This small plates restaurant not far from République boasts a Japanese-accented assortment of dishes from French-American chef Robert Compagnon. Handmade pastas and yakitori are must-try items on the tasting menu. Ask for seat at the bar to see the binchotan grill at work. The team here easily caters to more (or less!) adventurous diners, with offerings like chicken sashimi and offal skewers. Co-owner Jessica Yang is the Taiwanese-American pastry chef behind the delectable desserts – save room.
When you arrive in Paris you'll need to convert your foreign vaccination card into a French health pass if you want to visit restaurants, museums and other attractions. Here's how to do it.
Our guide to where you can eat this August, when a fair number of restaurants are closed for summer holidays.
Vaccinated Americans, Canadians, and Brits are allowed into France from June 9 with a PCR or antigen test. Unvaccinated travelers from these countries have to jump through a lot of hoops. Australians, New Zealanders and other travelers from “green” countries with very low COVID rates face no restrictions in entering France or crossing EU borders.
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his plan for the phased reopening of Paris between now and the end of June, and we're looking forward to the return of our food tours this summer in Paris.
La Poule au Pot is a looker. It's wonderful to walk in and witness the vintage wallpaper, the globe lighting, and the silver-plated serving chariot wheeling between Pepto-Bismol colored tables. It is at once a little elegant and also a touch cheesy. One can almost picture the 80s pop stars who used to slouch into these red banquettes, the mirrored pillars reflecting their manliner and sprayed hair. Today's Poule au Pot, having been recently rebooted by star chef Jean-François Piège, reflects something different - a desire for traditional cuisine bourgeouise and also the willingness (by some) to pay for it.
French food magazine Fulgurances opened L’Adresse in 2015 as a culinary incubator featuring a rotating cast of guest chefs.
Well-sourced products plus unlikely Japanese touches put Breizh Café head and shoulders above most crêperies.
At the impossibly young age of 24, Arnaud Nicolas achieved one of the highest honors in gastronomy – the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) – for his talent in charcuterie. Fourteen years later, he opened an ambitious shop and restaurant near the Eiffel Tower with the explicit goal of returning charcuterie to a place of honor on the French table. In the same way that prize-winning artisans have reshaped traditional baguette-making and pâtisserie, Nicolas wants to reintroduce charcuterie to palates that have become used to mediocre industrialized examples. So is it really that different? Yes.
Torchon? Mi-cuit? Here's the low-down on the fatty lobe that's featured on so many holiday tables.
Le Villaret is one of our favorite Classic Bistros in Paris. Sometimes in life we chase after the ones who play hard-to-get and we ignore the nice, stable options who just want to treat us right. Le Villaret is the homely neighborhood bistro that I never appreciated until I stopped looking for love at Le Baratin and Le Repaire de Cartouche.
Food and wine pilgrims, particularly those who read the New York Times or watch Anthony Bourdain, are willing to climb the hill for this Belleville institution. Raquel Carena tends the fire, offering her own personal brand of bistro cooking - sometimes delicate, sometimes hearty, always heartfelt. In stark contrast to the loving kitchen, the dining room is cold as ice, thanks to the joyless leadership of Carena's husband Philippe.
We're falling more in love with Tomy & Co. with each visit, and have elevated this to our #1 favorite Paris restaurant for modern & creative cuisine. Chef Tomy Gousset’s cuisine is thrillingly modern, and he's a master of using herbs, acidity and texture to elevate sometimes humble ingredients like beef tongue or tête de veau.
Chef Philippe Damas is showcasing the season's best ingredients (porcinis, partridges) at this this bistro near the Canal Saint-Martin.
This simple bistro has for years been a favorite among wine lovers, who arrive hoping to plumb the depths of Rodolphe Paquin’s cellar. Whether you taste something from the carte, or persuade Paquin to share an off-list treasure from his cave, wine is undoubtedly the highlight of any experience here. Paquin’s terrines are also extraordinary. He’s written a book about the subject and sells them whole in ceramic crocks to go. In autumn and winter, this is the place to go for wild game. Everything else here is pretty average, except for the service, which is atrocious. Two different tables stormed out during my most recent visit. What saves the experience for some is the joyful welcome from Paquin, the affable host (some ladies might say too affable) who greats regulars like long lost friends. Since I’ve been coming for years, I get a squeeze and a smile but still suffer through the terrible service… no one is safe. Visitors to Paris who can’t cite a winemaker connection or who haven’t yet been introduced will most likely be ignored and wondering why we’ve included this on our site. We’ve included it to reclassify Le Repaire de Cartouche as a great place to sit at the bar without reservations, order wine with a slab of terrine, and wait for your table to open up at Au Passage. It’s still great fun as a wine bar, even if it can no longer deliver as a restaurant.With its worn wooden tables, intricately painted ceilings, and charcuterie slicer propped on the marble counter, L'Assiette has the precise look of a dream Paris bistro. It also serves many of the classic dishes, like escargots and cassoulet, which have mostly disappeared from the city's restaurants. The far-flung location in the 14th arrondissement, near the Catacombs but far from the center, has probably helped L'Assiette to stay off the tourist radar. Chef David Rathgeber and his team are friendly with visitors but don't cater to them. The customers who come to indulge in this hearty fare are mostly local, which makes this a great option for tourists looking to avoid their own countrymen.
