With its chili jam-slathered sandwiches and extra-salty chocolate cookies, Gramme could easily be found in London or Brooklyn. But Gramme shouldn’t be dismissed as a watery import – the food is excellent, and the vibe is very local. Their signature dwich (this is how Parisians now refer to sandwiches) is the sort of thing I want to eat every weekend – a runny egg with herbs, chili jam, copious herbs, and either sausage or charred broccolini on a fresh brioche… Read More »Gramme
I’m a fan of the food + vibe at Café les Deux Gares, so it’s not shocking that I also love the food + vibe at this new offering from Frédéric Lesire and Jonathan Schweizer. The duo behind Café les Deux Gares have branched out into the 11th with a natural wine bar serving small, sharable plates. What sets Le Goncourt apart from many similar establishments in the ‘hood is the quality of the cooking and the near-astonishing level of… Read More »Le Goncourt
Géosmine is a new restaurant from chef Maxime Bouttier, who was previously cooking at the Belleville bistro Mensae. This new perch, in the heart of Oberkampf and occupying the old Botanique space, is beautifully raw. It’s a fitting setting for Bouttier’s provocative cooking, served à la carte at lunch and in tasting menu format at dinner. We’ll be publishing a full review soon, and plan to include Géosmine among our 50 Favorite Restaurants for Fall. GÉOSMINE 71 Rue de la… Read More »Géosmine
Kubri is the latest Levantine restaurant to capture the hearts and bellies of Parisians. In a bright and colorful space that used to house the dark and delicious Pas de Loup, Kubri is serving the most exciting Lebanese food I’ve tasted in Paris. With three different kinds of hummus, a selection of small plates that include many vegetarian and vegan options, and family-style platters of short-ribs, there’s something here for everyone. KUBRI 108 Rue Amelot, 75011Open Tuesday to Saturday for… Read More »Kubri
Le Saint-Sébastien is known for its handmade charcuterie, vegetable-driven (but not vegetarian) cooking, and desserts with a savory spin. The 400-reference-strong wine list and impeccable service make this neighborhood restaurant one worth crossing the city for. Now helmed by chef Christopher Edwards, the menu features plenty of peak-season produce, line-caught fish and an incredible selection of white wine and craft beer for sipping on the sidewalk terrace. Recommended for Great Vegetarian Food in Paris. Le Saint-Sebastién has been included our favorite… Read More »Le Saint-Sébastien
One of the the best contemporary tasting menus in Paris, and still one of the most difficult reservation to get.
Chef Sota Atsumi, who made his name at Clown Bar, is now making magic at Maison. He still occasionally recreates the pithiviers (the dish pictured above) that made him famous, but that’s not why you should go to Maison. Go for a long lunch – Sunday lunch if you can swing it – and spend a few gorgeous hours relaxing in the sunlit room, smelling the woodsmoke and delighting in his incredibly thoughtful tasting menu. We prefer lunch to dinner and… Read More »Maison
Since Le Chateaubriand opened in 2006, we’ve watched it transform the city’s dining scene and seen it rise and fall in the World’s 50 Best rankings. We returned recently and were delighted to find that it’s still one of our top picks for a casual (not fine dining) tasting menu in Paris. We recommend it for diners who are on the more adventurous side – those who enjoy natural wine and an unfussy, frenetic dining room. Le Chateaubriand may no longer have the… Read More »Le Chateaubriand
This restaurant has gone through plenty of changes since James Henry and the letter B departed (it used to be called Bones), but Jones is currently having a moment. Owner Florent Ciccoli recently partnered with longtime Jones sommelier Damien Lacour and the talented Abbruzzese chef Riccardo Ferrante, sparking a renaissance at this storied address. The dining room is now packed, with (mostly) locals flocking to taste Ferrante’s small plates and pastas. They’re also there to drink from Lacour’s “long wine list that… Read More »Jones
Robert is a small restaurant in the 11th that has had multiple chefs since opening in 2018. Following Peter Orr and Daniel Morgan, Jack Bosco is now running the kitchen and serving a menu that’s much more focused on meat and fish than his predecessor. The produce is still sourced from the restaurant’s own gardens in the Loire valley, but Robert is no longer a “haven for vegetarians,” as we described it when Daniel Morgan was the chef. Robert is not included… Read More »Robert restaurant
This small and charming restaurant in the 11th is a great stop for lunch after exploring the nearby Marché Aligre. So many people agree that you’ll need to book a month six weeks in advance. It’s been seven years since Omar Koreitem and Moko Hirayama opened Mokonuts, and they only recently started accepting reservations. Book a table and delight in their dishes that seamlessly blend influences from France, Koreitem’s native Lebanon and Hirayama’s native Japan. If you can’t get a reservation, go… Read More »Mokonuts
Mokoloco is the second address from Omar Koreitem and Moko Hirayama who run the nearby restaurant Mokonuts. Mokoloco is a kitchen where visiting chefs are invited to shine. Some stay for a short residency, and some stick around for upwards of nine months. Some use this as a launch pad before opening their own place, like Erica Paredes who later opened Reyna. The style of cuisine depends on who’s cooking, but you can expect it to be anything but French.… Read More »Mokoloco
L’Ecailler du Bistrot is the sister restaurant next door to Le Bistrot Paul Bert, and their oysters come from owner Gwen Cadoret’s family of “sea farmers.” Their menu is a little pricey, as good seafood restaurants tend to be, but this is a great place to share a massive sole meunière (78€ for 2) or spaghetti with lobster (40€) or a dozen oysters (38€ for three kinds). They also have an affordable lunch special with two courses for 20€ and… Read More »L’Ecailler du Bistrot
Clamato is a seafood-focused small plates restaurant from Bertrand Grébaut of Septime. Expect pristine marinated fish, platters of oysters, silky crab fritters (accrabes), and maple syrup pie for dessert. Wines are natural and well-selected, just like at Septime.
