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Modern & Creative

Elmer

Elmer is a modern bistro In the northern Marais, not far from République. Chef Simon Horwitz (ex-Septime, Pierre Gagnaire) bases his ever-changing menus around impeccable seasonal ingredients and has an affinity for large portions intended to be shared by two or more diners. I recently returned for a solo lunch and was blown away by how good (and sneakily healthy) everything was. Delicious line caught cod was barely napped by sauce matelote and served with charred white asparagus and broccoli.… Read More »Elmer

Dame Augustine

Lilian Douchet opened Dame Augustine in 2022 after making a name for himself on Top Chef. This restaurant near Gobelins offers a là carte options alongside moderately priced tasting menus (48€ and 68€). Douchet’s dishes are creative without being gimmicky. Everything we tasted was perfectly cooked and well-balanced. This is great option for southern Paris, especially on a Sunday. Reservations are accepted up to two months in advance, but last minute bookings are usually possible (this may change as we… Read More »Dame Augustine

Frenchie restaurant in Paris | Paris by Mouth

Frenchie (return Visit)

Frenchie is the original outpost from Gregory Marchand, a chef who trained with Jamie Oliver in the UK and Danny Meyer in the USA. They hold one Michelin star and serve a no-choice tasting menu with five courses for 140€. The optional wine pairings are usually excellent. Frenchie opened in 2009 and has been a very tough reservation since at least 2010. Reservations open three weeks before a given date (Mon-Fri) and all tables are usually booked within a few… Read More »Frenchie (return Visit)

Le Chateaubriand restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Le Chateaubriand (return Visit)

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 (return Visit)

Petrelle restaurant in Paris | Paris by Mouth

Pétrelle

Pétrelle is one of the romantic restaurants in Paris, and it’s also one of the most delicious. Chef Lucie Boursier-Mougenot and her team create a beautiful tasting menu that changes every week to reflect the seasons, and Luca Danti ensures that everyone in the dining room feels very well taken care of.

Datsha Underground

Datsha Underground is a modern and creative spot in the Marais that’s really more scene than restaurant. It feels like it has been designed for a fashion week clientele, right down to the vegan and vegetarian options and the (not really) “hidden” cocktail bar Spootnik in the basement.

The opening chef Alexia Duchêne had departed by the time we visited. It’s currently helmed by chef
Baptiste Trudel, who was a Top Chef contestant in 2021. We tasted a lot of dishes and didn’t care for most of them – there were too many trendy ingredients that didn’t come together to actually taste good.

Capitaine

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.

Flocon restaurant in Paris - smoked trout with beet, chestnut and beurre blanc

Flocon

Flocon is a sincere and locavore-leaning new restaurant run by a pair of brothers on the rue Mouffetard.

Dorade at Robert restaurant in Paris 75011

Robert restaurant (return Visit)

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 (return Visit)

Acte II

Acte II is a restaurant in the Marais from chef Masahide Ikuta. It pains me to say that I don’t recommend this restaurant, because it has one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. When I came out of the elevator (you have to hunt and find one to reach this rooftop restaurant) I actually gasped to see the sun setting over the gorgeously glowing buildings of the Marais. However, the food is a muddled mess.

Café Compagnon restaurant in Paris | Paris by Mouth

Café Compagnon

An all-day cafe in Sentier from Charles Compagnon, the serial restauranteur behind Le Richer and 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis. Café Compagnon is open early for breakfast and coffee and stays open until 11pm. A great place to pop in for a bite when strolling around the rue Montorgeuil, and one of the only Compagnon spots that accepts reservations. 22-26 Rue Léopold Bellan, 75002 Open Monday-Friday from 8am-11pmOpen Saturday & Sunday from 9am-11pmReservations online or at +33 9 77 09 62 24 OUR… Read More »Café Compagnon

Pouliche restaurant in Paris

Pouliche

Chef Amandine Chaignot has been a judge on the French show MasterChef for the better part of a decade. At her restaurant Pouliche, she puts out pretty plates for an Instagram crowd in a dining room that could be ripped from the pages of a West Elm catalog. The menu is heavy with vegetarian options – Wednesday is entirely vegetarian – and the space is filled with pretty young things. Portions are tiny. Read our full review of Pouliche. 11 Rue d’Enghien,… Read More »Pouliche

Fripon

Since chef Pauline Séné left this restaurant in Ménilmontant, we not longer recommend it.

