73 Best Restaurants in Paris, France

This was Paris's first coffee bar, founded by former Guatemalan ambassador to France turned coffee ambassador, Gloria Montenegro. With three spacious rooms, all coffee preparations under the sun, and a daily special brew chosen from among dozens of varieties of meticulously sourced beans from plantations around the globe, this is a Paris institution.

This world-renowned, cavernous spot with Art Deco murals practically defines the term brasserie. It's been popular since Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were regulars, and today it attracts a mix of bourgeois families, tourists, and lone diners treating themselves to a dozen oysters. Recent additions to the classic brasserie menu are a tart of caramelized apple and pan-fried foie gras, beef fillet flambéed with cognac, and profiteroles made with Valrhona chocolate.

After taking over the original La Régalade, chef Bruno Doucet kept some of what made the old restaurant so popular (country terrines, reasonably priced wines, convivial atmosphere), but he also had a few tricks under his toque, notably creating a successful haute-cuisine-meets-comfort-food destination. With a good quality-to-price ratio, this chic bistro has evolved into a staple of the neighborhood.

Shortly after earning a second Michelin star from the chic open kitchen at the Hôtel Prince des Galles, Stéphanie le Quellec left to strike out on her own. Now she's regained her two stars at this gleaming dining room on the elegant Avenue Matignon, the perfect setting for the refined, scintillating cuisine that earned the former Top Chef winner a loyal following among Paris gastronomes. Whether you're having lunch in the ground-floor brasserie, with its burnished bronze bar, or downstairs in the elegant 30-seat dining room with an open kitchen, Le Quellec doesn't skimp on luxury ingredients in signature dishes like Pompadour potato soufflé with Ossetra caviar, poached langoustine, and the famous foie gras tart, all masterfully paired with handpicked small-producer wines. Pastry chef Pierre Chirac's irresistible desserts round out a perfect meal.

You can't deny the splendor of this legendary Michelin-starred restaurant's setting overlooking the Seine; if you don't want to break the bank on dinner, treat yourself to the three-course lunch menu for €120. This entitles you to succulent slices of one of the restaurant's numbered ducks (the great duck slaughter began in 1919 and is now well past the millionth mallard, as your certificate will attest). Don't be too daunted by the vast wine list—with the aid of the sommelier you can splurge a little and perhaps taste a rare vintage Burgundy from the extraordinary cellars, which survived World War II.

With 100-plus locations worldwide, the largest branch of the Ladurée tea salon empire is worth the splurge, thanks to the sumptuous pastries, which steal the show. In addition to more than a dozen flavors of macarons, it has assorted cakes, ice cream, pastries, and beautifully boxed treats ideal for gift-giving. Reserve a table in the elegant wood-paneled rooms upstairs or the glassed-in storefront, or grab a bite in the secluded Art Nouveau bar in the back. Though pricey, the menu promises generous salads and flavorful plats du jour.

Set in a bright, modern space on a tiny street in the lower reaches of Montmartre, the popular Le BAL Café Otto caters to a diverse clientele who come for the great coffee, delicious homey food, lively crowd, and the art gallery/bookstore. Italian- and French-inspired cuisine (like spelt risotto with mushrooms, hazelnuts, and creamed spinach) during the week rests alongside a traditional weekend brunch menu featuring items like tender pancakes, fried eggs with ham and roasted tomatoes, and buttery scones with jam. On Sunday in spring and summer, brunch is truly an event, with artists, hipsters, expats, and young families enthusiastically enjoying all of the above. Note that the café closes at 10 pm on Wednesday and Thursday and 7 pm on Friday and Sunday, so perhaps look elsewhere for dinner.

The Paul Bert delivers everything you could want from a traditional Paris bistro (faded 1930s decor, thick steak with real frites, and good value), so it's no wonder its two dining rooms fill every night with a cosmopolitan crowd. The impressively stocked wine cellar helps, as does the heaping cheese cart, the laid-back yet efficient staff, and hearty dishes such as monkfish with white beans and duck with pears. The prix-fixe lunch menu is only €22, or you can order à la carte.

This charming Quartier Latin bistro with woodwork and murals dating from 1925 is always packed and boisterous. A glance at the affordable menu makes it easy to understand why: dishes such as chestnut soup with spice bread, sea bass marinated in lime and coconut, and apple and quince tatin (upside-down tart) with gingerbread ice cream put a fresh twist on French classics. Service is reliably courteous. If you don't finish your bottle of wine, you can take it with you to savor the last drops.

