Paris Life : Eating out in Paris
French cuisine is divine while Paris itself has the reputation of being a city of romance and whimsy. The reality of Paris is much harsher than that, but once you temper expectations, you too can connect to the true magic behind this historical city that combines old world and new world sensibilities.
Eating out in Paris.
French cuisine is divine while Paris itself has the reputation of being a city of romance and whimsy. The reality of Paris is much harsher than that, but once you temper expectations, you too can connect to the true magic behind this historical city that combines old world and new world sensibilities.
We’ve broken down this guide to different cuisines and meals. The headers are there to help you skip to the type of restaurant or diner you wish to go. Google Maps can further assist you with the addresses.
Where to Drink and Eat in Paris with French Cuisine.
Let’s start with French cuisine. When eating and drinking out in Paris, we should start with French cuisine first because sampling local dishes at their specific locality truly is par for the course. You should specifically eat classic French dishes.
We recommend things like a simple cheese omelet, confit de canard, cassoulet, or even boeuf bourguignon at the perfect dishes during these cold holiday months.
If you wish to get more value from your investment, get reasonably priced lunch menus instead of the more expensive dinner menus at all the popular Paris restaurants. Another tip is to order off of the chalkboard menu to get the best dishes that uses the best ingredients and freshest produce.
The locals eat at a seasonal rate, so don’t expect something off-season on the menu. Do what the French do and eat seasonally with them. Go to places like Les Editeurs Café on the Parisian left bank or even the La Fontaine de Mars.
In one of the main streets, you could get terrific French onion soup at Au Petit Fer à Cheval. This cozy restaurant doesn’t have a lot of tables to spare, so brace yourself. There’s also Chez Janou, which is renowned for its chocolate mousse.
Across the street, there’s the La Bell Hortense wine bar that doubles as a bookstore (only in France). It’s a good place for white wine or French red wine. There’s a variety of wines to choose from that you can order through the chalkboard menu.
Where to Find the Best Classic Bistros in Paris.
Another thing to look out for in Paris are bistros galore. Feel like a true-blue Parisian by checking out the different bistros in the city. They’re quite chic in their own right with their big lights, tiled floors, and tiny banquettes.
They’re part of the ideal vision of Paris, in fact. If you’re headed to the city for the first time ever, you can have a taste beloved by Parisians everywhere by trying out a bistro or two.
Book one of these touristy spots and take a nice break there. Our recommendations include Chaz Fernand and its fresh ingredients, chalkboard menu, and checked tablecloths that give it the picnic feel.
Where to Drink the Best Coffee in Paris.
Surprisingly recently, the rich coffee culture of Paris has evolved to even greater heights of culture and complexity in the last 10 years (including the pandemic years, yes). There are still the traditional Parisian coffee places at any number of craft coffee, restaurant, or café locations.
However, craft coffee has become the trending topic of Parisian coffee culture. Paris coffee shops are riding this new trend, and you should feel free to ride along with them.
Some roasters are based in Paris while others come all the way from Australia. Both types offer fabulous if different tastes to the palate. Which one do you prefer? It’s up to you. You have to taste both and make up your own mind.
With that said, if you’re searching for coffee with milk or café au lait, just order a latte or café crème.
Where to Find the Best Pastries and Cakes in Paris.
If you’re a vacationer with a sweet tooth, we recommend going to Pierre Hermé for their macarons. Its chef is a divine pastry chef extraordinaire. You can also go to Ladurée as an alternative. Many Parisians prefer taking a coffee with their macrons on their way to places like the Luxembourg Gardens.
There’s also the Stroher Patisserie in Paris, which is the oldest patisserie in the city that’s still in business. Stop by for an éclair or two as well as some Paris Breast to know the secret to its longevity.
You can also indulge in sablé cookies and the most gorgeous of cakes on the Rue de Bretagne’s beloved Bontemps Pâtisserie Paris. The cookies are exemplary and nothing like what you’d normally buy with preservatives at the grocery. They’re an instant hit for pick-up as gifts from visiting guests.
For our recommendation for the best lemon tarts in Paris, you won’t go wrong with Sébastien Gaudard and their lemon tarts.
Where to Get the Best Croissant in Paris.
It’s a bit tougher trying to figure out what’s the best croissant in Paris seeing that it’s one of the specialty pastries associated with the Parisian identity or even French culture at large.
Our fave at the very least include 28 Beaumarchais at the Marais, which offers buttery pastries, prior to our early morning strolls at Place des Vosges. Corner boulangeries galore will usually be every Parisian’s favorite croissant place.
You don’t have to travel far and wide to get your daily baked goods and breads. It’s as much of a convenience deal as it is deliciousness.
However, while visiting the City of Romance, it’s worth it to make a journey out of finding some of the best croissants that Paris has to offer, our personal favorites aside.
Where to Drink the Best Chocolate in Paris.
Angelina Café is our recommended place for delicious Parisian hot chocolate. It has the ambiance for sure thanks to its excellent placement in the city. Many children make a beeline towards it for their world-famous hot choco as well.
Fair warning—compared to the “watered down” hot chocolate of the United States, you’ll get it there at a lot thicker and even hotter.
Angelina Café is our recommended place for delicious Parisian hot chocolate. It has the ambiance for sure thanks to its excellent placement in the city. Many children make a beeline towards it for their world-famous hot choco as well.
Fair warning—compared to the “watered down” hot chocolate of the United States, you’ll get it there at a lot thicker and even hotter.