Café les Deux Gares

This is affordable and really well-executed modern bistro fare, based on exceptional seasonal ingredients. Café les Deux Gares may be off the beaten track but it’s worth the journey, Especially on a Monday night. It’s also great for lunch, with beautiful natural light and a dining room full of regulars. Café les Deux Gares has been included among our favorite restaurants in Paris. CAFÉ LES DEUX GARES 1 Rue des Deux Gares, 75010Open Monday-Saturday from 9am-midnight. Closed Sunday.Reservations online or at +33… Read More »Café les Deux Gares

Les Enfants du Marché restaurant in the Marais in Paris

Les Enfants du Marché

Les Enfants du Marché, a modern & creative restaurant located within the open-air Marché des Enfants Rouges market in the upper Marais, is a dining counter known for natural wine and avant-garde cuisine. While the seating on bar stools in the bustling market might suggest a more lowbrow offering, the unforgettable plates evoke a far more fine dining affair (an evocation reflected in the highbrow prices). It is one of our favorite Paris restaurants.

Ellsworth restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Ellsworth

Ellsworth has had many different iterations since it opened, but all have been delicious. Their most popular dish from the early days – the fried chicken – remains on the menu in small plate size among a changing roster of seasonal dishes. Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian, the duo behind (temporarily closed) Verjus, are raising most of the vegetables and eggs for Ellsworth at their farm outside of Paris, and chef Hanz Gueco is doing incredible things with these fresh… Read More »Ellsworth

The best restaurants in Saint-Germain Paris France | Paris by Mouth

Semilla

Semilla is one of our favorite restaurants in Saint-Germain, with an excellent wine list and plenty of options for vegetarians. Open Sunday.

Auberge Nicolas Flamel

Auberge Nicolas Flamel is a modernist restaurant situated in one of the oldest buildings (1407) in the Marais. Helmed by chef Grégory Garimbay, who previously worked for Alain Ducasse, it currently holds one Michelin star and offers tasting menus priced at 128€ and 145€ and 178€.

I’m not a fan. I love the idea of enjoying contemporary creations in a medieval setting, but very few dishes were successful. They were visually alluring and imaginative, but they very simply weren’t tasty.

Celery root with cream sauce at Milagro restaurant near the Eiffel Tower in Paris | Paris by Mouth

Milagro

In a neighborhood that isn’t necessarily known for fresh flair, Milagro bears its miraculous name well. Steps from his popular Zia, which brought craft coffee and brunch to this street overlooking the Eiffel Tower, Chef Justin Kent (ex-Arpège and Agapé Substance) is serving a creative mashup of the New Mexican flavors of his childhood and the techniques gleaned from his French training. Think Peruvian bass ceviche with leche de tigre or a truly excellent celery root steak served with broccolini… Read More »Milagro

Le Saint Sebastien restaurant in Paris | Paris by Mouth

Le Saint-Sébastien

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

Massale

The 11th arrondissement may be flooded with phenomenal restaurants, but the seasonal menu at Massale stands out with far meatier market-driven options than most other spots leaning into the plant-based trend. Fish and seafood nevertheless abound here, and the wine list features specialties from France’s Jura and beyond.