Christian Le Squer is among the most famous and most respected chefs in Paris, as proved by his turn here at one of the city's most deluxe dining rooms. You'll find all the luxury products you might expect—caviar, truffles, game in season—along with a masterful touch that often transforms homey Breton ingredients such as oysters or lamb into imaginative tours de force. A perfect example would be his famous Ile de Chausey lobster marinated in citrus and served in a heart of caramelized romaine with a featherlight beurre blanc mousseux. Desserts are ethereal, wines are top-notch, and service is unfailingly thoughtful.

This quaint, casual bistro a few blocks from the Musée d'Orsay is open seven days a week and serves its own scrumptious versions of the deeply satisfying French classics like a country terrine, brandade de morue (a garlicky, salty cod and mashed potato dish) and blanquette de veau (a delicious, creamy veal dish). Desserts are also traditionally French, and the giant dollop of chocolate mousse is to die for.

Across from a pretty square on the border of two up-and-coming neighborhoods, this light-drenched spot is one of Paris's standout gastro-bistros. By adhering to a tried-and-true formula—meticulously sourced produce, natural wines, and an open kitchen—the dishes here are small wonders of texture and flavor. This is a great choice for diners eager to experience what the Paris dining scene is all about in a hip, off-the-beaten-path locale.

One of the area's most historic (and romantic) spots has welcomed everyone from Napoléon to Colette to Jean Cocteau beneath its mirrored ceiling and is still a contender for the most beautiful restaurant in Paris. This once-Michelin-starred spot has made a few changes of late, transitioning to an all-day menu of far more reasonable (but still delicious) fare.

Hide Kobayashi, known as "Koba," is one of several Japanese chefs in Paris who trained with some of the biggest names in French cuisine before opening their own restaurants. Not surprisingly, this great-value bistro near the Arc de Triomphe became instantly popular with locals as well as visiting Japanese and Americans who follow the food scene. Generosity is the key to the cooking here, which steers clear of haute-cuisine flourishes; both the monkfish fricassee with anchovy-rich tapenade and a classic veal kidney in mustard sauce, for instance, come with a heap of mashed potatoes. For dessert, try the stunning île flottante (floating island), made with oven-baked meringue. Wines by the glass start at €8—unheard-of in this area.

In a highly publicized battle, the prestigious helm of Paris's most haute (literally) restaurant was wrested from Alain Ducasse by three-star chef Fréderic Anton of the prestigious Le Pré Catelan in the Bois de Boulogne, with Anton's "zero waste" approach and his idea to serve less complicated fare, focusing on French meats and vegetables produced by smaller French artisanal farms and regional delicacies, winning out. Though not cheap (tasting menus are more than €200), winning a Michelin star in 2020 clinched the restaurant's standing as one of Paris's top splurge-worthy dining rooms.

Live a Belle Époque fantasy as you dine beneath the chestnut trees on the terrace of this fanciful landmark pavillon in the Bois de Boulogne. Each of chef Frédéric Anton's dishes is a variation on a theme, such as l'os à moelle: bone marrow prepared two ways, one peppered and the other stuffed with porcini and cabbage, both braised in a concentrated meat jus. For a taste of the good life at a (relatively) gentle price, order the three-course €165 lunch menu and soak up the opulent surroundings along with service that's as polished as the silverware.

The impressive but unfussy gastronomic menu here features Asian-inflected dishes that express the food's far-flung influences. A starter of "zakouskis," several small dishes that may include deep-fried giblets, fresh radishes with anchovy butter, or herb-infused cockles, warms you up for a sublime entrée of whole lacquered quail, cod with spicy black-bean reduction, or crispy melt-in-your mouth pork on a bed of braised leeks. Deliciously nuanced desserts, a good selection of natural wines, and an unbeatable two-course €26 lunch menu add up to an essential Paris dining experience.

Perhaps the most traditional of all Paris luxury restaurants, this two-star grande dame basks in renewed freshness under chef Giuliano Sperandio, who brings a welcome contemporary spirit that translates to daring on the plate. Dishes such as scallops meunière (with butter and lemon) are matched with contemporary choices like a splendid spelt risotto with truffles and frogs' legs or panfried duck liver with caramelized fruits and vegetables. One of the 19th-century paneled salons has been turned into a winter garden, and contemporary paintings adorn the walls. The service is flawless, and the legendary wine list is full of classics.

Paris's grandest Belle Époque beauty, hidden within the Gare de Lyon train station, has been fully restored to a culinary status almost befitting its eye-popping decor. The menu of French classics is not cheap, though the €49 "travelers menu" for lunch assures you'll be wined, dined, and on your train in 45 minutes. But why not linger? The chic bar is a great place to meet for coffee or a cocktail whether you're heading off on a train or not. Magnificent hardly describes this historic monument's lushly gilded boiserie, extravagant frescoes, and original globe lighting.