You can enjoy some hot choco in the dining room of the Tuileries, which is just a short walk across from Angelina. For Parisians, the chocolate makes them feel as right as rain.
Plaq is another well-known and charming spot for hot choco. It’s located on a side street, and you can purchase chocolate bars along with the chocolate drink. It’s one of the most delicious bean-to-bar choco shops in Paris.
Where to Get the Best Falafel in Paris.
Street foods are also mouthwatering in Paris, and one of the best purveyors of such delicacie include the L’As du Fallafel. How popular is the falafel at L’As du Fallafel? We’ve witnessed waiting for our order through a 50-people-long line, it’s so good!
Another Parisian falafel alternative is Mznon, which is more of a local spot. There’s also the falafel place at the 9th arrondissement you could check out. There’s not much bad that can be said about falafels—they’re a mouthful of culture and heavenly delight!
Where to Get the Best Breakfast in Paris.
You can keep breakfast simple in Paris by staying at your apartment and running to a local boulangerie for a croissant or baguette. However, what if you’re eating out? Where should one eat breakfast in Paris as an everyday Parisian?
It’ll cost you from 10 to 15 Euros to have breakfast at a local café depending on whether you stick to a traditional breakfast or add meat and eggs to it to turn it into a heartier meal.
Then again, that traditional breakfast will certainly save you money compared to a hotel breakfast depending on which hotel you’re staying at, but that’s to be expected.
What’s a Typical French Breakfast?
A typical breakfast in Paris is composed of a pastry, coffee, and/or tartine (some sort of spread). In other words, it’s a baguette plus butter and jam plus coffee to wash it all down.
Extensive breakfast sets will usually have you getting the same breakfast but with the additional yogurt or eggs. Therefore, it’s not exactly a Continental Breakfast or a Full English Breakfast.
Where Can You Get Quality French Breakfast Sets?
At the Bon Bouquet Café, you can join the line for one of the most famous brunch destinations in Paris or grab a takeaway coffee if you’re in a rush. It’s the best for a weekday brunch date if you have it scheduled because it’s not something to go on a whim during the weekend.
It’s not quite your average French brunch and will give you flavors of Bali with a Parisian touch. You’ll get your fill of Instagram-friendly granola, pancakes, and avocado toasts.
If you want to have croissants and coffee in style, go to Bistro Vivienne. It’s also recommended for their drink selection. It’s located smartly near Palais Royal, which makes it a dream to go to because it’s a stroll away through Gallerie de Viviennne.
Meanwhile, at Place des Vosges, there’s the beautiful tea room and restaurant known as Carette. It offers food and pastries galore. For the best views of the city, reserve a table on the covered terrace.
As for Café Camille, it’s a spot many Parisians regularly see in their daily trek to work that certainly blends with the rest of the architecture. It’s the type of café you’d want to stop for breakfast there on a sunny day in Paris. You’ll be treated with croissants, tartine with jam, and butter with café crème.
This traditional bistro offers the large café Richards cup instead of craft coffee, as expected. You can walk up and grab a table if you’re having breakfast but you’ll have to get reservations for dinner.
Another great Parisian breakfast place is Café St Regis. Their main claims to fame is their offerings of waffles, pancakes, and eggs as well as their location that gives you a magnificent view of Notre Dame.
You want an unforgettable Parisian breakfast experience? Order the Bourbon pancakes at Hollybelly. We’ve had many tourists and vacationers to Paris thank us for that recommendation every time. The line is long on weekends though. Visit them when they’re opening shop or try during a weekday!
Finally, another breakfast hidden gem is La Pain Retrove. This Parisian Bakery, we came across during our Montmartre trek. Everyone tried different pastries and we were all satisfied with every bite. Their brioche is out of this world!
Where to Eat the Best Lunch in Paris.
If you want Happy Hour during any day of the week, go to Café Charlot at Marais. However, its real value is its menu for brunch and lunch. It has a great ambiance for your people-watching needs and for Sunday Brunchtime.
Meanwhile, Breizh is the brunch restaurant of choice for sweet and savory crêpes. It offers outdoor seating with its new Odeon location but for those who prefer the original site at Marais, it’s still available.
As for Bistro Rougemont, it’s a highly acclaimed Parisian lunch spot with a petit menu but a lot of rotating items from a world-renowned chef. We highly recommend the butternut, pumpkin soup, and tuna. It has reasonable pricing, portion sizes, and quality across the board.
You can get sandwiches to go or dine on the terrace of swanky Carette. You can even have a picnic in Tuileries or Place des Vosges nearby if you so choose.
Last but not least is Café Mademoiselle. This whimsical luncheon site can get tables for anyone on short notice. They have outdoor tables that look gorgeous during autumn. Their meals are also simply divine, full of French favorites.
If you want fresh, delicious, and affordable lunches and brunches in bunches, you won’t go wrong with Café Mademoiselle and its great selection of dishes as well as wine collection. Their staff is also extra friendly to boot.
That’s How to Eat like a Local in Paris.
To eat like a local in Paris, you should know where all the best restaurants in Paris are. You should also be aware which ones are found off-the-beaten-path so that you’re not just following fellow tourists to the most popular restaurants in town.
You want to find the hidden gems of romantic Paris so that you’re not just eating at all the same restaurants year in and year out.
French food is only part of the offerings of Paris. This article therefore serves as a complete guide to some of the best spots in the city to eat out. It’s an international smorgasbord of culinary delights to choose from.
