189 Best Restaurants in Paris, France

If you want to venture to the frontier of contemporary cooking—and if money is no object—dinner here is a must (reservations essential). One of the longest Michelin three-star holders in France (since 1996), chef Pierre Gagnaire's work is at once cerebral and poetic, often blending three or four unexpected tastes and textures in a single dish. Just taking in the menu requires focus (ask the waiters for help), so complex are the multiline descriptions about each dish's luxury ingredients. The Grand Dessert, a seven-dessert marathon, will leave you breathless, though it's not as overwhelming as it sounds. The occasional ill-judged dishes linger as drawbacks, and prices keep shooting skyward, so Pierre Gagnaire is an experience best saved for a mega-splurge.

A Paris institution since 1924, this absolute stunner of a seafood brasserie was also one of the first restaurants to champion French-raised caviar, after the Bolshevik revolution cut the Russian supply. Fast-forward to 2023, when star chef Yannick Alléno took the helm of the Art Deco dining room (one of the most spectacular historic interiors in Paris), infusing the menu with a new elegance in dishes like a caviar-flecked salmon-and-seaweed hand roll, langoustine carpaccio with caviar cream, or a perfectly prepared filet of sole, all washed down with sparkly Champagne or a crisp Bourgogne blanc. Desserts are equally luscious. Dining here is a quintessential Parisian experience, whether for a leisurely lunch or an elegant candlelit dinner.

Don't be put off by the name—and the must-try signature dish—at this terrific eatery, where young chef Adrien Ferrand's complex dishes are as magnificent to taste as they are to behold. From a crisp-tender grilled suckling pig to the delicious smoked eel with apple, and a roster of exquisite desserts—Granny Smith broth with hazelnut sabayon or "craquant" of chocolate with caramel cream and banana marmalade—a meal here is a delight from start to finish. The tasting menu (at lunch €32 or €39; €89 at dinner) is a great introduction to this marvelous food.

Cotton-candy-color walls, comfy banquettes, and giant mirrors belie the fact that this cozy eatery is one of the city's top destinations to experience the flavors of the Philippines. Meals are served family-style with one plate for each diner to sample from a succession of dishes, each more delicious than the next, including Hainan soy-glazed burrata flecked with ginger; fried chicken wings with black coffee sauce; and a fish of the day in coconut milk with truffle. For dessert, the strawberry pavlova comes on clouds of pandan cream and a scrumptious lime-zest cheesecake on a bed of crumbled polvoron (a type of shortbread).

With amazing food and a convivial, unpretentious atmosphere, Septime has become one of the hottest tables in town. Seasonal ingredients, inventive pairings, and excellent natural wines bring in diners ready for exciting and sophisticated dishes like creamy gnochetti in an orange-rind-flecked Gouda sauce sprinkled with coriander flowers.

The premiere restaurant at the beautiful Shangri-La Paris Hotel is the city's only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant. As you sit in a jewel box of a dining room that features giant Chinese porcelains and inlaid jade paneling, you'll dine on lacquered Peking duck, sliced at your table and delivered with a flourish, and all manner of delicacies from one of the world's great cuisines.

This foodie sanctuary is where dishes like miso-lacquered foie gras or sake-glazed suckling pig—perfectly crisp on the outside and melting inside—pair traditional Japanese and French ingredients to wondrous effect. The 10-course set dinner menu (with an option to add a pairing of five glasses of wine or sake), while not cheap, offers a choice of fish or meat and finishes with some stunning confections. Shoes stay on in the tranquil half-timber dining room (where an eight-course lunch, Friday and Saturday only, still seems a relative bargain), but the vaulted room downstairs is totally traditional—and one of the loveliest in Paris.

A five-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, Terre de Café is a boon to coffee lovers. It also serves gluten-free pastries, healthy fruit smoothies, and gourmet brunch options.

Chef Tomy Gousset, who learned his skills in some of the city's most prestigious kitchens, flies solo at this wildly popular bistro, which won its first Michelin star in 2019. The appealingly spare dining room is an excellent backdrop for some truly dazzling dishes that taste every bit as sublime as they look. Best of all, despite being one of the best tables in the neighborhood, it's not overly expensive.

Two young chefs bring their heritage (Argentine and Japanese) and impressive cooking credentials to bear in their beautiful restaurant, steps from the Marché d'Aligre, that's almost worth a visit for the decor alone. But it's the food that has earned them a passionate following among Parisians, for its range, imagination, quality, and sheer deliciousness.

