Few cities on the planet stack up to the same heights as Paris. From a flourished art scene to an impressive repertoire of museums of all varieties, you might guess that artistry seeps into all facets of life, including dining. If in search of the best Paris restaurants, any foodie will find their itinerary stuffed (pun intended).
Paris is a melting pot city with plenty of expats there to welcome flavors from their home countries and go a little while with French fusions. Then there are the traditionalists who call upon classic French dishes for the quintessential Parisian dining experience.
My suggestion? Don’t choose just one. Sample everything you can in Paris. There’s no doubt that you will find plenty of restaurants in Paris to be inspired, classic, unique, and undoubtedly chic.
If you want to eat well, you must eat in Paris. These are the 23 best restaurants in Paris that define this city.
23 Best Paris Restaurants
When it comes to restaurants in Paris, there are two kinds of people you can find inside: visitors from all over the world (including other parts of France) and Parisiennes. It’s rare to find these two groups overlapping in a restaurant unless you happen upon a rare gem that’s known among tourists, yet is delicious/tasteful enough to lure in a local.
A general rule for all major cities: The restaurants on main roads or surrounding major attractions (like the Louvre or, have mercy, the Eiffel Tower) are likely expensive chains.
Paris is a melting pot city where cuisines from all over the world come alive in a bouquet of fusions and heritage revival establishments. Lots of Paris students call the Latin Quarter home, so you can expect local and cheaper fare, while the 10th Arrondissement is a pocket for vibrant West African dishes.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is notoriously trendy among Instagrammers and has any number of cafes with cute, rose walls and a heavy dose of macarons. Canal Saint-Martin is where you can find the coolest restaurants in Paris right now. The neighborhood is more up-and-coming with lots of cheese shops and places along the water where you can stop to snack.
The Best Restaurants in Paris for Classic French
These restaurants are all about surviving the traditions of typical French cuisine. But what is a typical dinner in Paris? Parisienne ingredients usually revolve around good quality meat and cheese, along with savory vegetables like potatoes or parsnips. Think a hearty stew with a crusty bread for dipping, or succulent snails in a buttery sauce.
Le Procope
Located right in Saint-Germain des Prés, Le Procope has been serving traditional French food long before you and I were born. This little cafe was founded in the 1600s, but despite its claim to fame as France’s oldest cafe, Le Procope has somehow managed to remain non-touristy.
It represents the country’s national cuisine with some of the best dishes available in the capital. They’re known best for the Coq au Vin and Escargot.
Les Deux Colombes
This eclectic restaurant inhabits a building with a somewhat mystical legend behind its location. In the 1300s, the building had been a sleeping barracks for the artists involved in the construction of Notre Dame. One of the residents was a sculptor who tamed a pair of doves to live under the eaves.
However, a flood from the Seine River weakened the structure and caused the building to collapse and trap the female dove. Her male lover continued to bring her food and keep her alive, but passersby saw the bird’s determination and began to clear the rubble away by hand to free the bird.
Situated a few steps away from the Seine, you could say that Les Deux Colombes continues to have an air of romance.
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Brasserie Martin
Brasserie Martin is one of eight locations throughout Paris from the Nouvelle Garde restaurant group. Though there are indications that this could be a potential chain for tourists, allow me to quote from their mission statement:
“La Nouvelle Garde is a group of young French people who frantically defend the French art of living with traditional brasseries.”
Ask anyone who enjoys a meal here (both local and non-local) and they’ll tell you that Brasserie Martin is the real deal when it comes to French dining. Their cute, kitschy decor makes it one of the coolest restaurants in Paris right now. Wes Anderson fans will swoon.
Their roasted chicken has the potential to weaken your knees, and the cracking of a Crème Brûlée shell can be heard from across town.
Courtesy of Nouvelle
Bouillon République
This restaurant gives off serious old-money vibes. Its plush dining room with rich cherry wood boiserie and moody atmosphere will make you feel like you’ve stepped into the pages of a noir novel.
Given the name, it makes sense that some of their offerings are soup-based or involve an application of bouillon at some point in the recipe. Their classic beef bourguignon is pretty outstanding, as is their roasted seabream.
Le Train Bleu
If you come to Paris and pack your days so tight with activities and dining experiences that you absolutely cannot find a free hour to eat at Le Train Bleu, at least make it a priority to stop in and look at the decor.
Set on the second floor of the Gare de Lyon (yes, the train station), you can find this super lavish space complete with crystal chandeliers and frescoes. The baroque-style walls and ceiling reminisce on the gilded halls of Versailles.
No detail has been spared, down to the plates and silverware. And of course, one cannot forget about the details set into the dishes here. Le Train Bleu is most known for its seafood, including caviar.
Courtesy of Le Train Bleu
Address: Gare de Lyon, Pl. Louis Armand hall 1, 75012 Paris, France
Juveniles
Scaling down in size (but not in quality) is the chic, compact establishment in the 2nd Arrondissement. Juveniles encompasses the best aspects of French food culture: a warm ambiance in the center of a bustling city, plus delicious, high-quality plates, and a pairing with excellent wine.
