Top Chef prodigy 24-year-old Alexia Duchêne is serving up an 80 euro prix fixe in the Marais.
Category: Restaurant Review
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.
Mokonuts
Husband-and-wife team Omar Koreitem and Moko Hirayama have conquered the 11th arrondissement lunch scene with the Middle Eastern flavors and phenomenal cookies at this restaurant.
Mokoloco
This shop from the duo behind Mokonuts marries international flavors for sandwiches that will have you licking your fingers for sure.
Mesa
This vegan restaurant in the HOY hotel offers an enticing menu of Latin American-accented dishes.
Pompette
Pompette is a small plates restaurant boasting a natural wine list from Australian sommelière Jess Hodges. Chef Jordan Robinson’s modest menu is mostly pescatarian with international and North American influences ranging from curry-spiked cockles to fried chicken with white barbecue sauce. Reservations are a must, whether for one of the 28 indoor seats or the dozen on the terrace.
Amarante
Go big or go home at this larger-than-life bistro featuring hearty, classically French fare.
Cuisine
This Japanese-accented bistro from chef Takao Inazawa and oenophile Benoit Simon opened to critical acclaim in 2019.
Goguette
Goguette's natural wine list and food menu stand out for their accessibility, credibility, and versatility.
L’Avant-Comptoir du Marché
Of Yves Camdeborde's three Avant Comptoirs, this is the one worth making a special trip – a place where the scale of the site finally matches that Camdeborde’s ambition.
Brutos
Brutos offers a contemporary dining experience with a South American accent and an exquisite rib steak for two.
Le Petit Sommelier
Le Petit Sommelier is a rare high-quality non-stop brasserie with a 1000-reference-strong wine list.
Brasserie Bellanger
This modern, inexpensive brasserie offers classic French fare near Gare du Nord.
Racines
The picturesque Passage des Panoramas is home to this cozy Italian-accented spot with a short, simple menu and natural wine list.
Bouillon Pigalle
Bouillon Pigalle offers cheap classic French food from noon to midnight, every single day.
Contraste
Two chefs - one captivated by the sea, the other by land - unite at this contemporary, creative restaurant in the ritzy 8th arrondissement.
Adar
Adar offers Mediterranean-inspired fare from chef Tamir Nahmias in the picturesque Passage des Panoramas.
Le Bon La Butte
This bistro is a standout in a neighborhood often defined by industrial cuisine.
Augustin Marchand d’Vins
Augustin Marchand d’Vins – like Left Bank predecessors La Crêmerie & La Quincave - is a bare-bones cave-à-manger, a wine shop in which one can dine, slightly.
Pastore
Pastore is a contemporary Italian restaurant near Grands Boulevards boasting a relatively spacious dining room as compared to many of its Parisian counterparts. The 250-reference wine list is sure to offer the perfect accompaniment to Sicilian chef Lorenzo Sciabica's exquisite pastas or the city's best burrata – served simply with a drizzle of infused olive oil.
Le Colvert
This bistrot in the heart of the Latin Quarter offers all-day service in its spacious dining room.
Carbón
Forget Carbón's wood-fired concept and enjoy it for what it is: ambitious small plates.
La Crèmerie
This high-end cave-à-manger is housed in a former fromagerie the size of a cheese cube.
Le Maquis
Le Maquis is a small French restaurant located on the far side of Montmartre boasting small portions of impeccable, contemporary bistro fare and a small, all-natural wine list. A slight Italian leaning pervades the menu, which also includes more classic French dishes. Lunch is a steal at 16-euro for two courses and 18 for three.
Abri Soba
Abri Soba is the gracious and graceful noodle-based sister restaurant of Abri, serving soba and far more.
À La Vierge de la Réunion
The overarching honesty and generosity of La Vierge’s concept places the restaurant alongside overachieving peers like Belleville’s Le Cadoret at the vanguard of a new generation of Paris bistrot that recognizes the value of virtue.
Le Chardenoux
Cyril Lignac's seafood-focused restaurant replaces an 11th arrondissement neighborhood bistrot.
Le Cadoret
Le Cadoret is a French restaurant in Belleville offering traditional French fare, inexpensive natural wines, and craft beers. With sincere and efficient service and serious value for quality, it's an excellent example of what a modern bistro can be.
Coup d’Oeil
This wine bar stands out in the natural wine-staturated 11th arrondissement mainly for its ostentatious design.
Chambre Noire
Chambre Noire has become the city's most daring and youthful natural wine bar.