FIEF restaurant in Paris for vegetarian options

FIEF

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

Dupin

Dupin is a great addition to this southern corner of Saint-Germain, just down the street from Le Bon Marché. Vegetables and seasonal products are at the heart of chef Nathan Helo’s cooking, even when his dishes include perfectly-cooked pork or seafood. Recommended for Great Vegetarian Food in Paris. Modern & creative, open Saturday, vegetarian friendly, outdoor dining, in Saint-Germain 11 Rue Dupin, 75006Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch & dinner (closed Sunday & Monday)Reservations online or at +33 1 42 22 64… Read More »Dupin

Macéo

Macéo is a light and airy restaurant near the Palais Royal from Mark Williamson (Willi’s Wine Bar), serving creative dishes with plenty of vegetarian options. It’s a good place to book for large groups, and for dinner on Monday. The wine list is incredible. Open Saturday, open Monday, good for groups, vegetarian friendly, near the Louvre, excellent wine 15 rue des Petits-Champs, 75001Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinnerOpen Saturday for dinner onlyClosed SundayReservations online or at +33 1 42 97… Read More »Macéo

Hugo and Co

Hugo and Co is the second Paris restaurant from chef Tomy Gousset, who we first encountered and loved at Tomy & Co. In contrast to the latter, which is now Michelin-starred and more formal, Hugo & Co is the more playful (and affordable) little brother. I love to come here with our vegetarian friends, who always find a huge number of options, but I’ve also swooned over a Croque Monsieur with thick cut ham, oozing Comté cheese, and black truffle.… Read More »Hugo and Co

L’Avant-Poste

This mission-driven restaurant gives local farmers top billing and finally offers Paris a restaurant where omnivores are happy but vegetarians are king.

Pantagruel

At Pantagruel, a modern & creative restaurant in the Sentier district, each main dish is actually a parade of three smaller ones. Meaty options abound, but vegetables are given star treatment here. Balance and precision are the hallmarks of chef Jason Gouzy’s cuisine at Pantagruel, one of our favorite Paris restaurants.

Cuisine

This Japanese-accented bistro from chef Takao Inazawa and oenophile Benoit Simon opened to critical acclaim in 2019.

Quinsou restaurant in Paris | Paris by Mouth

Quinsou

Chef Antonin Bonnet is serving beautiful food in a serene (bordering on sleepy) dining room just south of Le Bon Marché in Saint-Germain. At night, the five course tasting menu for 95€ includes an excellent cheese course – our most recent visit included Brie de Meaux under a shower of black truffle. A four course tasting menu is available at lunch for 75€. A lovely spot for a quiet or romantic dinner. Quinsou has been included among our favorite restaurants… Read More »Quinsou

Restaurant A.T in Paris

Restaurant A.T.

Restaurant A.T. is the project of Japanese chef Atsushi Tanaka, who serves a technicolor tasting menu in a minimalist dining room. My first visit in 2015 prompted disdain. The dishes seemed to be designed for the early days of Instagram, and didn’t have much depth beyond their pretty looks. Two different tables at dinner contained foreigners watching movies on their iPads. Whatever this place was, I wanted no part of it. Still, I gave A.T. another shot, returning for lunch… Read More »Restaurant A.T.

Le Bon la butte

Le Bon La Butte

This bistro is a standout in a neighborhood often defined by industrial cuisine.

Le Servan

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.

Clown Bar Paris

Clown 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

Café du Coin

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).

Martin

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.

Dessance restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Dessance

Dessance restaurant in the Marais is becoming a destination for vegetarians, thanks to the “Irresistible Vegetarian” tasting menu for 64€. Omnivores have plenty of options, too, including their own tasting menu for 72€. It’s a pretty two-level space that’s filled with plants, very near the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, one of our favorite spots in Paris. Recommended for Great Vegetarian Food in Paris. 74 Rue des Archives, 75003 Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner (closed Sunday & Monday)Reservations online or… Read More »Dessance

Tomy & Co. restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Tomy & Co.

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.

Figs in Paris restaurants | parisbymouth.com

Pirouette

At this beautiful restaurant in the underserved district just north of Les Halles, serious technique is brought to bear on beautiful veggies and offal alike. The consistently delicious dishes, the polished room and the very good wine list all add up to something that’s much greater than the bargain prices should allow. There’s a prix fixe at lunch for only 15€, and diners can go à la carte at lunch or dinner for 36€. Chef Tomy Gousset departed in 2016 to open Tomy & Co, but Pirouette remains a solid bet.

