My Favorite Restaurants (By Arrondissement)
1st Arrondissement
the best hot chocolate in the world (although it’s closer to drinking chocolate). Their pastries are also wonderful; I recommend eating breakfast there. You’ll probably need to reserve or else queue for ages, as this has blown up since I used to go as a student.
207 locals recommend
Angelina Paris
226 Rue de Rivolithe best hot chocolate in the world (although it’s closer to drinking chocolate). Their pastries are also wonderful; I recommend eating breakfast there. You’ll probably need to reserve or else queue for ages, as this has blown up since I used to go as a student.
Very good udon and tempura, the 15 euro lunch special is generous and tasty.
7 locals recommend
Udon Jubey
39 Rue Sainte-AnneVery good udon and tempura, the 15 euro lunch special is generous and tasty.
A really nice café with great coffee. If you can snag a seat, it’s also a great place to get work done.
22 locals recommend
Telescope
5 Rue VillédoA really nice café with great coffee. If you can snag a seat, it’s also a great place to get work done.
Some of the best coffee in Paris. (Honor Café, in the 8th, is my favorite coffee in all of Paris though.)
30 locals recommend
Café Kitsune Palais Royal
51 Gal de MontpensierSome of the best coffee in Paris. (Honor Café, in the 8th, is my favorite coffee in all of Paris though.)
Great produce, everything is fresh and fairly innovative. Run by an American couple. The Verjus Wine Bar, just around the corner, has nice natural wines, and opens at 6.
17 locals recommend
Ellsworth
34 Rue de RichelieuGreat produce, everything is fresh and fairly innovative. Run by an American couple. The Verjus Wine Bar, just around the corner, has nice natural wines, and opens at 6.
both on the same street. Great produce, everything is fresh and fairly innovative. Run by an American couple. The Verjus Wine Bar, just around the corner, has nice natural wines, and opens at 6.
19 locals recommend
Verjus
52 Rue de Richelieu both on the same street. Great produce, everything is fresh and fairly innovative. Run by an American couple. The Verjus Wine Bar, just around the corner, has nice natural wines, and opens at 6.
Verjus
52 Rue de RichelieuGreat natural wines, and opens at 6.
One of the only Michelin-starred Asian restaurants in Paris. If you don’t want to drop that kind of cash, they have a tea room with dim sum literally around the corner.
18 locals recommend
yam'Tcha
121 Rue St HonoréOne of the only Michelin-starred Asian restaurants in Paris. If you don’t want to drop that kind of cash, they have a tea room with dim sum literally around the corner.
3rd Arrondissement
Traditional Alsatian food and seafood platters with traditionally generous Alsatian portions. Their sauerkraut is always a great bet, especially paired with an Alsatian wine.
27 locals recommend
Chez Jenny
39 Bd du TempleTraditional Alsatian food and seafood platters with traditionally generous Alsatian portions. Their sauerkraut is always a great bet, especially paired with an Alsatian wine.
Great cocktails, plus delicious deviled eggs and other bar snacks (and oysters!)
204 locals recommend
Le Mary Celeste
1 Rue ComminesGreat cocktails, plus delicious deviled eggs and other bar snacks (and oysters!)
Breizh Café
109 Rue Vieille du TempleBest crêpes in Paris, great cider selection. Takes reservations.
T'Cup
16 Rue des MinimesEnglish tea house; great tea selection and pretty good scones.
Sichuan-style spicy beef noodle soup. Actually extremely spicy! They let you choose from spice level 0-5 and I—an extremely hardy and spice-tolerant person—usually tap out at 3. Most French people choose 0 or 1. Highlights: fish or beef in "court bouillon et piment," dan dan noodles, dumplings, and garlic broccoli. Takes reservations (recommended) and very inexpensive. Cash only.
51 locals recommend
Trois Fois plus de Piment Saint Germain
17 Rue Frédéric SautonSichuan-style spicy beef noodle soup. Actually extremely spicy! They let you choose from spice level 0-5 and I—an extremely hardy and spice-tolerant person—usually tap out at 3. Most French people choose 0 or 1. Highlights: fish or beef in "court bouillon et piment," dan dan noodles, dumplings, and garlic broccoli. Takes reservations (recommended) and very inexpensive. Cash only.
2nd Arrondissement
No reservations but cheap, delicious traditional French brasserie food. Lunchtime is insane because of all the offices in the area, but I’ve always eaten spectacularly here.
501 locals recommend
Bouillon Chartier
7 Rue du Faubourg MontmartreNo reservations but cheap, delicious traditional French brasserie food. Lunchtime is insane because of all the offices in the area, but I’ve always eaten spectacularly here.
My favorite bo bun (Vietnamese noodle + salad + spring roll bowl) in Paris. INSANELY busy at lunchtime, but worth the wait.
Baan Lao Thaï
6 Rue Saint-MarcMy favorite bo bun (Vietnamese noodle + salad + spring roll bowl) in Paris. INSANELY busy at lunchtime, but worth the wait.
Located in one of the shopping arcades and makes for glorious people watching. The food is fine, the price is great, and the building is beautiful.
44 locals recommend
Le Passage
4 Pass. du MarchéLocated in one of the shopping arcades and makes for glorious people watching. The food is fine, the price is great, and the building is beautiful.
