A Foodie's Guide to Paris

🍽️ Parisian Institutions

I'm beginning this guide with restaurants that are not only delicious, but an integral part of the history of Paris. These recommendations vary in terms of style of food, ranging from the most affordable in the city to a tasting menu, but the one thing they all have in common is that they have been constants in the capital over the course of several decades. 

Au Pied de Cochon

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Opened in 1947 to feed the workers of the Halles food market in the heart of Paris' 1st arrondissement, Au Pied de Cochon hasn't really changed ever since. Initially open 24/7, they unfortunatly had to close during the pandemic for the first time in their history, but remain open until very late at night. The pork rib confit is my favourite thing here, but for the more adventurous, grilled pork's trotters is their namesake and signature dish. Some of the capital's finest French onion soup can also be found here (it is a dish that was born in this neighbourhood), alongside amazing quality oysters and escargots.  

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Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards

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A bouillon (meaning broth in French) is a type of restaurant that was initially destined for workers with many dishes having some form of meat broth as its base. Although they have been around since the 1850s, they are today going through a revival phase, where they continue to be the best value meals you will ever have in the capital. Out of all of the bouillons, the Bouillon Chartier remains the most iconic and historic, with an inside setting that resembles a train station. Order the poireaux vinaigrette (leeks with dressing), duck confit and pain perdu (French toast) for a classic 3 course meal, all for around 20€. 

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Le Train Bleu

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Located in the Gare de Lyon, this magnificent dining hall was built for the 1900 Paris Exposition, later named the Train Bleu in 1967, where it has amazed diners with its paintings all over the walls and ceiling. The food definitely lives up to the surroundings: here you can enjoy their world famous gigot d'agneau (leg of lamb) cut tableside and served with potato gratin, beef tartare and of course crêpes Suzette, flambéed right by your table. 

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La Tour d'Argent

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The Tour d'Argent is a place unlike any other in Paris: one of the oldest institutions of the city, a view of Notre-Dame that no other restaurant can compete with, a wine list that wine experts will be in awe of, and some of the most innovative and modern dishes that you will find. Boasting 1 Michelin Star, this is a place to celebrate a special occasion, or to centre your entire trip around.

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🍲 Traditional French Cuisine

Chances are that when you are coming to Paris, you have some dishes that are on your bucket list such as beef tartare, beef bourguignon, onion soup or pot-au-feu, then these places are for you. What makes these places stand out more than anything is that this is where locals will eat, which we all know is a quality stamp of approval. 

Brasserie Des Prés

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The Nouvelle Garde group have a few brasseries located in Paris, where "eating and drinking well, the French way" is the motto. La Brasserie des Prés is my favourite of all because of where it is located: in the heart of the Saint-Germain neighbourhood and built right where the Philippe-Auguste wall once stood. A piece of the wall is still visible in the restaurant. Here you can enjoy French classics like beef filet with sauce au poivre, sausage and mashed potatoes and their delicious Paris-Brest dessert, all priced very reasonably in a famously expensive neighbourhood of Paris.

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Le Petit Célestin

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On the right bank of the Seine, just opposite the Île Saint-Louis lies Le Petit Célestin, a very small French bistrot where you can indulge in one of my favourite dishes: beef bourguignon. The braised red wine sauce is as shiny as a mirror here, and the vegetables are cooked separately to ensure that they do not become overdone while the beef cooks. Some of the best entrecôtes (ribeye) I've had have also been here, and if you have room, make sure to get a lemon meringue tart with a comically large amount of meringue on top.

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Le Bon Georges

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At Le Bon Georges, there are two atmospheres and experiences: there is the bistrot side, good for a meetup with friends where you can share dishes and enjoy a few bottles from their huge wine list, but also the chef's table. The latter side of the restaurant offers a French version of omokase, where the chef will change and adapt according to what you enjoy. The menu often changes but you can expect French classics like beef tartare, blanquette de veau and duck breast to be there very regularly. This could also be where you find the best chocolate mousse in Paris.

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Café les Deux Gares

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Sat right in between Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est, the Café Les Deux Gares has a seasonal and constantly evolving menu, with the mains mostly featuring one fish dish, one meat dish and one dish centered around vegetables. Some more modern riffs on the classics are welcome here, such as combining blood orange with a braised beef dish. If you have a sweet tooth, the hazelnut covered crème-brûlée is one of the best versions of this dessert I've ever had.