In my opinion, what makes Juveniles one of the coolest restaurants in Paris right now is the family values it holds, which you can feel the moment you walk in. Since opening its doors in the late 80s, Juveniles kept its business in the family — managed by a father, daughter, and son-in-law trio.
The menu is unfussy and offers some of the best cheese pairings that the city has to offer, plus a dessert menu that would make the will of the strictest dieter to lose their cool. The chocolate ganache and poached pears are daydream-inspiring.
Address: 47 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris, France
Allard
Allard is running at full speed toward its hundredth birthday, though through the passing decades has continued to serve its authentically, unapologetically French dishes without too much change to its original recipes.
Here you can find bourgeois-inspired dishes that alternate with the seasons, like Fernande Allard-style frog legs, or Confit duck foie gras. The best time to visit Paris is during the shoulder seasons, particularly during their harvest season in fall. You will find a completely unique menu featuring seasonal fare.
What draws me toward Allard is its old-world revival style, complete with red velvet benches and floral wallpaper. What makes me excited to return is this duck fillet roasted with green olives.
The Best Restaurant in Paris Right Now for Fusion
We humans are travelers. We’re a species that’s been traversing the world since our earliest beginnings. It’s no surprise that along our traveling path, our ingredients and homeland recipes were bound to collide.
However, when you put two seemingly different things together for a complex yet natural marriage of ingredients, well, I think that’s one of the beauties of exploration.
Stellar Restaurant – Ephemera
From first look, you might think that this restaurant is patting itself on the back for having a “stellar” menu, but a second look will show you that the vibe is quite literally stellar
This restaurant is a set scene for a dining experience on another planet. Being an extraterrestrial establishment, you can imagine that Stellar takes a look at the Earth from a distance, viewing its many cultures and dishes that come from them as a whole. Here you can find everything from American-inspired burgers to Thai shrimp curry.
A third look will show you that the restaurant group that owns Stellar Restaurant (the Ephemera group) has establishments dotted all over the different arrondissements with different themes. There’s also a jungle and an oceanic theme.
Huitrerie Régis
Huitrerie Régis is a landlover’s connection to the sea. Although Paris isn’t coastal like Nice and Saint-Malo, some of the other popular French destinations, you’re able to find a mix of superb seafood throughout the city.
Situated within the super chic neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Huitrerie Régis stands as one of the best raw bars in the area. You can expect at least five types of oysters brought in from the French coast, but you can also find sea urchins and shrimp from Madagascar on the menu.
Galerie 88
The reviews of Galerie 88 possess a few repeat words: charming, intimate, friendly — exactly the vibe you want after walking the streets of Paris all day. This restaurant serves up reasonably priced small plates with a range of vegetarian options that pull inspiration from Mediterranean cuisine.
If you happen to catch a table outside, you might also have a view of Notre Dame, which is angled right across the river.
Café les Deux Gares
Just a few short steps away from Le Train Bleu is a bright and sunny hotel with funky decorations by designer Luke Edward Hall. Walk inside and you’ll find Café les Deux Gares, the street-level restaurant that pairs natural wine with chef-created meals.
The Best Restaurant in Paris for International Dishes
It’s easy to say, “While in France, I only want to eat traditional French food,” but Paris just so happens to be home to some of the most unique and culturally inclusive restaurants on the planet.
Sampling some local cuisine while you travel definitely checks the box of a good tourist. However, the list of great international restaurants in Paris is only growing, so make sure to check them out!
Kodawari Ramen
There are a plethora of ramen options all over Paris, which offer you a break from the usual savory French flavors and a deep dive into umami. Kodawari Ramen stands out among the best restaurants in Paris for a few notable reasons.
To start, the vibe inside replicates the same experience you’d get in Japan. It’s almost easy to forget you’re currently in Paris, and not in an atmospheric ramen shop within the back alleys of Kyoto.
Second, Kodawari Ramen was listed on Michelin’s 2023 restaurant guide, a testament to its sublime flavors and authentic ingredients.
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L’As du Fallafel
While exploring the popular shopping street of Rue de Rivoli, I stumbled across L’As du Fallafel completely by chance, with no existing expectations except to sit down for a few minutes and fill my empty stomach. As it stands, this was the best falafel I have ever eaten.
If the massive queue of people out front isn’t evidence of how great they are, then you absolutely must come try a selection of things from their menu and see for yourself.
I ate a vegetarian falafel wrap with spicy sauce: delicious, delectable, albeit messy, but who cares? It’s a wrap that I still think about a year later.
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Ober Mamma
Italians are fairly famous for having some strict rules surrounding food. Likewise, they may also turn their noses up if you tell them you ate some amazing food of theirs in France.
However, I’m fairly certain they would agree that this is the best Italian restaurant in Paris, France.
Judge not, for I’m fairly certain that Ober Mamma can withstand the high expectations of a red-blooded Italian.
There are nine locations from this trendy food group (including a chic yet traditional market) throughout the capital city, plus locations in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and nearby Monaco.
