Must-see restaurants in Paris

  • Café Moco

    Paris

    Premium beans roasted by Paris' Gaspard & Julien are expertly brewed at this bright blue-framed, glass-fronted space, but it's also perfect for loose-leaf…

  • Claus

    Paris

    Dubbed the ‘haute-couture breakfast specialist’ in Parisian foodie circles, this inspired épicerie du petit-dej (breakfast grocery shop) has everything…

  • Caillebotte

    Paris

    The clattering interior at Caillebotte – slate tiles, blonde wood and tightly packed marble-topped tables – means this isn't the place for a romantic meal…

  • Grazie Italia

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    For something different, head away from the madding St-Germain crowds to this alternative bistro with floor-to-ceiling windows and a medley of vintage…

  • Le Valentin

    Paris

    Inside beautiful covered arcade passage Jouffroy, this enchanting, two-storeyed salon de thé (tea house) slash patisserie slash chocolaterie is an equally…

  • Le Comptoir Marguery

    Paris

    Each day's menu is written on the massive mirror that dominates one wall of this relaxed wine bar–style bistro, the less formal sibling of Au Petit…

  • Bagnard

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Slate blue-and-white walls, herringbone parquet and an on-trend mix of worn wood and leather create a cosy vibe at this trendy ‘cantine Méditerranean’ in…

  • Tannat

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Named after a red grape variety from southwest France, this bright neobistro utilises fresh herbs and veggies from its own garden south of Paris…

  • Huîtrerie Regis

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Hip, trendy, tiny and white, this is the spot for slurping oysters on crisp winter days – inside or on the tiny pavement terrace sporting sage-green…

  • Odette

    Latin Quarter

    Odette's ground-floor space sells choux (pastry puffs) with seasonal flavoured cream fillings, such as coffee, lemon, green tea, salted caramel, pistachio…

  • La Cuisine de Philippe

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Look up to see the beautiful muralled ceiling at this mustard-walled, tiled-floored old-style bistro. Sweet soufflés – dark chocolate, rhubarb and red…

  • Les Deux Abeilles

    Paris

    A refuge from the Eiffel Tower crowds, delightfully old-fashioned tearoom the Two Bees has floral-patterned wallpaper, terracotta-tiled floors and white…

  • Chez Janou

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Order a kir from the jam-packed bar while you wait for a table at this busy spot (it doesn't take reservations). The cuisine is as close as you'll get to…

  • Café Mirabelle

    Paris

    A black-and-white stencilled outline of Paris' skyline stretches across one wall of this charming cafe, whose home-baked treats include custard- and…

  • Le Grand Pan

    Paris

    A die-hard address for meat lovers, this elegant Parisian bistro run by Benoit Gauthier is all about rare (or, at a push, medium) beef, veal, lamb and…

  • Boulangerie Bruno Solques

    Latin Quarter

    Inventive pâtissier Bruno Solques crafts wonderfully rustic breads (sold by weight measured on old-fashioned scales) using only organic flours. The small,…

  • Le Grand Bréguet

    Paris

    Adjoining a courtyard terrace, this vast, contemporary canteen-style space centres on an island kitchen. Many of its all-organic dishes are vegetarian or…

  • Vins des Pyrénées

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Originally opened in 1905, this beautifully restored bistro has a reinvigorated menu (beef tartare with anchovies and smoked egg yolk, duck breast with…

  • Season Square

    Paris

    Arrive sharp to ensure a lunch spot at this minimalist space – it's a hot spot with the digital-savvy, hi-tech crowd from the nearby start-up campus…

  • Pink Mamma

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Clad in peach-coloured tiles, with a mur végétal ('living wall'), Pink Mamma sprawls over four floors (with a speakeasy in the basement). Steaks…

  • Ma Salle à Manger

    Paris

    Framed by a pretty blue-and-white striped awning, My Dining Room chalks its daily bistro menu on a blackboard. No-fuss dishes include French onion soup,…

  • Chéri Charlot

    Paris

    If every French cheese had a charcuterie soulmate, who would be paired up with whom? This tiny deli seeks to answer this question with its excellent…

  • Firmin Le Barbier

    Paris

    A five-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, this brick-walled bistro was opened by a retired surgeon turned gourmet whose passion is apparent in everything…

  • Le Camion Qui Fume

    Paris

    The sedentary outpost of the famous food truck, Le Camion Qui Fume has staked a claim on lively rue Montmartre, and judging by the late-night crowds,…

  • CoCo

    Paris

    Transformed in the style of Napoléon III, the Palais Garnier's on-site restaurant has velvet lounges; tasselled lamps; interior palms, monstera and ferns;…

  • La Salle à Manger

    Latin Quarter

    With a sunny pavement terrace beneath trees enviably placed at the foot of foodie street rue Mouffetard, the ‘Dining Room’ is prime real estate. Its 360…

  • Gentle Gourmet Café

    Paris

    Large windows and lots of natural light create an elegant setting to dine on 100% vegan dishes such as almond-encrusted tofu, tarragon-laced beetroot…

  • La Truffière

    Latin Quarter

    As its name implies, truffles are the centrepiece of this Michelin-starred restaurant's menu, featuring in most (albeit not all) of its weekly changing…

  • Bol Porridge Bar

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Organic porridge, both savoury (beetroot, feta and thyme; chicken, coconut, sesame and coriander) and sweet (salted butter and cinnamon; pear and lychee)…

  • Waknine

    Paris

    It may look unremarkable from the outside, but this cosy hideaway is a local secret. The cuisine and service are both excellent without being overbearing;…

  • Mokoloco

    Paris

    The success of Mokonuts saw it branch out to this sandwich bar around the corner (look for the same mint-green façade). Along with gourmet sandwiches (eg…

  • Café Oberkampf

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Paned-glass windows frame this blue-painted cafe tucked just off busy rue Oberkampf. Bircher muesli with tea-infused raisins, tartines (open sandwiches)…

  • Le Grill Astier

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Startlingly realistic cow-hide-print wallpaper and genuine cow-hide seat covers clue you in to the raison d'être of 2017-opened Le Grill Astier, whose…

  • L'Îlot Vache

    Paris

    Named for one of the Île St-Louis' previous two islands and decorated with cow statuettes, this former butcher shop flickers with candles that give its…

  • À la Banane Ivoirienne

    Paris

    An institution in Paris since 1989, À la Banane Ivoirienne dishes up the best Ivorian food in Paris along with fabulous live music and dancing on Friday…

  • L’Atelier Libanais

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Colourful woven straw bags, lamps straight from the souk in Beirut and a tiny corner shop selling rose syrup, Aleppo soap and the like infuse a colourful…

  • Astair

    Paris

    At the intersection of covered arcades Passage des Panoramas and Galerie des Varietes, Astair has wraparound exterior tables, a hand-cut cork ceiling and…

  • La Pâtisserie

    Paris

    This pâtisserie (cake shop) is the temple of celebrity chef Cyril Lignac, whose creations include an apricot-glazed baba au rhum, white chocolate tarte…

  • Saucette

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    At this bar à saucisses (sausage bar), sausages from across France are the star of the show. Regional varieties include boudin noir from Mortagne-au…

  • Wadja

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    It might still bear the name of its original Polish owners, but Wadja – with its zinc bar backed by soaring mirrors, 1930s lithographs and retro,…

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