The 34 best restaurants in Paris right now

It's not all croissants and steak frites – from falafel to fine dining, these are the best restaurants in Paris right now

By Sophie Dening, Antonia Bentel, Teddy Wolstenholme and Eleanor Aldridge

28 March 2023

From romantic restaurants to Michelin-star spots, these are the tables to book in Paris. We've split our list – below, you'll find the restaurants everyone's talking about right now, as well as the old classics we keep going back to.

Virginie Garnier
The hottest restaurants in Paris
1. La Poule Au Pot
Dish to order: Charolais beef fillet
It is said that the previous owner of this Les Halles institution anointed star chef Jean-François Piège as his successor, having snubbed every other approach. So it was that much-garlanded Piège, who runs a handful of restaurants in the area with his wife Elodie, took on the historic doll’s-house-like building, ripping out the café curtains and old wallpaper, giving it all a good scrub and polishing the little brass plaques that name-drop all the music stars who have nibbled the baba au rhum here (Motörhead, Tricky, Nu Shooz). But for the most part, La Poule au Pot feels exactly as it always did, preserved for the nation, and the menu of cuisine bourgeoise, plated up family-style, is intact, if elevated in terms of both produce and pricing. Classic onion soup is served daily, even in a heatwave, and snails, frogs’ legs and bone marrow make consistent appearances. Big-hitting mains include Charolais beef fillet and fabulous poached chicken; puddings are flawless, generous old-school treats. Le Poule au Pot is comfortingly beyond cool, yet only retro on paper, thanks to the dynamism of team Piège.
Address: 9 rue Vauvilliers, 75001 Paris
Website: lapouleaupot.fr
2. Marsan par Hélène Darroze
Dish to order: Gilthead bream with Colonnata back-fat, Paris cep and black truffle
The smart Left Bank address – a short-ish walk over the river from many of the other restaurants here – hasn’t changed and nor have its regulars. But Marsan by Hélène Darroze (who has three Michelin stars for her London outpost at The Connaught Hotel) is relatively new otherwise, opening in 2019 as a fresh incarnation. The name is a tribute to her home region in Landes, and there’s no doubting the sincerity of her attachment to the south-west and its flavours. The tasting menu served at the chef’s table (get your hair done – they’re looking at you too) name-checks Béarn, Saint-Jean-de- Luz, Périgord, as well as her brother and grandfather. Tiny appetisers might include beautifully crafted crisps of chicken skin packing a foie-gras flavour bomb, or miniature goat’s-cheese pastries, light as air. A starter of sea urchin, caviar and cauliflower is disarmingly creamy; gilthead bream with Colonnata back-fat, Paris cep and black truffle is a major savoury mouthful; robustly thyme-scented baby lamb from the Pyrenees is a restrained showstopper. Frequent tableside drizzling and grating means you have to concentrate a bit, but why wouldn’t you? In contrast with the smart, mushroom-toned design that mops up any clanking of bespoke ceramics, the food is distinctive, thrilling and vitally French.
Address: Marsan par Hélène Darroze, 4 Rue d'Assas, 75006 Paris
Website: marsanhelenedarroze.com
Joann Pai
3. Le Cadoret
Dish to order: Île flottante, crème caramel
The holy grail: classic French food, not too fancy, brilliantly well prepared and super value. Le Cadoret, opened in 2017 by chef Léa Fleuriot and her brother Louis-Marie, is a neighbourhood bistro, with mirrors, terrazzo floors and a relaxed atmosphere, which has been cleverly refreshed by its young owners with a jolly blue awning, craft beers and an up-to-date wine list (Loire- and Jura-heavy, and there’s quince liqueur from Domaine Binner in Alsace). The food, at a glance, might seem unadventurous, but there is great skill in cooking a really wonderful blanquette de veau or steak frites with béarnaise. Starters such as potato, fermented cabbage and haddock or homemade boudin noir are produce-led and delicate, and retro puddings (île flottante, crème caramel) are subtle, not sticky. The corner site is a short walk from Belleville Métro, with Parc des Buttes-Chaumont close by to the north for a hilly walk after lunch.