The many fans of Café Oberkampf will rejoice at the opening of a sister restaurant with longer hours and online reservations. With its light and airy interior, friendly staff, and an addictive breakfast roll, Café Méricourt is currently our #1 favorite place for breakfast or brunch in Paris.
Address: 7 rue d’Aguesseau, 75008
Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner. Closed Saturday & Sunday.
Telephone: +33 1 53 05 00 00
Book Online / Website / Instagram
Le Grand Restaurant in Photos
In Other Words
Le Figaro (2015) “Le plat à ne pas laisser filer: homard bleu de Bretagne en feuille de figuier, mûres épicées, foie gras au poivre sauvage, pur instant de mijoté réinventé.”
Simon Says (2015) “En fait, si l’on a bien compris, Jean François Piège semble vouloir siffler la fin d’une mi temps où les chefs faisaient un peu n’importe quoi (voir ailleurs s’ils y étaient). Il est en cuisine avec ses coéquipiers (chacun à sa place), fait une cuisine franche, lisible et distincte. C’est du premier degré (ouf!). Avec un élément nouveau: la sincérité. “
The Bistrot Paul Bert boasts one of the most charming dining rooms and patrons in town, appearing to first-time visitors like the Paris bistro of their dreams.
Where can you find a great baguette in Paris? Below we’ve listed and mapped the bakeries who have placed among the top ten winners in the city’s annual competition to determine La Meilleure Baguette de Paris. Look for the bakery that’s nearest to you, or focus your efforts on those who have finished first – we’ve indicated the Grand Prix winners with a heart.
Practical information
Address: 3 rue Richer, 75009
Nearest transport: Cadet (7), Grands Boulevards (8, 9)
Hours: Closed Saturday and Sunday; Open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner
Reservations: Book a few days in advance
Telephone: 01 47 70 67 31
Website Facebook Book Online
L’Office in photos
What people are saying
Have you been? Leave your own opinion about L’Office in the comments!
John Talbott (2014) “The newest chef, Konrad Ceglowski, is a master of protein with fruit and veggies… seduced, successfully, by the sauteed calamari with a creamy fennel sauce, zucchini and squid ink. It was superb, no other word for it.”
Figaroscope (2011) “De jolies surprises dans des formules à prix doux : velouté de coco et lardo di Colonnata pour l’onctuosité, mariage détonnant de poulpe, os à moelle et citron, poulet tendre parfaitement rôti, girolles et panais. Une belle maîtrise qui s’affiche jusqu’au dessert…”
Alexander Lobrano (2011) “I was impressed by [former chef] O’Donnell’s technically impeccable and very personal Italian accented bistro cooking…This is a terrific little restaurant, though—and also an excellent buy for the money.”
John Talbott (2011) “…superbly priced lunch menus…the pork belly with tomato, egg and rocket and…the pulpo with bone marrow and lemon…were tasty, very tasty.”
Table à Décourvert (2011) “un style entre les irrésistibles tables du moment (Septime, Frenchie, Autour d’un Verre) et le bon vieil Office que l’on aimait…Allez-y!”
Address: 52 rue de Richelieu, 75001
Hours: Open Monday-Friday for dinner only. Closed Saturday & Sunday.
Telephone: +33 1 42 97 54 40
Website / Book Online / Facebook / Instagram
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Verjus is currently closed.