Read More »Pirouette

Le Richer restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Le Richer

An offshoot of one our absolute favorites L’Office, you can stop by this former corner café at all hours of the day and night (sans reservation) for snacks, small plates, decent coffee, cocktails, or an evening meal.

Fish La Boissonnerie restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Fish la Boissonnerie

This popular restaurant and wine bar run by Drew Harre and Juan Sanchez is a sort of Anglo haven, excellent for a quick glass, a solo dinner at the bar, or for those times when you’re just tired of speaking French. The wine list at Fish la Boissonnerie is populated by small producers, many of them organic and bio-dynamic, with fair prices and plenty of options by the glass. They’re open every day, and we often find ourselves here on… Read More »Fish la Boissonnerie

52 Faubourg Saint Denis Restaurant in Paris | Paris By Mouth

52 Faubourg Saint Denis

After L’Office and Le Richer (one of our favorite new openings of 2013), Charles Compagnon is back with another gift for the Faubourg. If he has run out of ideas for restaurant names, the same cannot be said for the dishes coming out of his kitchen. The compact menu with 3-4 choices per course contains plenty that we want to eat: well-roasted duck with coco beans, corn and kale, and an egg yolk ravioli with ham and mushrooms that was satisfyingly reminiscent of one of… Read More »52 Faubourg Saint Denis

Papillon restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Papillon

Address: 8, rue Messonier, 75017Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner. Closed Saturday & Sunday.Telephone: +33 1 56 79 81 88Website / 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… Read More »Papillon

Zéboulon restaurant near Palais Royal in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Zébulon

A second effort from the folks behind Pirouette, here with a chef who trained in Japan and his arsenal of anywhere-East-of-here flavors. The two-course 20€ lunch menu on the day of our visit included gnocchi with gingered sea bass, plus steak with caramelized shallots and tempura shimeji mushrooms. The three-course 45€ menu (available lunch & dinner) is a roster of French standards with exotic inflections, like my dish of perfectly cooked turbot accented with nori and encircled by delicate nests of interwoven fennel and shallot strands.  If there’s anything to shrug about, it’s the interior. Design choices that worked well in the shadowy space of Pirouette appear here, in the shadow of the centuries-old Palais Royal, as painfully new. In any case, Zébulon’s arrival is great news for anyone hoping to eat well before or after a visit to the Louvre, and a welcome addition to the increasingly interesting  (Verjus, Juveniles,) Palais Royal quarter. Read More »Zébulon

Gare au Gorille restaurant from Louis Langevin and Marc Cordonnier from Septime in Paris

Gare au Gorille

Address: 68, rue des Dames, 75017Hours: Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner. Closed Saturday & Sunday.Telephone: +33 1 42 94 24 02 (not answered during service)Book Online / Website / Instagram COVID-19 UPDATE:Gare au Gorille has reopened with some outdoor tables. Our Most Recent Visit Just steps from the train tracks leading to and from the Saint-Lazare train station, this is the new project from two Septime alums, Marc Cordonnier (Grébaut’s former sous-chef) and his front-of-house partner Louis Langevin. With a hip hop soundtrack… Read More »Gare au Gorille

Abri Restaurant in Paris | Paris By Mouth

Abri

We have never been disappointed by the excellent modern bistronomy at Abri, but the only way that we have been able to go in the last year has been when someone else had a reservation they couldn’t use. No, they will not answer their phone. No, there is no secret strategy. Even if you go in person and ask for a reservation, any reservation, at lunch or dinner for any number of people at any time in the future, the answer will be no. So take it off your list, it’s not a functional restaurant if you can’t ever go.

Scallops at Garance restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

Garance

Two Guillaumes (Guillaume Iskandar and Guillaume Muller) formerly of l’Arpège, have opened this much-praised modern bistro near the Esplanade des Invalides.

Read More »Garance