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Le Coq & Fils - the Poultry House

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In the heart of Montmartre, opposite a wooden windmill, lies Le Coq & Fils, a restaurant that specialises in all things poultry. If you come during the week, you can have their various specials that change each day, that of course are always poultry based. Even the sausage and shepherd's pie are made with chicken. The star of the show though is the roast chicken, which has been gently poached in broth before being finished on a spit-roast.

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Orgueil

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Orgeuil (meaning pride in French) is the first restaurant opened by Eloy Spinnler. Having cooked in some of Paris' most renowned kitchens, he decided to open a place of his own, focused on zero waste. They butcher their own meat in house to use every part, no vegetable scrap goes to waste, as they are used either in pickles, broths or vinegars. The restaurant is split into two parts, the first being a classic bistrot where you can enjoy lots of dishes to share or have just for yourself, and the second being a speakeasy where you are seated right in front of the kitchen and can enjoy a tasting menu, at a very reasonable price. Every single item on the menu is outstanding, but the highlight is most definitely the mashed potatoes made with smoked butter, served with a soy sauce marinated egg yolk and pickled rhubarb. Absolutely delicious!

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Café des Ministères

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Listing the Café des Ministères in this guide is one of the most obvious choices when it comes to traditional French cuisine, and with good reason. Right near the National Assembly, their house specialities are the vol-au-vent (puff pastry filled with poultry and sweetbreads) and their cabbage stuffed with pork, Morteau sausage and foie gras. If you are able to book a table here (they open 21 days in advance and become fully booked very fast), there is a chance this will be one of the best meals you have all year.

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Juveniles

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Right near the Jardin du Palais Royal, surrounded by Japanese restaurants, you can find Juveniles. They describe themselves as a bistrot à vins, a place where you can come and enjoy a wide selection of wine, but also indulge in some of beautifully prepared dishes if you are hungrier. The food is everything you would want it to be: unfussy, seasonal and local. Be sure not to miss out on the homemade terrine as a starter and riz au lait for dessert. 

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Chez Savy

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If you choose to eat at Chez Savy, you are going to be having the same dining experience as countless others have had since 1923, when the place opened. Instead of bringing butter to your table, you can spread rillettes on your fresh bread. The œufs mayonnaise (eggs with mayonnaise), lamb shoulder or andouillette will be sure to scratch that classic brasserie food itch you may have. 

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Maison Cluny

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The Latin Quarter, located on the left bank opposite Notre-Dame de Paris and home to the Pantheon and the Sorbonne University is also home to tourist traps and low-quality restaurants that only the Eiffel Tower can compete with. A shining light in this area for affordable modern bistrot food is the Maison Cluny, that sits opposite a 3rd century bathhouse of the same name. The small dishes they serve for the apéritif are reminiscent of those found in Spain, and the starters and mains are always seasonal. I particularly like the fish here such as their tuna, simply marinated, grilled and served with vegetables.

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Au Sauvignon

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A few minutes away from the Bon Marché, Au Sauvignon is a great place to enjoy wine and simple dishes all throughout the day. The bread they use is made by Poilâne that is just down the road, a partnership that has been going on for almost seven decades, and they use it extensively in their food. Most times I go, I have the croque monsieur (made with cooked and then smoked ham) and wash it down with a nice glass of light red wine (typically a Beaujolais) all the while people watching. You can't get more Parisian than that!

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🥞 Crêpes & Galettes

If you ask most people abroad about French crêpes, chances are that the first thing they think of is a sweet version, with a dough made from wheat flour and, typically filled with things like Nutella, jams, sugar or honey. In France though, there is another version that is equally as popular, if not more popular: the buckwheat galette. Buckwheat has a wonderful nutty flavour that produces a crêpe (named galette in France) which is the perfect base for savoury fillings. Although you will find restaurants serving galettes everywhere in France, its origins lie in Britanny, in northwestern France. This will more often than not be a restaurant food item, that people here will eat for lunch or dinner. 

Breizh Café

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Breizh Café may just be one of my favourite places to eat in Paris. Open all day, it is a great place to come to if you're hungry in the middle of the afternoon and have nothing planned. Here, buckwheat is celebrated in the form of galettes, those traditional crêpes from Britanny, with all the classics on offer, but also some more Japanese inspired recipes, another country which holds buckwheat dear.

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Krügen Gardette

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One of my favourite versions of the galette is quite simple: a pork sausage enclosed in a buckwheat galette. Orignially created to be something that could be easily eaten on the go, Krügen has taken this idea further with a healthy dose of creativity. From adding cheddar and relish or shiitake mushrooms and camembert, the sausage galette has been elevated to its highest form here.