Our Most Recent Visit
I never tire of returning to Verjus, which has one of the most creative and affordable modern tasting menus in town. Chef Braden Perkins is self-taught, disciplined and obsessive. He makes time time for travel in order to take inspiration from chefs around the world, returning home to refine and personalize their best ideas. When he wasn’t happy with the produce available from local sources, he partnered with other chefs to cultivate a more direct network from farms in Normandy. The result of all this is a tasting menu that mixes a modest amount of meat or fish with some of the best vegetable creations I’ve ever tasted. Six very small dishes (snacks) are followed by homemade bread and butter, three more substantial dishes, and dessert for 78€. Perkins’ partner Laura Adrian has put together an incredible wine list that is heavy with organic and biodynamic producers, and her wine pairings for the tasting menu (55€) are spot on. On a practical note, there’s a private room that can be booked for 8-12 people, and the kitchen is known to accommodate a wide range of dietary issues with advance notice.
Address: 34 rue de Richelieu, 75001
Hours: Open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday.
Telephone: +33 1 42 60 59 66
Website / Book Online / Facebook / Instagram
Our Most Recent Visit
Following their success with Verjus, where the more elaborate formula of dégustation + wine pairings has drawn a loyal following of happy locals and visiting celebrities, Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian have decided to open something more casual. Let’s call it “serious casual” because at Ellsworth (named for Perkins’ grandfather), foods that you might see at a county fair are elevated through careful sourcing and a sincere spirit of DIY. The fried chicken from Verjus Bar à Vins has moved over to Ellsworth, leaving the former as more of a place for drinks and snacks before or after dinner at Verjus.
David Toutain, who brought acclaim to Agapé Substance before jumping ship back in December 2012, returned to the Paris scene with this signature restaurant in 2013. His meticulous and conceptual cooking highlights seasonal produce, with vegetables often playing the starring role. This is by no means a vegetarian restaurant, but Toutain's ability to bring out the beauty in oft-ignored roots reminds us of his former boss Alain Passard.
If you want a taste of Gregory Marchand's cooking without the challenge of scoring a reservation at Frenchie, this is where to go.
Address: 5 Rue du Nil, 75002
Hours: Open Monday-Friday for dinner. Open Thursday & Friday for lunch.
Telephone: +33 1 40 39 96 19
Book Online / Website / Facebook / Instagram
COVID-19 UPDATE:
During lockdown, Frenchie launched Frenchie to Go, a takeaway delivery service that it maintains following lockdown easing Tuesday-Saturday. Order the three- or four-course menus (complete with vegetarian options) online. Frenchie is also now open to dine-in; reserve online. It boasts a few tables on the pedestrianized rue du Nil available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Haven't sorted out your Thanksgiving holiday plans yet? No need to freak out. We've rounded up a few resources to help our American readers, as well as any locals who'll be sharing the table this year.
Address: 32, rue Vertbois, 75003
Hours: Open Wednesday-Sunday for lunch & dinner. Closed Monday & Tuesday.
Telephone: +33 1 48 87 77 48
No website, no online booking, no Facebook, no Instagram
Address: 8, rue Messonier, 75017
Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner. Closed Saturday & Sunday.
Telephone: +33 1 56 79 81 88
Website / Facebook / Instagram
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Papillon has reopened.
Papillon in Photos
Photos by Meg Zimbeck © Paris by Mouth
In Other Words
John Talbott (2016) “The best/most innovative meal I’ve had in 3 weeks.”
Les Grands Ducs (2016) “La carte est courte, c’est le moins que l’on puisse dire, et le menu déjeuner (choix imposé), à 36 €, une toute relative bonne affaire. Mais le talent est là. Car côté cuisine, ce papillon ne manque pas de couleurs. Ni de vivacité. L’influence des années Ducasse y est bien présente, dans une forme de simplicité et de vérité rendue au produit dont les saveurs sont présentées sans artifice inutile… Seuls gros bémols, un niveau sonore beaucoup trop bruyant et un service en surnombre et pourtant débordé.”
Mensae is a contemporary French bistro not far from the sprawling Buttes-Chaumont park. Classics like frogs' legs and steak tartare are frequently featured on the ever-changing menu, revisited with a contemporary bent and more reasonable portion size than the behemoths found in other restaurants. Don't miss the chocolate mousse for dessert.
This was true for food blogger Adam Goldberg, who wrote a scathing report of his first meal at L’Ambroisie. After returning more than twenty times, however, he declared “I am now certain that this is the finest French restaurant in the world.”
Until now, I’ve had a hard time answering this question. I know well the landscape of the city’s classic bistros, modern French restaurants, and food-loving wine bars, but this class of two- and three-star tables is a different terrain entirely. There’s an obvious barrier to understanding these restaurants: the staggering, outrageous, almost immoral price of a meal. Prior to this project, in which I anonymously tested every three-star restaurant in Paris over a period of twelve weeks, I had only visited a handful.
