Bernard Pacaud’s 43-year tenure ended in 2025, but L’Ambroisie’s classic menu endures under new chef Shintaro Awa. Expect impeccable technique, luxury ingredients, and prices to match at this three-Michelin-star institution in Place des Vosges.
A very useful Marais restaurant, with continuous service every day of the week between 7am-2am, a lot of vegetarian options, and even a kids’ menu.
Fabula is an ephemeral restaurant inside the courtyard at the Musée Carnavalet that operates from May through September. This Marais museum about the history of Paris is worth a visit anyway, and now you can have dinner inside their stunning 16th century courtyard. Chef Julien Dumas (Le Saint-James) and mixologist Remy Sauvage (L’Artésian in London) have composed a menu of cold plates and chilly cocktails that are perfect for those hot summer evenings when you don’t want to eat too… Read More »Fabula
Bofinger is a beautiful old brasserie in the Marais that serves Alsatian dishes like choucroute and flammekueche. A lot of people have special memories tied to Bofinger, and I don’t want to talk them out of their attachments. But Bofinger (pronounced bo-fan-zhay) is not a destination for food lovers. The space is enormous, which makes it easy to get in without a reservation at the last minute. But their size is the restaurant’s downfall. It’s hard to flag a server… Read More »Bofinger
Le Trumilou is the sort of unfussy basic bistro that we want to love. Situated along the Seine and with plenty of space to welcome groups and last minute bookings, this would be an affordable gem if the food were edible. In our experience, it isn’t.
Open since 1912, this picture-postcard Paris bistro serves elevated and expensive French classics.
I really wanted to like this shoebox sized restaurant in the Marais. They seem sincere, but my single visit was a disaster. Their server couldn’t handle the small number of tables crammed between the stone walls. We spent an excruciatingly long time without anything to drink and between every course. The Japanese inflected dishes, when they arrived, were either confused or forgettable. I brought a friend for her one big meal in Paris and felt so sorry afterwards. ILÔ 6… Read More »Ilô
Grande Brasserie has a lot of things going for it. The vintage décor, in the space that used to be Le Petit Bofinger, is gorgeous. Light streams in through the large windows, and the walls are adorned beautiful old murals and posters. Owner Adrien Spanu has a lot of restaurant friends who helped him put together one of the best wine lists in Paris (hint: it looks a lot like the ones you’ll find at Semilla and Fish). It’s centrally… Read More »Grande Brasserie
The Bistrot des Tournelles opened in 2022 and was named “Best Bistro of 2023” by Le Fooding. They’re not the only ones who raved – I know plenty of people who loved their experience here. I found it to be pretty good, but certainly not the best of the year. Classic desserts like crème brûlée, tarte Tatin and chocolate mousse were delicious. Salmon gravlax and oeufs mayo starters were “correct” and tasty. Two dishes were downright bad – the croque… Read More »Bistrot des Tournelles
Capitaine is a modern bistro tucked into a quiet Marais street just south of the Place des Vosges. The decor is pure (Brittany?) bistro, with bare wooden tables, moleskine banquettes, and assorted maritime kitsch. The menu appears at first glance to match this bistro vibe, but look closely: duck breast is dotted with prik pao sauce, raw oysters are garnished with shredded carrot, chile and peanuts, and fraise de veau (an intestinal membrane) carries the flavors of mapo tofu.
Cheap, messy and seemingly obligatory. The line-averse should probably avoid it on a Sunday afternoon.