The otherwise unexciting 15e arrondissement is home to much-lauded chef Ludivine Merlin and her Basque-inspired recipes. Basque cooking is known for its bold flavors and generosity, and the choices at Afaria are no exception. Crisp-skinned duck breast with balsamic-fig vinegar (for two) is served dramatically, inside a ceramic roof tile, with the accompanying potato gratin perched on a bed of twigs. Big chunks of spoon-tender, slow-cooked pork from Gascony come in an earthenware dish with cubes of roasted celery root. Tapas are served at a high table near the entrance, and there's a large-screen TV for rugby matches.

This "best craftsman of France" revives the gastronomic art of French charcuterie in dishes like dreamy foie gras and succulent slabs of country terrine enrobed in a golden buttery crust. The small-but-choice menu also highlights specialties from the sea: shellfish soufflé or delicate fish quenelles (a specialty of Lyon, France's charcuterie capital).

There are three good reasons to go to Astier: the generous cheese platter plunked on your table atop a help-yourself wicker tray, the exceptional wine cellar with bottles dating back to the 1970s, and the French bistro fare (even if portions seem to have diminished over the years). Dishes like marinated herring with warm potato salad, sausage with lentils, and baba au rhum are classics on the frequently changing set menu, which includes a selection of no less than 20 cheeses. The vintage 1950s wood-paneled dining room and traditional red-checked tablecloths attract plenty of locals and remains a fairly sure bet in the area, especially because it's open every day.

If it's steak you're craving, put your faith in Jean-Luc Roulière, a fifth-generation butcher who opened this long, narrow bistro near St-Sulpice church. Partner Franck Pinturier is from the Auvergne region, which is also known for its melt-in-the-mouth meat, so start with a lobster bisque or a duck foie gras terrine before indulging in a generous slab of Limousin or Salers beef, a deer steak, or, for the meat-shy, sautéed turbot with fresh vegetables.

Parc de La Villette once housed the city's meat market, and this brasserie devoted to fine beef (whether French or Irish) soldiers on as if nothing has changed. It's worth the trek here to sample one of the 16 takes on the beef theme (plus a gargantuan marrow bone) or good fish and seafood dishes, such as sole or scallops (in season). You'll find meat lovers from all over Paris in the buzzy dining room, feasting on the good-value, €40 three-course menu that includes an apéro, a half bottle of wine and a coffee.

To see what well-heeled Parisians eat these days, book a table at this chic little bistro run by Jacques Lacipière as soon as you get to town. The contemporary dining room is unusually comfortable, but it's the excellent, well-priced cuisine du marché that has made this spot a hit. The sophisticated fare sometimes features Salers beef and green asparagus, roasted lobster with mushroom risotto, and game in season. House-made desserts could include citrus terrine with passion-fruit sorbet or caramelized apple mille-feuille with hazelnut ice cream. The €45 prix-fixe dinner menu, featuring dishes with distinct haute-cuisine touches, is one of the city's great bargains.

This handsome, contemporary Marais bistro and wine bar is the perfect place to enjoy traditional fare and excellent Burgundies served by the glass and bottle. Unusual for Paris, food is served nonstop from noon to 11 pm, and you can drop by just for a glass of wine in the afternoon. Always on the menu are Burgundian classics such as jambon persillé (ham in parsley aspic jelly), escargots, and boeuf bourguignon (beef stewed in red wine). More up-to-date picks include a cèpe-mushroom velouté with poached oysters, although fancier dishes are generally less successful.

This cozy bar is always packed, and tables often spill out onto the sidewalk. Come for a hearty meal, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.

You'll have no doubt what city you're in at this classic Parisian brasserie where you can sample all the French delicacies you'll never find at home, like quenelle de brochet with sauce Nantua (a sort of fritter made with pike—a traditional specialty of Lyon); tête de veau with tangy sauce ravigote (capers, shallots, tarragon, chervil, and parsley); poached haddock à l'Anglaise; and a fabulous millefeuille de boudin noir (blood sausage pastry). Be sure to try the excellent frites, and do not skimp on dessert: their crème brûlée is legendary.

It’s worth a visit to this popular café just to see the listed historic ceilings and delightfully old-fashioned interiors. The sweets may not reach the ambition of some of the designer pâtisseries in the neighborhood, but it’s as picturesque spot as can be for a coffee and a classic tarte tatin, eclair, raspberry tart, or a savory croque monsieur for lunch in the salon de thé or on the sidewalk terrace in warm weather.