Address: 1 bis passage de Saint Sébastien, 75011
Hours: Open Monday-Saturday for dinner. Closed Sunday.
Telephone: +33 1 43 55 07 52
Book Online / Website / Facebook / Instagram
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Au Passage has reopened with a temporary terrace across the way.
Our Most Recent Visit
It’s so nice when a restaurant delivers more than they need to, more than you expect to receive. When looking at a chalkboard menu filled with cheap small plates, one rarely hopes for anything more than simple products. But here at Au Passage, your 8€ octopus dish has undergone three days of preparation. There’s a quiet ethos at work beneath the blaring bustle of the dining room: staples are homemade (butter, bread, stock, charcuterie), vegetables and fish receive priority attention, and meat is served in a nose-to-tail spirit with every last offaly bit turning up on the menu. So much heart and creativity for so little money. Au Passage is not for everyone, nor is it trying to be. If the loud music, frenzied service, and worn-out interior turn some people away, that leaves more space for me.
This historic three-star restaurant is perched in a pavilion just off the Champs-Elysées and has been a dining destination since the French Revolution. Long-time chef Christian Le Squer handed the reigns to Yannick Alleno in July 2014, and Alleno has promised a renewed focus on what he considers to be the great strength of French cuisine – sauces.
The real specialty at this classic, luxe shop is Armagnac, with vintages dating back to 1868. Don't know the first thing about Armagnac? Just ask, and one of the friendly staff will pour you a taste. The back room houses an impressive collection of first growth Bordeaux (Margaux, Latour) and Chateau d'Yquem, and R-D bottles their own lines of port and Scotch, too.
Warm, welcoming and well-priced. This bistro from Christian Etchebest follows the model of his other cantines, La Cantine du Troquet and La Cantine du Troquet Dupleix.
Our recommendations for titles that you can cook from and book from this summer in France.
Semilla is a very useful restaurant: it’s open every day, and it’s large enough that you can usually book a table on the same day (walking in without a reservation is a riskier proposition). The menu is large enough to make most people happy, including vegetarians. The wine list, including a lengthy selection available by the glass, is well-priced and always full of wines I want to drink. The generous air-conditioning has saved more than one sweaty summer night. The staff, led by jovial owners Juan Sanchez and Drew Harré are kind and professional. However, to focus only on these practical matters is to ignore the delightful fact that food here is really, really good. One winter evening, I tasted four different dishes based on a biche (deer) brought in by hunters. Last week during the heat wave I swooned for bright green beans with nectarines, and many other dishes tailored made for summer ingredients and sweltering temperatures. Rarely does a restaurant respond so well to both the season and the needs of their customers. For that reason, I find coming back year after year.
The Latin Quarter gets a bad rap from those who only know the tourist-clogged rues de la Huchette or Pot de Fer. If you haven’t been back in a few years, you’ve missed the food and wine renaissance that’s taken place amid the Roman and Medieval monuments.
In case you missed his much-discussed lament in the New York Times, Thomas Chatterton Williams is upset that Hipsters Ruined Paris. More specifically, he’s annoyed by the proliferation of “burrata salad” at the expense of hostess bars in South Pigalle. He warns us against the anesthetizing effects of steel-cut oats and worries that there isn’t room for both kale and human trafficking in the neighborhood to which he moved two years ago. From Brooklyn, of course.
In nine years of dining in Paris and writing about its restaurants, this was the worst service I have ever experienced. It was shockingly, almost comically bad.
It's truffle season in Paris, and the knobby tubers are turning up on restaurant menus all over town. Many people, however, don't know their Alba from their elbow, and can't understand why a kilo of fungus might sell for thousands of euros. Are are some basics, with a little help from truffle maven Patricia Wells.
Our coverage of the (largely uncovered) 2011 Salon du Chocolat, including the all-chocolate lingerie show.
Gail Simmons recently returned to Paris for the first time in a decade and (helped in part by your Twitter suggestions) ate her way through the city. She named the sweetbreads at Spring and Frenchie's cod with smoked eggplant as two of her favorite Paris tastes. But what else did she put in her mouth?
Meg Zimbeck is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Paris by Mouth.
Beyond the content on this site, she writes about food in Paris for the Wall Street Journal. In the past, she has served as the Paris editor for both Budget Travel and BlackBook and has contributed to Food & Wine, SAVEUR, AFAR, Gridskipper, the BBC’s Olive
magazine, and the seat-pocket magazines of United, Virgin Trains, and Gulf Air. She also hosted a program on Paris Street Eats for the Travel Channel (USA). Meg’s food photography has been featured in