Address: 1 Rue Pradier, 75019 Paris
Website: facebook.com/lecadoret
4. Double Dragon
Dish to order: Deep-fried Comté bao buns in XO sauce
From the patriarchal clan of the néo-bistro, a less masculine clutch of bars and restaurants has evolved around the 11th, including Septime, CheZaline and Le Servan, whose proprietors Tatiana and Katia Levha have now opened Double Dragon, a laidback joint that leans towards East Asia. Here, a friendly crew in white logo’d T-shirts serve a highly affordable menu of spicy comfort food, starting with deep-fried Comté bao buns in XO sauce, and a refreshing Lao-style tripe salad with holy basil. Sweet, spicy Korean fried chicken is an essential order, though some other mainstays, including mapo tofu, are a bit so-so; it’s the more esoteric dishes, such as a delicately foamy red spinach curry with egg yolk, that make Double Dragon more than just a pit stop for those craving a hit of chilli. Produce is largely organic, with distinctly French notes such as the Morteau sausage served with crispy rice, as well as the Philippe Pacalet 2015 Meursault on the drinks list next to Yunnan tea and sake. The decor is deliberately unstudied, and hip-hop resounds – not too bombastically – around the relaxed, family-friendly space.
Address: 52 Rue Saint Maur, 75011 Paris
Website: doubledragonparis.com
Mikael Bandassak
5. Le Saint Sebastien
Dish to order: Monkfish tail finished over binchotan charcoal
There’s a world of talent behind the retro exterior of this unassuming yet brilliant restaurant. Owner Daniela Lavadenz left the financial sector and worked in lowly positions at Au Passage and Le 6 Paul Bert, devising and amassing her wine cellar for a year before opening Le Saint Sebastien with chef Rob Mendoza. His cooking is artful and balanced, encompassing ceviches, moles and clean-tasting sauces. A dish of squid served with a puritanically refreshing watercress and sorrel purée seems too simple to be so good, while monkfish tail is finished over binchotan charcoal and matched with miso aubergine. The wine list includes many cult heroes, such as Jacques Puffeney and Christian Binner, but classicists are on safe ground with Caroline Morey’s Chassagne-Montrachet. The interior can feel a little cold in winter, with its hard surfaces and Fifties mirrors, but when the room is buzzing with lovers, wine lovers and, usually, wine-industry insiders, and there’s a crisp-shelled vanilla tart on your plate, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Address: 42 rue Saint Sebastien, 75011 Paris
Website: lesaintsebastien.paris

@thesocialfood
6. Racines
Dish to order: Giant veal chop alla Milanese
Simone Tondo took over this beautiful restaurant – a tiled, glazed corner inside one of Paris’s 19th-century arcades – a decade on from its inauguration as influential néo-bistro and champion of natural wines. The plates are still ultra-seasonal and the wines juicy and low-intervention, but the flavours have taken a turn towards the south, thanks to Tondo’s Sardinian origins and his admiration for nonna’s recipes. Lunch and dinner, seven days a week, are chalked up on the blackboard: start with sublime finocchiona – homemade cured sausage with fennel seeds – and vitello tonnato, or the creamiest burrata, then choose between a giant veal chop alla Milanese, a piece of perfectly cooked fish, and masterful pasta. There’s no wine list as such, rather the kind ministrations of Stephanie Crockford, who runs front of house and pours interesting regional Italians by the glass. Racines is a piece of Paris history, and perennially popular; note that it only takes 20 minutes to walk here from the Gare du Nord.
Address: 8 passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris
Website: racinesparis.com
Alban Couturier
7. Elmer
Dish to order: the agneau de lait to share
Elmer, just like the fictional elephant of the same name, is rather remarkable. Modern French dining is done differently here, with sharp yet truly warm service, super-pretty plating and a spotlight-lit dining room decorated with little more than a few accents of yellow-and-grey geometric tiling. It couldn’t feel further from the nearby chaos of Place de la République. Chef Simon Horwitz, who arrived at Elmer after stints at Pierre Gagnaire and adventures in Melbourne, Kyoto and Lima, changes the menu regularly. Expect clean, fresh flavours and plenty of artistry. At lunch, the entrée-plat-dessert combo is a must. You might begin with a delicate beetroot ravioli, move on to skate wing meunière and finish with a citrusy financier crowned by a caramel tuile and paired with a lemon-tarragon sorbet. In the evening, meat takes centre stage. A duck heart tart is a perfect opener before the beautifully roasted agneau de lait (milk-fed suckling lamb), served to share between two. It’s also well worth sneaking in a cheese course before dessert. If you want to go all-out, you can privatise the table du chef with friends; bespoke menus start at €75 (about £65).