Chef Erica Parades opened this brick and mortar spot in 2022 after a stretch spent organizing pop-ups for her Filipino fusion cuisine. You’ll find fried chicken and what Emily Monaco described as the ultimate umami bomb – a dish of grilled hispi cabbage topped with sesame and gochujang-spiced mayonnaise and studded with bottarga shards.
We haven’t yet visited this location, but they’re part of the Nouvelle Garde group that includes Brasserie Dubillot and Brasserie Bellanger, which we recommend for affordable classic French food. Brasserie Martin is open every day, even in August. BRASSERIE MARTIN 24 Rue Saint-Ambroise, 75011Open every day from 9am to midnightReservations online or at +33 1 48 05 34 36 Their Instagram / Our Instagram
Denizens of eastern Paris feel lucky to live near Chanceux, an all-day café, restaurant, wine shop and épicerie that opened last year near the utterly charming Square Gardette. For breakfast you can get a fresh baguette with butter and homemade jam for 5 euros, or a wonderful plate with ham, Cantal cheese, a soft-boiled egg and toasts with buckwheat butter for 10 euros. For lunch, you can try the za’atar dusted brioche with hokkaido squash and chiles or a small… Read More »Chanceux
This classic, checkered tablecloth bistro with an excellent cheese plate.
There are so many casual wine bars serving good food in eastern Paris. Bouche stands out from the crowd because they’re a little more spacious, their staff is a smidge more friendly, and the dishes are a lot more interesting. It’s a wine bar in the 11th for people who are no longer in their twenties (like me). Open Sunday! We included Bouche among our 50 Favorite Restaurants in 2022. BOUCHE 85 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011Open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner onlyOpen… Read More »Bouche
FIEF is a sleek and modern restaurant in the 11th with a Top Chef finalist in the kitchen. Victor Mercier’s menu contains beautiful options for vegetarians, like an artichoke tartlet with black garlic paste and smoked pepper juice, but the fish and meat dishes are crazy good: fresh fish with carrots and spider crab caramel, or chicken with roasted and fermented cabbage and choron sauce. The name FIEF stands for Fait Ici En France (made here in France) and the… Read More »FIEF
Tatiana Levha, formerly at L’Arpège and L’Astrance, and her sister Katia opened this light, airy bistro with a central bar & hand painted ceiling. The short list of offerings changes each day, but expect seasonally driven cuisine inflected with international touches like tandoori spiced beurre blanc atop asparagus or harissa to spice up the line caught hake. Dessert left room for improvement, but otherwise Le Servan had reasonably priced, expertly executed dishes and friendly service in a beautiful space.
Without overtly marketing itself as a lesbian bar, Dirty Lemon seeks to create a space where queer women can eat and drink safely, comfortably, and happily.
Brutos offers a contemporary dining experience with a South American accent and an exquisite rib steak for two.
Read an old travel guide to France, and you’ll likely find mention of les routiers. At these roadside restaurants catering to truckers, grub was classic, cheap, and good. And despite the absence of any highway running through the trendy 11th arrondissement, Aux Bons Crus evokes these restaurants of yore.
Cyril Lignac’s seafood-focused restaurant replaces an 11th arrondissement neighborhood bistrot.
This wine bar stands out in the natural wine-staturated 11th arrondissement mainly for its ostentatious design.
Chambre Noire has become the city’s most daring and youthful natural wine bar.