Cheval d’Or
Cheval d’Or is a luxury small-plates restaurant in Belleville offering a delicate synthesis of pan-Asian and Parisian cuisines. Reservations are highly recommended for the dining room, though the 20 counter seats are always kept open for walk-ins.
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.
Le Saint-Sébastien
This contemporary French restaurant in the 11th arrondissement 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 (Anglophone) service make this neighborhood restaurant one worth crossing the city for. Now helmed by chef Christopher Edwards, the menu in summer 2021 is featuring plenty of peak-season produce, line-caught fish, and an incredible selection of white wine and craft beer for sipping on the sidewalk terrace.
La Poule au Pot
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.
Fulgurances L’Adresse
French food magazine Fulgurances opened L’Adresse in 2015 as a culinary incubator featuring a rotating cast of guest chefs.
La Buvette
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.
Robert
I waited a long time before giving Robert a try. This restaurant from the team behind Martin (Loïc Martin & Edouard Bergeon) opened in February 2018, but early word-of-mouth reviews were very mixed. A common refrain was "it's expensive for what it is."
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).
Café de la Nouvelle Mairie
For the wine-indifferent, Café de la Nouvelle Mairie is merely a timeless, picturesque terraced café on a shady lane beside the Panthéon. But for alert wine geeks, it might as well be the Panthéon itself, as pertains to natural wine.
Le 6 Paul Bert
Le 6 Paul Bert had a brief closure followed by several different chefs and menu makeovers. We're not sure what's going on over there right now, but will update this description after another visit.
Aux Deux Amis
A truly mixed crowd packs this Oberkampf wine bar, for natural wine and small plates.
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.
Le Rigmarole
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.
Restaurant Passerini
We have not yet reviewed this restaurant. Check back soon for our thoughts!
Septime
One of the the best contemporary tasting menus in Paris, and still one of the most difficult reservation to get.
Bistrot Paul Bert
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.
Freddy’s
Freddy's is a great call when you want to share some delicious nibbles and great wine while perched on a stool, especially at odd hours or on Sunday and Monday when many other places are closed.
L’Avant Comptoir de la Mer
Avant Comptoir de la Mer is bistronomy chef Yves Camdeborde’s seafood variation on his successful adjacent pork-themed pintxo bar.
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.
Les Papilles
Bring some friends to share in Bertrand Bluy's family style dinner at this cave à manger.
L’Avant Comptoir
Yves Camdeborde's audacious, standing-room-only French pintxo bar is a jostling, jolly spot in Saint-Germain.
Jeanne B – NOW CLOSED
A cheerful clone of Jeanne A for the underserved Montmartre neighborhood, this casual eatery and take-out epicerie is open seven days a week with continuous service.
La Cantine du Troquet
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.
Table
A limited menu of excellently sourced meat, fish, and produce that is roasted simply on a spit at this chic restaurant run by writer Bruno Verjus.
L’Ecailler du Bistrot
The “bistrot” in question is carnivore-heaven Paul Bert, just next door. But at L’Ecailler the focus is on seafood, including a gorgeous array of Belon, Utah Beach, and Spéciales.
CheZaline
Delphine Zampetti, formerly of Le Verre Volé, has opened this bright spot, serving sandwiches, salads, and plats du jour for under 10€, to stay or to go. Natural wines, too.
Café des Musées
Café des Musées is a reasonably-priced bistro in the heart of the Marais with a notable beef bourguignon.
Clamato
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.
La Tour d’Argent
Address: 17, quai de la Tournelle, 75005
Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch & dinner. Closed Sunday & Monday.
Telephone: +33 1 43 54 23 31
Book Online / Website / Facebook / Instagram
COVID-19 UPDATE:
La Tour d’Argent will reopen its dining room September 1 (reservations are already available online). In the meantime, La Tour d’Argent has launched La Tour Chez Vous with a mobile kitchen brigade bringing the entire Tour d’Argent experience to your home (from 290 euro per person + 500 euro fee). It is also delivering grocery baskets including one complete with all of the ingredients for the restaurant’s famous duck à l’orange. The restaurant’s bakery is also open and selling products via its online shop.
Yard
The former construction yard turned bistro has been around Père Lachaise for years, but the arrival of chefs Shaun Kelly and Eleni Sapera, formerly of Au Passage and Bones respectively, is a breath of fresh air. Expect a lengthy list of natural wines, fresh & modern product driven small plates, and a warm welcome from owner Jane Drotter.