Address: 30 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, 75003 Paris
Website: elmer-restaurant.fr
8. Early June
Dish to order: Pickled mackerel in a verbena and soy dressing
The young owners of this wine bar and shop, a former wig emporium next to Canal Saint-Martin, work hard to create a light and, in their words, joyful atmosphere. Like its more venerable vinous neighbour, Le Verre Volé, they open late through the week for drinks – natural-style wines with lots of Beaujolais and Languedoc; Paris-brewed Deck & Donohoe beer – and small plates that are far more than simple soaker- uppers. Their first chef, Amandine Sepulcre, adeptly combined East Asian flavours with ingredients such as Basque sardines; and while she left last summer, the sense of experimentation remains. Camille Machet and Victor Vautier now host travelling chefs for several months at a time, many of whom have never worked in Paris before. Last in was Mathias Silberbauer from Copenhagen, who has a thing for fish, with highlights including sole in langoustine sauce, and pickled mackerel in a verbena and soy dressing. Whoever’s in residence, the dainty, intricate dishes are easy to eat and harmonise excellently with the fresh wines. It’s an airy room with an open kitchen and concrete floors, as well as a few spots on the pavement to nab in, ahem, early June.
Address: 19 rue Jean Poulmarch, 75010 Paris
Website: early-june.fr
Joann Pai
9. Maison
Dish to order: Spider-crab bisque
Inside an ancient gabled shell of a building, incongruous amid streets dotted with tower blocks, this thoroughly enjoyable spot resembles an art installation (the offspring of Rachel Whiteread and Antony Gormley, perhaps) or a brickie’s dream after too many Pernods. Chef Sota Atsumi trained under Michelin-starred gods Joël Robuchon and Michel Troisgros before cooking at tiny, cool Vivant, then Clown Bar, where his duck pithivier with date and yuzu became emblematic of the bistronomie of the 2010s. Maison sees him turning away from shouty casual dining towards a more elevated experience, marked by warm, communicative service and a vividly seasonal, produce-led tasting menu. Lunch might kick off with intense, warming spider-crab bisque, then raw tuna with raw cream, kiwi and a bright turnip-top emulsion. Theatrical moments involving a pigeon dish in two episodes never feel overworked, but rather generous and thrilling. Wines from the Alsace, Jura and Loire are listed alongside sensitive Burgundies and oxidative vins de voiles. Single diners can eat at a counter facing the open kitchen under industrial pipes painted Pinot Noir red. Lunch is niftily paced and well priced too. Maison is where the heart of contemporary Paris dining is right now.
Address: 3 rue Saint-Hubert, 75011 Paris
Website: maison-sota.com

Nicolas Lobbestael
10. PavYllon
Dish to order: Comté cheese soufflé
Yannick Alléno's PavYllon aims to deliver the chef’s haute cooking with more affordable prices. Given, the prices aren't as eye-watering as at his Pavillon Ledoyen in the pretty Champs-Elysées gardens, yet casual here still means cushioned chairs, exquisite glassware and counter seating to see the full theatrics in a kitchen recently awarded a Michelin star. Here's an indulgent way to round off a morning taking in the Petit Palais' latest exhibition. Delicate breadsticks dipped in artichoke sauce combine rustic France with an elevated Parisian flair and successfully set the tone, as does the Duval-Leroy Champagne from Vertus. The silky textured steamed Comté cheese soufflé leaves an indelible impression, as does the rich pigeon breast, artfully placed on a slice of baguette. Creative twists on exalted French classics abound: black pudding and piglet rib; brill ‘millefeuille’; a spinach and smoked-cod-roe sandwich; sole chaud-froid with black truffle. Try the Château-Chalon, a yellow wine from Jura in eastern France – a lighter consistency than sherry but the same thrilling kick – and the salted-caramel ice cream with Amarena cherries and roasted hazelnuts, oozing out of a metal contraption and decorated at the table. Rosalyn Wikeley
Address: 8 Avenue Dutuit, 75008 Paris
Website: yannick-alleno.com
Mickael A. Bandassak
11. Septime
Dish to order: the tasting menu, with wine pairings
You simply can’t talk about the best restaurants in Paris without talking about Septime. It’s the one-Michelin-star that redefined the criteria back in 2014 – and has been near booked-out ever since. They did away with the pomp and circumstance of fine dining, switching white tablecloths for rough wooden two-tops and big Bordeauxs for natural wines, picking up an additional green star for their responsible, local-led sourcing and commitment to sustainable farming along the way. Lunch is five courses, supper is seven, each with a revelatory course-by-course wine pairing that might take you on a journey from the hallowed terroir of the Côtes de Nuits all the way to the slopes of Mount Etna. Each dish centres on just a few ingredients: meaty, barely seared tuna alongside a confit egg yolk; juniper-smoked beetroot enlivened by fermented red currants; asparagus bathed in a creamy nettle sabayon; scallops delicately balanced by slivers of kimchi. Each plate is only revealed as it’s brought to the table, the adventure unfolding over several hours. The only downside is that reservations open exactly 21 days ahead and go quickly. If you don’t manage to snag a table, you can still get a little taste of the Septime magic in their always-crowded cave across the road, where drinkers spill out onto the street with glasses of orange wine and pét nat come rain or shine.