In 2016, the team from Saturne took over a historic bar near the Cirque d’Hiver and installed chef Sota Atsumi (ex-Vivant) in the kitchen. Atsumi’s dishes dominated Instagram for a solid two years, and Clown Bar became one of the town’s most difficult reservations to snag. The Saturne team (and restaurant) has since dissolved amid rumors of wine theft and partner animosity. Atsumi has moved on to open Maison. Clown Bar remains open, and Atsumi’s iconic creations, including the brain and… Read More »Clown Bar
Address: 1 bis passage de Saint Sébastien, 75011Hours: Open Monday-Saturday for dinner. Closed Sunday.Telephone: +33 1 43 55 07 52Book Online / Website / Facebook / Instagram 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… Read More »Au Passage
French food magazine Fulgurances opened L’Adresse in 2015 as a culinary incubator featuring a rotating cast of guest chefs.
A simple spot where you can taste bottles of excellent natural wines alongside a few small plates from proprietor Camille Fourmont, formerly the bar manager at Le Dauphin. Not to be confused with the other Buvette, this off-the-beaten path bar (that is technically a shop where you can buy bottles) was selected as the Best Cave à Manger by Le Fooding.
Fresh off Paris’ greatest resto reboot of recent years – transforming the defunct destination Restaurant Bones into the beloved seven-day mainstay Restaurant Jones – chef-restaurateur Florent Ciccoli doubled down on the Voltaire neighborhood in late 2017, opening Café du Coin with the aid of frequent collaborator Greg Back (L’Orillon, Les Pères Populaires).
A truly mixed crowd packs this Oberkampf wine bar, for natural wine and small plates.
Former Au Passage bartender Löic Martin opened his eponymous bar-restaurant in late 2014 in the shell of a former PMU betting parlor, placing his money on sincere small-plates, a populist booze program, and a boldly central location.
Great natural wines by the glass, fresh well-prepared food, and congenial service at this simple bistro near Bastille.
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.
Le Repaire de Cartouche is 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.
At Café Méricourt, the interior is light and airy, the staff is among the friendliest in Paris, the loaves arrive daily from Ten Belles Bread, and the coffee, with beans sourced from an array of quality roasters, is reliably great. The food menu leans heavily vegetarian, with tasty options like shakshuka, green eggs and feta, or a daily green bowl. Their famous breakfast sandwich can be topped with bacon or avocado. Carnivores can tear into a delicious focaccia sandwich with… Read More »Café Méricourt
Septime’s Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat converted a shoe-repair shop to open this intimate, impeccably-designed wine bar just around the corner from their renowned restaurant. The well-informed staff serve a limited menu of exquisite small plates (ranging from cheeses and cured meats to foie gras stuffed with smoked eel) alongside a sizeable selection of well-priced natural wines from France and abroad.
On any given evening a mixed crowd of locals and tourists – some waiting for tables at Clamato, others just enjoying apéro-hour – perch on bar stools and repurposed grocery crates, mingling to a soundtrack of reggae and vintage jazz classics. For years more a way-station than an outright destination, Septime Cave has since summer 2015 been open for business on Sundays, rendering it all the more indispensable to the rue de Charonne neighborhood.
This wine bar next door to Le Chateaubriand boasts a smooth marble design by Rem Koolhaas and Clement Blanchet, and a great selection of affordable vins naturels. It was recently sold by Iñaki Aizpitarte. 131 avenue Parmentier, 75011 Open Tuesday-Friday for lunch & dinner Open Saturday for dinner only Closed Sunday & Monday REVIEWS OF INTEREST Simon Says (2012) “C’est très ludique, allusif. Parfois, on voudrait que le morceau dure plus longtemps. Mais l’air du temps se veut ainsi : concis, net, sans… Read More »Le Dauphin
This is one Chinese spot that doesn’t cater to the French palate. There are signs above the cash register that attest to this fact and warn about the potential gastronomic woes that could ensue after eating the pepper-laden Szechuan fare. Whether it’s soft Mapo tofu with crumbly pork bits or cold, sesame soaked cucumber salad, everything is slicked in fire oil, with an emphasis on the oil. I like this inexpensive, informal joint all the same (or perhaps because of it). Pork raviolis & spicy cabbage are two perennial favorites, and the broccoli with garlic provides a nice respite from the burn. You can choose your own heat level on a scale of 1-5 on most dishes. Level 3 is usually tongue-searingly warm enough for a spice lover. The restaurant is quite small so a larger group should plan to either eat early, book ahead, or take it to-go. Read More »Deux Fois Plus de Piment
This may just be the white whale of Parisian bars: good homemade food, good craft beer, friendly service, and big enough to gather a crowd without becoming uncomfortably crowded. Skip the Green Goose beer (a boring Belgian for happy hour purposes only) and discover the range of O’Hara’s on tap or one of the handful of Irish craft bottled beers – no industrial stout here. Settle in with a pint at one of the comfortable barstools or at a long communal table and don’t miss the lovingly prepared food at this excellent Irish gastropub, including Scotch eggs, a fair burger, and a big Sunday brunch. Read More »The Green Goose