call up instead or book in-person.
📝 Traffic is always horrendous so taxi journeys always take longer than expected. E-scooters & bikes are everywhere and the quickest way to get round the city in my opinion.
1. Chez Janou
📍3e Arrondissement. Whenever I’m coming back to a city I have a dilemma of trying new places or going back to my favourite spots. Chez Janou is one of those places that keeps pulling me back. It’s always one of the top places I recommend to somebody coming to Paris (the other being Bistrot Paul Bert). It’s always busy here. There are three ways of getting a table; booking over the phone, booking in person or putting your name down and waiting outside. When it comes to the food there are two essential dishes for me; the mussels to start and the chocolate mouse to finish. The mussels come with a garlic, parsley, breadcrumb butter sauce which makes you wonder why mussels aren’t always served this way. The chocolate mousse is brought to your table and served out of a large bowl from the waiter – you tell them “when”. In my opinion it’s the best chocolate mousse in the world. For mains you can go for steak or duck – both are good. The decor and scenes taking place between the staff and other tables make you feel like you’re in a French movie like Amelie. Everything about the place is beautiful. It’s exactly what you’re looking for from a restaurant in Paris.
2. Bistrot Paul Bert
📍11e Arrondissement. The ideal traditional French bistro and always one of my top recommendations for somebody visiting Paris. Bistrot Paul Bert are famous for their filet de bœuf with ridiculously good peppercorn sauce and perfect frites. Don’t even think about ordering anything else. Obviously you’ve got to drink red wine. The other dish that you have to get here is the soufflé for dessert. There’s always a great atmosphere here. Booking over the phone and in-person only, or show-up early and you should be good.
3. Brutos
📍11e Arrondissement. A Brazilian and French influenced steak restaurant. As well as steak they serve an amazing whole roast chicken with fries. A couple of other must-get items are the Parmesan & tapioca fried cubes and the bone marrow mash.
4. Chez Alain Miam Miam
📍3e Arrondissement. One of the best sandwich spots in Paris, if not the world. Pick your meat, pick your cheese, add your toppings. They’re not cheap at €14 for a large sandwich but you could easily share one between two.
5. Du Pain Et Des Idees
📍10e Arrondissement. One of the best patisseries in the city. Famous for the escargot chocolat pistache.
6. Dumbo
📍9e Arrondissement. Ridiculously good smash burgers.
7. La Buvette
📍11e Arrondissement. I’m not even a big wine drinker but I love this wine bar. As well as some very good natural wines they also serve some delicious small plates. The giant white beans with lemon zest are incredible.
8. The French Bastards
📍2e Arrondissement. One of the best bakeries in the city. All the pastries are incredible here but I think the pain aux raisins is one the best I’ve had. They now have a second location.
9. Amagat
📍20e Arrondissement. Whatever I read about Amagat, it’s always mentioned as a place where chefs like to eat (slightly different to London where all the chefs apparently eat at Five Guys). Amagat, meaning “hidden” in Catalan, is in all honesty fairly hidden. You have to make your way down a cobbled path with graffiti covered walls, past a dance school (I think), and round the corner until you spot the restaurant sign through the leaves. Here you order your tapas as you would at a Taiwanese restaurant by ticking off the dishes you want on a printed menu. They have a selection of Catalan wines to choose from but I went for a vermut. The menu changes a lot but all the dishes I tried were great.
10. Boulangerie Utopie
📍11e Arrondissement. Another top patisserie. They are known for their black sesame breads and pastries. Expect queues on weekends.
11. Janet by Homer
📍 4e Arrondissement. An NY-style deli in the heart of Paris serving excellent corned beef sandwiches, tuna melts and hotdogs. The buttered and toasted brioche completely elevate the sandwiches. I went for corned beef with caramelised onions, pickles and mustard. The classic hotog was great too. I wanted everything on the menu.
12. Au Pied de Cochon
📍1er Arrondissement. Au Pied de Cochon (The Pigs Foot), a Paris institution since 1947. In a city where restaurants are often closed two days a week or more, between lunch and dinner, or not even open for lunch at all, Au Pied de Cochon rarely closes. The only hours they aren’t open is between 5am and 8am and for half an hour at 11:00. I decided to go for the dish the restaurant is named after – the pigs trotter which comes with fries, salad & a side sauce. It’s not for the faint-hearted as it has very little actual meat and is mainly fat and skin. I probably wouldn’t order it again as they serve a great duck confit as well as other dishes. The French onion soup is must-get here. For dessert you’re going to want to go for the Crêpes Suzette or profiteroles (which I went for this time). Both are amazing. This spot is a great option for late night dining or during the time a lot of other restaurants are closed. Old crowd. Good service. Interestingly, they have a second restaurant in Mexico City (no idea why they decided to open there) which is open a full 24-hours.