They managed a rarity for Paris: to fit two wood-fired ovens in their establishment, serving up Neapolitan-style pizzas one country to the left.
Kehribar
Think of Kehribar as a little slice of Istanbul in the heart of Paris. Facing its little doorway, you might not assume the place has rustic stone walls and traditional Turkish decor in its interior. Kehribar sets the mood for Turkish dining before sitting at a table.
There’s a variety of Mediterranean-style dips smothered generously in high-quality olive oil, plus grilled meat and fresh vegetables that taste as good as they are healthy.
L’atelier Dürüm
Another Turkish fan favorite is L’atelier Dürüm, situated on the other side of the Seine within the 18th arrondissement. This neighborhood has a rich history, once an artist’s village and home to a few notables (Picasso and Dalí), and is now a place for trendy international spots.
Reviewers rave about the borek, a Mediterranean-style meat pie inside of buttery pastry dough, though it’s hard to go wrong at L’atelier Dürüm. Everything here is made from scratch, representing Turkish dining in the best way.
Many of the menu offerings are available in a grab-n-go format, making this one of the best lunch places in Paris. You won’t waste any time in line at McDonalds!
Read Next: How To Slow Travel Through the Countryside in France
Bao Express
Chinese food is universally loved and interpreted differently around the world, and in Paris, there’s a budding scene of French-Chinese cuisine that is simply not to miss. Bao Express has a lovely, mid-century interior that feels just the right amount of homey.
The servings include fried bao, crispy shrimp toast with a generous serving of spicy mayo, plus dim sum steamed in bamboo baskets for the traditionalists.
Le Village
If you came to Paris and didn’t eat West African food, then you didn’t fully experience Parisian cuisine. With a variety of West African options cropping up all through the city, Le Village stands as one of the coolest restaurants in Paris right now.
This establishment has stood the test of time; they’ve been serving authentic cuisine for over thirty years.
Beautiful mounds of rice jollof served with juicy meat against a colorful interior backdrop. I’ve heard quite a few people say this is another fan favorite for the best lunch places in Paris.
Address: 86 Ave Parmentier, 75011 Paris, France
Au petit Bamako
Another big contender for West African cuisine is Au petit Bamako, located in the 20th Arrondissement. While this neighborhood may not be the most visited, it houses a prominent cemetery where notable people like Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde are buried.
If you find yourself taking a slightly macabre tour during your stay in Paris (I totally did), Au petit Bamako is absolutely worth a visit for lunch.
Upon ordering, it’s clear why they currently have 4.8 stars. From the fresh grilled fish with crunchy skin to the spicy jollof, the flavors will make all other meals pale in comparison.
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Address: 108 Rue de Bagnolet, 75020 Paris, France
The Best Brunch Places in Paris
Brunch girlies unite! There was once a time when a caffe and a croissant were the only things available before noon, but those times are no more. By the way, there’s nothing wrong with a caffe and a croissant, but there’s also nothing wrong with bottomless mimosas and a runny egg Benedict either.
If you plan an upcoming trip to Paris and want some less-touristy things to do, you’ll be happy to find that this city offers a wide range of brunch options available after a night of discovering the city’s nightlife.
Le Saint-Regis
This convivial little corner joint is popular among locals and visitors alike. It also happens to be my dad’s favorite place in Paris. That’s of course because Le Saint-Regis is everything you want in a Paris cafe. Fresh-squeezed orange juice, strong coffee, and a sizeable breakfast menu.
Pair this with super-friendly waiters, and you’ve got a legendary brunch spot! So, go ahead and take this travel advice from my 75-year-old dad.
Address: 6 Rue Jean du Bellay, 75004 Paris, France
Boulangerie Utopie
This boulangerie is hard not to love (and think about constantly), for its wonderful bread and brunch menu is unforgettable.
All baked goods are made with the same fermented dough as sourdough, which enhances the flavor and complexity. As well, the company makes small batches that have a tendency to sell out early on busy days. If you plan to come on a weekend, arrive early and go for the black sesame roll.
Address: 20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris, France
Jozi Cafe Pantheon
Before sightseeing around the Pantheon, arrive early or plan to queue up for Jozi cafe. This little spot is located in the hipster side of town, surrounded by cool bars and hostels. The vibe is definitely youthful, as are the patrons and baristas.
You’ll find a selection of artisanal pastries from the expected (croissants) to the unexpected (chai carrot cake), plus their specialty pancakes. In fact, their website shows a tracker that boasts nearly 250,000 pancakes served!
Address: 3 Rue Valette, 75005 Paris, France
More Recommendations for the Best Restaurants in Paris
Earth To Editorial is a travel blog written by travelers, local guides, and subject matter experts from all around the world. We make suggestions based on our totally subjective opinions.
However, that also means we try before we write, which offers you, the reader, suggestions based on people who loved it enough to mention it.
If you’re looking for authentic, meat-and-potatoes French or are in search of the best Italian restaurant in Paris, France, we’ve got a map for that.