Address: 80 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Website: septime-charonne.fr
Alamy
12. Le Bistro Paul Bert
Dish to order: milk-fed pork
Rue Paul Bert is currently one of the most talked-about restaurant streets in Paris, home to Sylvain Sendra's fantastic, if tiny, bistro Le Temps au Temps; the retro-funky Unico, in a preserved 1970s butcher's shop; and Bistrot Paul Bert, the pick of the bunch. The fact that it, too, was once a butcher's shop, and then a bar (and judging by the motley floorings and tiles, it has seen various other incarnations in its long lifetime) only adds to the atmosphere. The presentation of dishes is ultra-simple, but a kitchen so obviously on top of its game and so well served by its suppliers can get away with it. The milk-fed pork, for instance, is slow-cooked with apricots, prunes and almonds until spoon-tender, and served with meltingly soft fried potatoes; and the signature dessert is a colossal ring of choux pastry with a rich, praline-cream filling. The three-course lunch for €18 is one of the city's great dining bargains; in the evening it's a very reasonable €34. Next door is the BPB's sister seafood restaurant, the equally seductive, though necessarily pricier, L'Ecailler du Bistrot. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: 18 rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris
Website: instagram.com/bistrotpaulbert
Salomé Rateau
13. Le Truffaut
Dish to order: the tartare à l’anchois
A mention of Batignolles, the 17th arrondissement’s bougie almost-village, gets an instant nod of approval from every Parisian. Yet most visitors tend to barely give the quartier a second thought. It’s a shame, as spots like Le Truffaut are well worth the exploration. This is the newer, bigger sibling to Le Jourdain in the 20th and is run by the same young, energetic team who decided to take their winning combination of reasonable prices and superb cooking across the city. Le Truffaut is a buzzy, light-filled space, dominated by the clinking of glasses and laughter of good friends, but what really keeps folks coming back is the food. They’ve developed a treat of a menu featuring plenty of French classics (oeufs mayonnaise, chou farci, mousse au chocolat and so on) as well as elegant modern reinventions. Steak tartare gets a bold anchovy kick, and shoestring fries, a beautifully crunchy nest of kadaïf adds contrast to a petit pois velouté and sweet potato makes its way into the crème brulée for dessert. Dinner is incredible value at just €37 (£33) for three courses, although it’s a shame not to add on a dozen oysters in season. For drinks, the wine list is short but well-chosen, heavy on the Loire, Savoie and Rhône.
Address: 89 rue Truffaut, 75017 Paris
Website: restaurantletruffaut.com

14. EchizenSOBA TOGO
Dish to order: the seasonal soba dish, alongside rice flour-coated fillets of mackerel
You may find your voice reduced to a whisper and discover an intense desire to meditate upon entering EchizenSOBA TOGO. The demure restaurant, hidden away on a side-street off the Tuileries gardens, is akin to a Japanese temple, with all-white décor and a long wooden communal table. Echizen specialises in soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles), which are both handmade and hand-pulled in-house. As you slurp the broth from your brutalist ceramic bowl, pause every once in a while, observing your fellow diners each in a private reverie.