13. Melt
📍Multiple Locations. Possibly the best bbq I’ve had this side of the Atlantic, served by super passionate people. We got a massive tray with brisket, pork ribs, pastrami, pork belly, pulled pork, beef cheeks, chicken wings, smoked chicken, Brussels sprouts, crispy potatoes, corn bread and slaw. Everything 10/10 but the beef cheeks, pork belly, sprouts and corn bread were my favourites. Melt now has five locations across the city. Well worth adding to your Paris hit-list.
14. Les Arlots
📍 10e Arrondissement. A traditional French bistro. Famous for their sausage and mashed potato.
15. Aux Bons Crus
📍11e Arrondissement. A beautiful ‘roadside diner’ that serves traditional French cuisine. I love the checked red & white table cloths.
16. Racines
📍2e Arrondissement. A beautiful Italian restaurant hidden down Passage des Panoramas. The sign outside read ‘Marchand de Vin’. I don’t know why, but I’m a big fan of places that keep the old sign of the previous place up, even if it does make it harder to find (I ended op walking past it the first time). The kitchen is headed up by a Sardinian chef, Simone Tondo, who takes inspiration from his grandmother’s recipes. It’s not cheap and probably more for occasions if you lived in Paris, but the food is delicious and it’s a beautiful setting.
17. Breizh Cafe
📍3e Arrondissement. A famous spot for savoury crepes (galettes). Go for ‘The Complète’; Buckwheat galette with cheese, egg, ham & salted butter. Ridiculously good.
18. Chez Aline
📍11e Arrondissement. Another great spot for sandwiches. They are a lot more simple here containing mainly ham and cheese in a fresh French baguette. So simple but so good.
19. L’as Du Fallafel
📍4e Arrondissement. A popular falafel spot in the centre of Paris. Expect queues for this loaded pita.
20. Raviolis Chinois Nord Est
📍1er Arrondissement. Two locations. Delicious Jiaozi (Beijing style) dumplings. Really cheap at €6 for 10 dumplings. You can get them fried or steamed filled with with your choice of pork, prawn, beef, tofu & veg.
21. Mamiche
📍Multiple Locations. The chou vanille for €1 at Miamiche has to be one of the best deals you’re getting in Paris. Choux pastry with a crispy bottom filled with a light, fluffy, vanilla cream. Good babka too and love that they serve STP. You’ll notice a crème brûlée doughnut in some of the location photos – unfortunately this was a one-time special.
22. Clamato
📍11e Arrondissement. The sister restaurant to Septime (which I am not a fan of). Platters of fresh raw seafood or cooked seafood dishes. A regularly changing menu.
23. Homer Lobster
📍 4e Arrondissement. Award winning lobster rolls from the Homer Group (the same guys as Janet by Homer). This was their first restaurant. They also own a coffee place across the street called Maurice.
24. Bao Express
📍11e Arrondissement. It looks the part and the food delivers. The restaurant is modelled on a 1970s Hong Kong diner. With so many booths and tables I don’t think you ever need to worry about getting a booking which makes it a great last minute/back-up option. They even have a few tables out front, a hidden bar (which I didn’t find), and next door they have a takeout bakery too. The restaurant takes up 500-share-metres. The service was quick and friendly and all the dishes were great, although a little expensive. I loved the place and will definitely go back though.
25. Tapisserie
📍11e Arrondissement. A patisserie from the same guys as one-Michelin star restaurant, Septime, and seafood restaurant, Clamato (next door). This is only thirty seconds down the road from both (although there are now two other locations). I went for their signature maple-syrup tart topped with fresh whipped cream (unreal) as well as croissant. It’s mostly takeout but there’s a small ledge inside and out where you can perch with your coffee and pastry.
26. Le Meurice Cedric Grolet
📍1er Arrondissement. Ridiculously expensive but the most incredible pastries you’ll ever eat. Cedric Grolet is known for making pastries that look like the exact replication of fruit. They also do the classics like Paris-Brest.
27. Auberge Aveyronnaise
📍12e Arrondissement. Go for aligot, a mashed potato mixed with a young laguiole cheese, served with sausage. It’s a bit out the centre but worth the trip for this amazing dish. Get the tarte tatin for dessert.
28. La Patisserie Cyril Lignac
📍Multiple locations. Another great patisserie. I love the rum baba here.
James Dimitri 