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Crêperie Bertine - Paris

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Nestled in the heart of the 11th arrondissement, the Crêperie Bertine makes some of, if not the best crêpes and galettes in Paris. Owned and run by a family of Bretons, all recipes here are very simple, with no more than 3-4 ingredients on every galette. The twist here though is that all of the crêpes and galettes are doubled up, meaning there is another entire thin crêpe that sits in the middle, adding more flavour and texture contrasts with every bite.

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Crêperie Le Goéland d'Aligre

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Opposite the beautiful Marché d'Aligre, you can hop over to Le Goéland to enjoy some non-traditional galettes with a Lebanese twist, such as the addition of labneh (a sour "yoghurt"), zaatar, sumac and even pomegranate molasses. An ideal place to go to after buying fresh produce from the market.

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La Droguerie

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Bretons would be shocked, but in Paris, it is possible to eat savoury crêpes on a wheat-based dough. La Droguerie is a great place to try out this variation out, on a street that is full of amazing food from all over the world. What makes these ones quite unique is the crispy cheese that seeps out of the crêpes, providing a great textural contrast.

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La Crêperie Française

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Street food options in Saint-Germain don't come easily, especially affordable ones, but La Crêperie Française delivers on all fronts. For the savoury crêpes, you can choose between a buckwheat (the Breton way) or wheat (the Parisian way) dough, and the fillings here are very simple. The sweet crêpes they have are also not to be missed, especially when flambéed with Grand Marnier. 

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☕ Coffee

I'm going to be quite contraversial here and say that in my honest opinion, the average cup of coffee in Paris is quite bad. Order a café, and you will be served an espresso, but more often than not it is made with low quality beans. I can understand that those iconic cafés are great for people watching, but if you want some high quality speciality coffee, go to the places listed below! 

Early Bird - Artisanal Coffee Roasters

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Right in the heart of the Aligre Market lies one of my favourite places to get coffee in Paris. Early Bird is a speciality coffee roaster where you can buy some freshly roasted beans, both suitable for filter coffee and espresso. The owner Joseph, an Irishman who learned his trade in Melbourne and now operates out of Paris is also one of the nicest people in the business and will make you very welcome. There are also food options here, like bacon sandwiches, not exactly French but very delicious, especially for breakfast.

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Kawa

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The roaster Kawa functions as both a café (with limited seating options) where you can sit down and sip on some amazing speciality coffee, but also as a place where you can directly buy some coffee for your own personal consumption. They have a good mixture of blends, seasonal coffees, organic and some very rare varieties. If you choose to sit down to have a drink, they will often serve it in two different cups to show you how that can change your experience, and the results will amaze you. A must place to go to if you are in the North Marais.

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Minicafé

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The coffee scene on the Île Saint-Louis hasn't been the best historically, with most places being the typical French café serving bitter and badly extracted espressos. Great places to people watch, but not so great for coffee lovers. Other than Noir (another speciality roaster) on the island, you have Minicafé, a small business that began in 2023. Here you will find great coffee, an owner who is always up for a chat and some drinks that you might not find elsewhere, like a matcha tonic, Vietnamese coffee and even an orange espresso.

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Noir - Coffee Shop & Torréfacteur

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You could describe Noir as a chain, as they boast over 10 locations around Paris, but they are a chain that serve flavourful and well brewed drinks and will save you, whatever neighbourhood you are in. Roasted just outside of the city, they distribute all of the beans to each location and deliver at every one of them.

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The Beans on Fire

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The Beans on Fire is one of the best places to be a regular if you enjoy discovering different coffees. They function as a collaborative roaster, meaning that they will lend their space to other roasters who maybe don't have the equipment, and then will also sell that coffee in their locations. The place listed here is their straight up coffee shop in the heart of Montmartre, where you can sit down and enjoy delicious beverages from roasters all around Paris before exploring this iconic neighbourhood some more.

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🥖 Bakeries

The most important place in the daily lives of the French is 100% the bakery. This is where you come to get your baguettes, viennoiseries, desserts and some lunch items like croque-monsieurs and sandwiches. You can find all of these items at every bakery here with very high quality, but make sure to read my notes on each of them to see what they make best. 

Sain Boulangerie

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Boasting two locations, Sain (meaning healthy in French) is a bakery that prides itself on high quality ingredients, like the butter they use for their amazing and crunchy croissants, the apples used in the chausson aux pommes (puff pastry filled with apples) and the flour they use in their bread and everything else. Anthony Courteille, founder and head baker, has sourced the flour as locally as possible from heirloom varieties, and as organically as possible. This is without a doubt my all time favourite bakery in Paris.