Address: 33 rue Saint-Roch, 75001, Paris
Website: facebook.com/echizensobatogo
15. Pantobaguette
Dish to order: the fermented eggs with trout roe, samphire, and furikake
At Pantobaguette, conviviality is a promise and great food is a guarantee. Founded by a group of friends Paul, Anto, Tom, Barth, and Gauthier (hence the name), this Franco-Japanese fusion tapas restaurant is one of the best spots to see, be seen, and eat in Paris. Neon lights stud Pantobaguette’s walls and cast a glow over the corner bar. Funky music wafts from a hidden record player (the chef also runs a record label), and waiters joyfully dance and swivel around their customers, pausing to recommend dishes and pair wines (and, sometimes, their favourite after-hours neighbourhood hangs). Reservations are recommended, especially should you desire to sit at one of the coveted picnic tables out front.
Address: 16 rue Eugène Sue, 75018, Paris
Website: pantobaguette.fr
16. Les Enfants du Marché
Dish to order: moules de Camargue
You’ll find Michael Grosman's no-reservations and previously daytime-only counter-only spot among organic veg stalls, florists and to-go bento stands inside the Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in the city. It’s a bit of an industry favourite – and the food is far more serious than the hip but draughty setting might imply. Pull up a stool and get ordering. Seafood should be first on the agenda, the sauce the highlight of their signature Camargue mussels à la marinière in a silky gorgonzola emulsion. Utterly magnificent red prawns come raw with caviar and a splash of cream, while razor clams find harmony with asparagus, pickled mustard grains and lime zest. Heading away from the ocean, you might find elegantly plated and oh-so-pink duck breast with a red wine reduction or an entire Mont d’Or, baked to molten perfection. At least a bottle (or two) of natural wine alongside is de rigeur. Market dining has never been so chic.
Address: 39 rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris
Website: instagram.com/lesenfantsdumarche
17. BAANBECK
Dish to order: the Tod Mun Khao Pod (red curry corn beignets) and the Pad Thai with ‘farmer’s chicken’
Nestled between the Ponts de Sully and d’Austerlitz is the newly opened restaurant BAANBECK, which specialises in the dishes of the Isan region on the Laos-Thai border of Thailand. Dining at BAANBECK is a true pleasure: where else in Paris can you feel as if you’ve stepped out of the blistering sun in a Buddhist temple’s courtyard and stashed yourself under the shade of a nearby leafy coconut tree, where sumptuous Thai delicacies await? Chef Panu and team expertly ladle green curry soup into artisanal bowls, crush crisp cucumbers to create a fresh take on tam mak teng (cucumber salad), and sprinkle tangy Pad Thai with peanuts. Because you are in Paris, after all, excellent wines await you, at BAANBECK, too.
Address: 2 Quai Henri IV, 75004, Paris
Website: instagram.com/baanbeck
18. Banoi
Dish to order: the summer roll “of the moment” with homemade nước mắm (fish sauce)
If Paris is a jewel box, Banoi is the tiny, beautiful gem within. Helmed by chef My-Ly Pham, Banoi serves as a homage to Pham’s Vietnamese family and roots (bà nôi, which means ‘grandmother’ in Vietnamese) and just so happens to be one of Paris’ best Vietnamese restaurants. You can tell each dish is made with warmth, love, and know-how; every menu item is one My-Ly’s favourites, each served to her during her many trips to Southeast Asia with her grandmother. Vietnamese banh-mi tartlets, Chinese five-spice ribs, and Thai Tom Yum coconut soup are all excellent, inventive dishes that transport you to another time, another place… Perhaps the most delicious, unforgettable dish, however, is Banoi’s speciality: Vietnamese summer rolls (rouleaux in French), which pay particular honour to My-Ly’s grandmother.