Young, talented, and now famous chef Cyril Lignac has nabbed three small sites all within a few feet of each other to create a trio of intimate signature spaces. The main address is Au Prés, which serves Black Angus beef and Japanese-inspired delights such as miso-carmelized black cod. Lignac oversees every detail, including the choice of marble countertops, brass lamps, dark leather booths, and the preservation of the original 1950s floral wallpaper. Next door at No. 25 is another elegant, more modern style bar called Le Bar des Prés, which specializes in Japanese maki and sashimi for lunch and dinner. Finally, Dragon, just across the street is an evening-only private cocktail and sushi bar. A good cocktail is as much a part of the Lignac experience as the delicious and carefully prepared food.

As its impressive facade attests, this café has a special history. It opened in 1846, when Balzac was a regular, and Rue Montorgueil was the place to buy oysters, though these days the menu is more modern, with salads, burgers, and brunch options, as well as a handful of classics like escargots and French onion soup.

Built in 1512 as a residence for the Canon of Notre-Dame, Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole was converted into a wine bar in 1723, making it one of the city’s oldest restaurants. It specializes in dishes from the Aveyron region in the southwest (if it's on the menu, try the coufidou d’Aubrac, a rich beef stew made with Marcillac wine) and serves everything in plush red-velvet-and-antiques dining areas that are a treat for the eyes.

Parisian gastronomic extravagance has largely disappeared in favor of leaner fare. But that is not the case at this beloved stalwart, where you can revel in such Gallic classics as towering soufflés, buttery frogs' legs, or a hearty steak smothered in sauce béarnaise. It's a favorite among politicians and locals, who feel the fare is well worth the tweak to the pocketbook (and the waistline).

Without changing the vintage 1912 setting, superchef Alain Ducasse and Thierry de la Brosse of L'Ami Louis have subtly improved the menu, with dishes such as marinated salmon, frogs' legs in a morel-mushroom cream sauce, and an outstanding cassoulet served in a cast-iron pot. It's a splurge to dine here, so go all the way, and top off your meal with the caramelized tarte tatin or a rum-doused baba.

Set in the Galerie Vivienne, Paris's loveliest covered passage, this charmingly authentic 19th-century bistro feels both cozy and welcoming, and the food and drink are well above average. With all-day hours as well as a double terrace either inside Galerie Vivienne or on a picturesque street a few steps from the Palais Royal gardens, this is a satisfying spot for a quick coffee or glass of wine, a snack, or a full meal.

So-named to recall one of the Parisian soup restaurants (bouillons) popular among workers in the early 20th century, Bouillon Chartier is part of the Gérard Joulie group of bistros and brasseries, which discreetly updated the menu without changing the fundamentals. People come here more for the bonhomie and the stunning 1896 interior than the cooking, which could be politely described as unambitious—then again, where else can you find a plate of foie gras for €8? This cavernous restaurant—the only original fin-de-siècle bouillon to remain true to its mission of serving cheap, sustaining food to the masses—enjoys a huge following, including one regular who has come for lunch nearly every day since 1946.

The exceptional Art Nouveau decor and inexpensive menu are strong magnets for diners who are willing to stand in line for a seat at this historic brasserie, all to enjoy a three-course meal for as little as €20. The food is average and service brisk, but it's worth a visit between traditional meal times when there is no line.

With its dream location on the tip of Île St-Louis overlooking the Seine and Notre-Dame, you'd think this charming brasserie, like so many before it, would have succumbed to its own success. Yet it remains exactly what a decent neighborhood brasserie should be, with authentic decor, efficiently friendly service, and reliably good food. Try the classic leeks vinaigrette, country terrine, and a savory onion tarte à la maison for starters, followed by tender sole meunière, classic choucroute, or buttered entrecôte. The outdoor terrace simply can't be beat.

There's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned Paris brasserie . . . except, perhaps, for a good old-fashioned Paris neobrasserie, a new genre that takes the best of the classic eatery—lively atmosphere, copious menu options, all-day hours, traditional decor—and adds a 21st-century vibe, all at reasonable prices. At Dubillot, you'll find the French classics—oeufs mayonnaise, homemade country pâté, steak tartare, smoked trout, leg of lamb, and crispy frites—along with well-priced wines by the bottle or glass. Everything is homemade, and the chef is dedicated to preserving France's gastronomic heritage by sourcing all meats and produce locally. This is tradition brought up-to-date at its finest—and it's a lot of fun to boot.