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Boulangerie Utopie

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Most Parisians would agree that the 11th arrondissement is probably the best place to go for food, and in that area, Utopie may be your best choice for getting baked goods. From activated charcoal baguettes to black sesame-based desserts (eclairs and tarts), they have some pretty flashy offerings. But above all, they make the classics exceptionally well, like their croissants and chaussons aux pommes, but also their baguette tradition, which won the award for the best in Paris in 2024.

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La Maison d'Isabelle

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Right near the end of the Boulevard Saint-Germain, you'll find a bakery that is the only place I've ever seen with an oven that only bakes croissants in the front of the store. This is how dedicated La Maison d'Isabelle is to making the flaky and buttery deliciousness that is the croissant. Made with an AOP butter from Poitou-Charentes, they won the award for the best in town in 2018, but their quality has never dipped. They have won awards for many other pastries and make amazing bread, but if there is one thing to try, it is the croissants.

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Pains Paris

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If you happen to be staying up in the 19th arrondissement, a short walk away from the Buttes-Chaumont park is Pains Paris, a great place to get some sourdough bread. This small independent store is the ideal place to come to after buying some artisanal butter and cheese, and need something to eat it all with.

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Boulangerie Poilâne

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Just say the word Poilâne in Paris and most people will know what you are talking about. Started in 1932 by the family of the same name, they have been making whole-wheat sourdough loaves ever since, which historically is what the French have been eating for a lot longer than the baguette, now more famous. A whole loaf weighs in at a huge 1.9kg, but you can obviously buy parts of it sliced up for you. This is an ideal bread for toasting and spreading butter on, but also for making croque-monsieurs or serving with cheese (Brillat-Savarin is my favourite one to serve with it).

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The French Bastards - Temple

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With over 5 bakeries in Paris, The French Bastards have definitely caught more than one person's eye with their provocative name, but if that was all they had going for them, I wouldn't include them in this list. Creating pastries that they describe as French foodporn, the desserts and viennoiseries are generous, incredibly tasty, and look like something you would want to indulge in in the afternoon. It's easy to forget about the bread here, but do not, it is also delicious! Check out their other locations to see if they have some that are close to where you are staying.

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Le Boulanger de la Tour

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Le Boulanger de la Tour is a bakery created by the Tour d'Argent, the oldest hotel in Paris and also a Michelin starred restaurant, next to which it is located. Everything here is super classic, but perfectly executed. Sourdough baguettes, lemon tarts, croissants and millefeuilles are made exactly as you would expect them to be, but better than in most places. What I love about this place is that it is also a way to taste the expertise of an establishment with an incredibly high standard without breaking the bank on a tasting menu.

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Ten Belles - Paris 10

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There are a few other places in my guide that make sourdough loaves, but Ten Belles is the one I prefer. Ever since they opened in 2012, they have been considered as the gold standard of this type of bread, which they bake until they develop a very dark crust, while retaining an open crumb and a subtle yet flavourful sourness. They also roast their own coffee, which is of very high quality in its own right so that, combined with their amazing baking skills means that this is one of my favourite places to be. The sandwiches are also worth a try!

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Mamiche

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As of 2024, Mamiche is probably the most talked about bakery in Paris. They started out as a neighbourhood bakery but have opened one other spot since then. Here, everything is made with a sourdough starter, including the viennoiseries (croissants, pains au chocolat, pains au raisin...), which is arguably what they do best. My favourite thing about them is they have a page on their website stating that because all of their products are artisanal, there will be variations from time to time in their product. Embracing the imperfections is a key aspect to artisanal work, and I love them for it.

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Pain Pain

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As the name suggests, Pain Pain makes bread. A lot of bread. A lot of delicious and creative bread. Winner of the best baguette tradition of Paris in 2012, they also have other offerings like their fruit sourdough loaf that they say should be eaten like a cake, but also some fantastic sandwiches. A must go to when walking around Montmartre.

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Moon Croissant

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A fairly new entry to the croissant scene, Moon Croissant opened in May 2024 and only make 300 items every day and will close once they sell out. I can't stress enough how light and fluffy their croissants are. It has the perfect balance between sweetness, butter flavour and flakiness. The pain au chocolat is also amongst the best the city has to offer, with the most intense dark chocolate flavour inside. On the pricier side of viennoiseries in the city, I think it is 100% worth it. The coffee is also great, so don't miss out if you are about to go into the Marais.