Address: 129 rue Amelot, 75011, Paris
Website: banoi.fr

Florian Villain
The best classic restaurants in Paris
19. Le Servan
Dish to order: Paris Brest
Born in the Philippines and raised in Paris, sisters Tatiana and Katia Levha opened Le Servan back in 2014 to much acclaim. And judging by the roaring mid-week lunch trade, the smart neighbourhood restaurant is as popular as ever. Having trained in the Michelin-starred kitchens of l'Astrance and l'Arpège, Tatiana focuses on refined small plates, infusing classic French ingredients with flavours from South East Asia. The creative and unfussy menu changes frequently but seafood always plays a big role; expect to find combinations like pan-fried scallops with spinach, bone marrow and smoked vinegar or raw cuttlefish with chillies and Sichuan peppercorn. For afters, there’s a choice of French cheeses or a handful of desserts but the Paris Brest – a choux pastry ring filled with nutty praline cream – is a regular. Reservations are only possible via email or phone. Qin Xie
Address: 32 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris
Website: instagram.com/restaurant_leservan
Alamy
20. Salon de Thé de la Grande Mosquée de Paris
Dish to order: mint tea and baklava
There’s nothing better than spending a sunny afternoon in this hidden gem in the 5th arrondissement. In a courtyard at the Grand Mosque, this tile-covered, sun-dappled oasis is complete with singing birds and friendly waiters (so friendly, in fact, that you’ll forget you’re in Paris). It’s located just opposite the botanical gardens and the National Museum of Natural History, so this is great pit-stop after a day of soaking up some culture. Order a selection of couscous and tagines for lunch, or opt for a shot of sweet mint tea with sugary baklava. Charlotte Davey
Address: 2bis Place du Puits de l'Ermite, 75005 Paris
Website: mosqueedeparis.net
Benoit Linero
21. Bouillon République
Dish to order: the giant profiterole with glace au lait et chocolat chaud
In an enormous two-floor, wood-panelled dining room off Place de la République, a slice of Parisian history comes to life. Waistcoated servers weave between tables, their trays laden with onion soup, bœuf bourguignon and enormous profiteroles drowning in chocolate sauce. Bouillon République, along with its smaller sibling Bouillon Pigalle, reimagines the rowdy, warm and affordable atmosphere of the 19th-century bouillon with aplomb. Except rather than a pastiche, this dining culture is very much alive, with queues for tables snaking along the street and reservations vanishing weeks ahead. Little surprise when a meal here is one of the cheapest (and most fun) you can find in Paris. Just come hungry. For little more than €20 (about £17.50), you can put away three courses and a glass of wine. They do old-school dishes the best: œufs en meurette (eggs poached in red wine); steak tartare with a mountain of fries; comforting enamelware bowls of saucisse purée (sausage and mash). Bring plenty of friends to order rosé by the three-litre jeroboam.
Address: 39 boulevard du Temple, 75003 Paris
Website: bouillonlesite.com/bouillon-republique
@clubdesandouilles
22. Parcelles
Dish to order: gnocchis with beurre de sauge
Sarah Michielson and Bastien Fidelin have painstakingly restored this Marais bistro, preserving the character of its original interior – mosaic floors, old stone walls – by adding little more than grand, gold-framed mirrors and crisp white tablecloths. Fidelin’s passion for wine is just as much of a draw as the food, the cellar holding rare and cult bottles spanning Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to Ganevat. Dishes are fittingly elegant and beautifully presented: perhaps a meticulously assembled pâté en croûte to start, their version of vitello tonnato (thinly sliced veal in a caper and pickle sauce) or veal sweetbreads in a rich jus to follow. Unusually for Paris, there are also some stand-outs for non-meat eaters, including delicate gnocchi in sage butter. Expect to spend around €30-40 (about £26-£35) a plat and be seriously tempted to go big on the wine list.
Address: 13 rue Chapon, 75003 Paris
Website: parcelles-paris.fr

23. Buffet
Dish to order: Mackerel with daikon, cream and shiso
With a lineup of Lillet bottles in front of a mirrored bar and rustic wooden tables covered with gingham, Buffet couldn’t appear more classic French bistro if it tried. But when it comes to the food, the dozen or so sharing plates are anything but. It’s hard to place the cuisine; most of the flavours are borrowed from all over the Far East, but the way the ingredients are cooked and served wouldn’t look out of place in the Levant. Take its sweet potato dish for example, it comes topped with a sprinkling of crumbled feta and crispy mushroom chips, but you have finely chopped spring onions in place of Mediterranean herbs. Or there’s the pan-fried mackerel; it comes sandwiched between minty chiffonades of shiso and chive cream that’s punctured with the punchiness of grated daikon. Wine-wise, it’s natural and organic all the way but you can bet the flavours are no less daring. Qin Xie
Address: 8 rue de la Main d'Or 75011 Paris
Website: restaurantbuffet.fr
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24. La Coupole
Dish to order: seafood platter
La Coupole is part of Montparnasse's artistic legacy and it remains an experience – even though it has lost its bohemian spirit and gained a ghastly rotating sculpture. In general, the food is so-so (although the oysters and other seafood are superb) but the setting is a treat. There's an undeniable whiff of glamour to the huge Art Deco interior, which attracts both Parisians and tourists and ensures a lively atmosphere. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: 102 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris
Website: lacoupole-paris.com
25. Le Train Bleu
Dish to order: the blanquette de veau
Le Train Bleu is a genuine Parisian landmark. A historic railway restaurant built above Gare du Lyon for the Universal Exhibition in 1901, its glittering, frescoed interior is rivalled only by Versailles’ hall of mirrors. You’d expect such pomp and circumstance to yield poor cooking and faux authenticity, yet thanks to the culinary genius of Michel Rostang, Le Train Bleu is once again une très bonne adresse. A meal here is not cheap (count on at least €70 a head for food) but it’s the stuff Parisian memories are made of, chandeliers sparkling overhead as you’re sequestered in a midnight-blue leather booth. The menu is somewhere between French haute cuisine (think pigeon and foie gras mousse or cod with black truffles) and refined traditional cooking. There’s something particularly decadent about tucking into a roast leg of lamb or blanquette de veau, served at the table in a cast-iron pot, in this setting. Lounges hidden off to the side of the main dining rooms and stairs leading up from the station itself keep the restaurant’s original purpose ever-present.