Japanese-style fried chicken, cheap & fast, I always go here after yoga to chow down on protein.
Karaage-ya
6 Rue FeydeauJapanese-style fried chicken, cheap & fast, I always go here after yoga to chow down on protein.
Matsuda
19 Rue Saint-RochLiterally the only good sushi in Paris. Cheap, fresh, comme il faut.
4th Arrondissement
Very good ice cream in every flavor ever. It’s super expensive and served all over Paris, but the original shop is on Île Saint-Louis.
350 locals recommend
Berthillon
46 Rue Saint-Louis en l'ÎleVery good ice cream in every flavor ever. It’s super expensive and served all over Paris, but the original shop is on Île Saint-Louis.
A great espresso bar with good coffee, a calm vibe (lots of people getting work done) and no more than a 15 minute walk from a lot of the best-known tourist attractions in Paris.
48 locals recommend
The Caféothèque of Paris
52 Rue de l'Hôtel de villeA great espresso bar with good coffee, a calm vibe (lots of people getting work done) and no more than a 15 minute walk from a lot of the best-known tourist attractions in Paris.
Israeli food, great lunchtime fare. Pitas, kebabs, amazing desserts. Some great veggie options. Usually packed, but totally worth it; grab a sandwich to go and then walk and eat it by the river.
128 locals recommend
Miznon
22 Rue des EcouffesIsraeli food, great lunchtime fare. Pitas, kebabs, amazing desserts. Some great veggie options. Usually packed, but totally worth it; grab a sandwich to go and then walk and eat it by the river.
5th Arrondissement
Not food, but a fun and cheap cocktail bar. It looks a little divey, but they have at least a hundred options and I have never had something I didn’t enjoy. Lots of rum. Closed Sundays.
13 locals recommend
The Crocodile
6 Rue Royer-CollardNot food, but a fun and cheap cocktail bar. It looks a little divey, but they have at least a hundred options and I have never had something I didn’t enjoy. Lots of rum. Closed Sundays.
My favorite. An American diner plonked down in the middle of Paris. I go here for comfort food constantly. Waitstaff speak English and French fluently, they have milkshakes and pancakes and all the good stuff. They have 3 locations, but this is the best one.
86 locals recommend
Breakfast In America
17 Rue des ÉcolesMy favorite. An American diner plonked down in the middle of Paris. I go here for comfort food constantly. Waitstaff speak English and French fluently, they have milkshakes and pancakes and all the good stuff. They have 3 locations, but this is the best one.
6th Arrondissement
Super pricey, but I once had the best steak of my entire life here, and their dessert menu is divine. An Alain Ducasse restaurant.
41 locals recommend
Aux Prés
27 Rue du DragonSuper pricey, but I once had the best steak of my entire life here, and their dessert menu is divine. An Alain Ducasse restaurant.
A salon de thé near Montparnasse with exquisite and inventive pastries and a yummy, light, and reasonable lunch or brunch prix fixe, takes reservations.
34 locals recommend
Colorova Paris- Livraison-Emporter-Déjeuner-Brunch
47 Rue de l'Abbé GrégoireA salon de thé near Montparnasse with exquisite and inventive pastries and a yummy, light, and reasonable lunch or brunch prix fixe, takes reservations.
They have shops in a few other places in the city, but I like the one in the 6th best. This is the place to buy your macarons in Paris.
174 locals recommend
Ladurée Paris Bonaparte
21 Rue BonaparteThey have shops in a few other places in the city, but I like the one in the 6th best. This is the place to buy your macarons in Paris.
Every time I walk past this place it is PACKED. Northern French style cooking. €55 five-course tasting menu, and the a la carte menu changes constantly depending on what’s fresh.
7 locals recommend
Cezembre
17 Rue Grégoire de ToursEvery time I walk past this place it is PACKED. Northern French style cooking. €55 five-course tasting menu, and the a la carte menu changes constantly depending on what’s fresh.
Champagne bar and shop in the heart of Paris, a little pretentious but they have tasting flights, snacks, and cheese platters so if you aren’t going to visit the Champagne region, it can be a nice alternative.
Dilettantes Cave à Champagne
22 Rue de SavoieChampagne bar and shop in the heart of Paris, a little pretentious but they have tasting flights, snacks, and cheese platters so if you aren’t going to visit the Champagne region, it can be a nice alternative.
A beautiful Belle Epoque style dining room, worth stopping in for the decor and old-fashioned charm alone. I really recommend their wine list and starters (especially the foie gras) but I wouldn’t necessarily stay for a main course.
19 locals recommend
Brasserie Vagenende
142 Boulevard Saint-GermainA beautiful Belle Epoque style dining room, worth stopping in for the decor and old-fashioned charm alone. I really recommend their wine list and starters (especially the foie gras) but I wouldn’t necessarily stay for a main course.
7th Arrondissement
A great café to kill time in, and they have amazing weekend brunch. Delicious dutch babies, breakfast burritos, and other options. Regular menu is OK, but it’s best for brunch.
6 locals recommend
Zia
22 Av. de TourvilleA great café to kill time in, and they have amazing weekend brunch. Delicious dutch babies, breakfast burritos, and other options. Regular menu is OK, but it’s best for brunch.