A head-turning variety of luscious pastries, classic French breakfast sweets and breads, ice cream, chocolates, and homemade jams will tempt every sweet tooth at this charming bakery and tearoom. Tucked into the historic covered Passage Jouffroy, Le Valentin is a picturesque spot for breakfast, lunch, or teatime—or buy a box of irresistible French-Alsatian sweets to enjoy on the go.

With chef Alain Solivérès (formerly of Taillevent) now at the helm, this much-beloved outpost has taken on a new shine—and a Michelin star. The food is sophisticated and the atmosphere is lively and chic. Pastry chef Kimiko Kinoshita's gorgeous creations top off a ravishing, well-priced meal. With wines starting at around €40 (and €58–€65 lunch menus on weekdays), this is a wonderful place for a classic yet informal French meal.

This lively and popular brasserie is open from 8 am to 2 am every day, serving a copious morning breakfast, brunch on weekends, and an excellent full menu of everything from warm goat cheese salad to magret de canard from noon until 1 am. In keeping with the area's literary past and its name (Les Editeurs means "the publishers"), the book-lined space hosts monthly discussions with best-selling contemporary authors.

Part wineshop and épicerie, part restaurant, Les Papilles has a winning formula—pick any bottle off the well-stocked shelf, and pay €7 corkage to sip it with your meal. You can also savor one of several superb wines by the glass at your table while enjoying the excellent set menu of dishes made with top-notch, seasonal ingredients. Your meal might begin with a luscious velouté, a velvety soup served from a large tureen, and proceed with a hearty-yet-tender meat dish alongside perfectly cooked vegetables, followed by a cheese course and dessert—well worth spending a little extra time for lunch or dinner.

It may not be the most glamorous or the most well known of the city's Michelin-starred restaurants, but this intimate, prix-fixe dining room in an authentic part of town is one of the best. Be prepared to be both wowed and surprised, with choices from chef Stéphane Pitré, who is known for his precise, original dishes that offer Asian touches without a hint of pretension. With only 20 tables, diners are treated to discrete but attentive service with a view of the chef at work in the open kitchen. Try the seven-course tasting menu at dinner; for €95 you won't find a better bargain in Paris.

This tiny gem of a coffee shop may not have the ambience of Paris's historic brasserie cafés, but it does have something you won't find in any brasserie in Paris—reliably excellent coffee served with care and enthusiasm. What's more, a small menu of delicious homemade sweets and sandwiches and salads at lunchtime pretty much covers all your restorative needs in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Two-Michelin-star chef Jean-François Piège is inspired by the Mediterranean Sea in this romantic dining room, the former stables of the mansion-turned-museum that is the Hôtel de la Marine. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors add grandeur to the soaring space, where a wood-fired oven turns out delicacies from land and sea. In warmer weather, guests can start with a cocktail at the celestial azure-blue bar, then dine by candlelight in the mansion's courtyard.

One of the city's best examples of the casual gourmet cafés popping up around Paris, Mokonuts is run by a talented husband-and-wife team who create delicious dishes and pastries that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. Prepare for crowds at breakfast and teatime, when you can choose from chunky multigrain cookies, sweet or savory muffins, tarts, and other sweet goodies. At lunch, locals elbow their way in for a variety of gourmet salads, sandwiches, and hot dishes. Accompany your meal with excellent coffee, a selection of teas, or a freshly made juice, like the refreshing orange-blossom lemonade. Dinner (€70) is served only by reservation for at least eight.

A dazzling array of gourmet pastries here includes all the classics in imaginative and delicious flavor combinations. There are also impossibly moist individual cakes, Paris's best baba au rhum, sublime cookies, and the specialty guimauve, a flavored, melt-in-your-mouth marshmallow. Be sure to sample the gorgeous Rosy Rosa dome cake with almond, rose-infused almond milk, and creamy dark chocolate all on a black sesame biscuit topped with rose petals. Next door, savory gourmet breads, quiches, sandwiches, and other takeout foods make this the perfect refueling stop after a visit to the Centre Pompidou. There's also outdoor seating in warm weather.

One of the city's best-kept secrets, this gem of bistro has been a fixture since 1936, and the new owners have retained the old-world vibe that's ever harder to come by in Paris, especially in the Marais. Cozy and full of charm—with beamed ceilings, stone walls, and a timeless decor—the atmosphere perfectly highlights chef Julien Chevallier's deliciously down-to-earth and seasonally inspired meats, fish, and charcuterie. A masterful wine list featuring natural wines rounds out the experience. Book a terrace table in summer. Stock up on gourmet items to bring home with you at the épicerie next door.