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Du Pain et des Idées

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Creators of one of, if not the most famous pain au chocolat in Paris, the hype around Du Pain et des Idées is well deserved. A short walk away from the Canal Saint-Martin, there are few things more enjoyable than grabbing a couple of viennoiseries and going to have your breakfast right by the water in the summertime.

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Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Terroirs d'Avenir

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There aren't many streets in Paris that can boast as high a concentration of amazing food as Rue du Nil. Surrounded by the Frenchie restaurants, the Terroirs d'Avenir group mostly specialises in selling fresh produce, meat and fish to restaurants and individuals. But it is at their bakery where they show that they are equally as good at transforming those great products into superb baked goods. To highlight the quality of their ingredients the most, I would recommend you get the desserts that contain any kind of fresh fruit.

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La Boulangerie Méditerranéenne

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IT would be remiss of me not to include La Boulangerie Méditerranéenne in my list because it is my personal neighbourhood bakery, in the city of Montrouge. While I don't expect you to make it to the other side of the périphérique, if you happen to be staying here, I would urge you to come here. The bread is as good as any other bakery in Paris and the desserts are pastry chef quality and as tasty as they look. The gianduja pain au chocolat here was quite the revelation when I first had it.

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🍕 Pizzerias

Italy being a neighbouring country to France, it should come to no surprise that the quality of Italian food here is very high, including pizza. France love pizza so much that they consume far more per capita than Italy does every year. Even though France has its own style of pizza, with a chewy and slightly crispy dough, that is not what the pizzerias that follow are making. If you come to Paris, Neapolitan style reigns supreme, although some other styles are slowly but surely popping up and making the pizza scene more and more exciting each day.  

Guillaume Grasso

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Guillaume Grasso, a third generation pizzaiolo, runs the only pizzeria in Paris that is part of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). This organisation makes sure that certain rules are followed so that every restaurant that is a member makes their pizza as close to the real deal found in Naples. Guillaume's dough is so light you could eat two of his pizzas in one sitting, and all of his ingredients are of the highest quality. Keep it simple with the toppings here to let the dough shine, my favourite being the margherita con buffala e piennolo (a buffalo milk mozzarella and piennolo cherry tomato margherita).

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Dalmata Pizza

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Dalmata is in my eyes the best pizza you can find towards the centre of the capital, as most quality pizzerias are located in more residential areas. The style served here is contemporary neapolitan pizza, meaning that the outer crust is puffier and airier than a classic one. The toppings venture away from the classics, and are seasonal. Some of my favourites include the Real Carbonara Pizza (guaniciale, cacio e pepe cream and cured egg yolk), Puglia Mia (basil pesto, tomato confit, straciatella and pine nuts) and Four Lemons (lemon cooked four ways).

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AVE Pizza Romana

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Neapolitan style pizza has conquered Paris, but one style that is close to my heart that is lacking is Roman style pizza. Thinner and far more crispy than their neapolitan counterpart, the only place in Paris making them just like in Rome is Ave Pizza Romana. The pizzas are so thin here that they are far bigger than the plate, so scissors are provided to cut them more easily. Get the carbonella (guanciale, pecorino, egg yolk and pepper) to go full Roman, or go for the spicy zucca (courgette cream, mozzarella, fennel sausage and pecorino) for my personal favourite.

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OOBATZ

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One of the more recent additions to the Parisian pizza scene, Oobatz (Italian American slang for crazy) has made quite the impression. Dan Pearson, who initially showcased his work by making pizzas in a pop-up the Rigmarole while their owners took some time off, now has his own space to showcase his mastery of his craft. The base of his pizza is light and crispy, made with sourdough, and charred to perfection. Where you can tell Dan has a chef's way of doing things is with his toppings. The margherita here is outstanding, but I really think it is worth it to go for the more elaborate creations, which change on a daily basis. Some of my favourites in the times I've been lucky to eat there have been a courgette pizza, oxtail ragù, and amatriciana.

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Jay's Pizza

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For a long time, it wasn't the easiest task to find good quality New-York style pizza in Paris, but in 2024 things have been going in the right direction. Out of all the new slice joints that opened at the start of 2024, Jay's Pizza was by far the best. The others just seemed to serve oversized Neapolitan pizzas, whereas Jay's nailed the texture, toppings and the vibe of everything they do. Don't hesitate to come here if you like thin, crispy and perfectly executed pizzas to transport you to New-York for a few minutes.

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