Address: Gare de Lyon (Hall 1), place Louis-Armand, 75012 Paris
Website: le-train-bleu.com
26. Le Grand Bain
Dish to order: chickpea chips with Worcestershire-sauce mayonnaise
Bristol-born chef Edward Delling-Williams, previously of London stalwart St John, met French sommelier Edouard Lax when he was working at similarly nose-to-tail Paris spot Au Passage. Now, on a sunny Friday evening in Paris you’ll find either one of them flying between the streetside tables to deposit dishes or dancing in the tiny open kitchen. The pair have turned a tumble-down tapas joint in a far-east scribbled side alley into one of the city’s must-visit neo-bistros (one that inadvertently influenced Salon and Levan in London’s similarly up-and-coming south). The food may be more serious than the double act behind the venture, but they’re fun, too: thick-cut chickpea chips served with a Worcestershire-sauce mayonnaise; endive leaves for dunking in a scamorza fondue; cheesy scones draped with melted lardo; and a swirl of porchetta with ceps. The vegetables, sourced from organic underground farm La Caverne in the 18th arrondissement, that are among the best, used in dishes such as fresh peas with Korean gochujang-paste mayonnaise and technicolour carrots dressed with nuts. Come for the cheesecake, but return to try the pastries from Le Petit Grain, its sister bakery down the road. Tabitha Joyce
Address: 14 Rue Dénoyez, 75020 Paris
Website: legrandbainparis.com

Florian Léger
27. Le Café Marly
Dish to order: Lobster salad
Don’t let the fact this is a museum restaurant put you off: Café Marly is hands down the best spot to take in the superlative views of I. M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid without the crowds. Set under the arches that run around the Louvre’s main courtyard, the walls are blood red, there is gilded wood and witty postmodern chandeliers – but really you need to be out on the shady covered terrace. A non-stop menu starts at breakfast with pastries and home-made granola, before segueing into delicious plates of pan-fried foie gras, Thai spring rolls, tuna steak and truffle pasta. Even if you’ve already got supper plans, make time to stop by for a sundowner when the place is at its buzziest best. It’s by no means cheap – but you are paying for the setting, after all. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: Palais du Louvre, 93 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Website: cafe-marly.com
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28. Le Chateaubriand
Dish to order: the tasting menu
Basque-born chef Iñaki Aizpitarte has been called a revolutionary and is something of a celebrity these days, which makes it almost miraculous that he is still cooking at this time-worn local bistro whose spartan decor has remained unchanged for decades. Lunch is a simpler, more conventional affair than dinner (€40), which is when Aizpitarte really lets his imagination run riot, with smeared avocado sauces, beetroot foams, and everything deconstructed to within an inch of its life. This is the kind of avant-garde stuff that provokes involuntary gasps when it is placed before diners. Ingredients may come from Japan, Morocco or Spain, but the dishes themselves are grounded in classic French techniques. The wine list is particularly good, with a bottle of Les Vilains from the Spanish border for €27, for example. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: 129 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris
Website: lechateaubriand.net
29. Amagat
Dish to order: the Iberian ham croqueta
Taxi lovers, beware! You won’t be getting to Amagat by car. At the far end of an alleyway lined with forgeries and a hip-hop dance studio sits Amagat (which translates to “hidden” in Catalan), a Spanish oasis for Paris’s finest fashionistas and foodies. Once you do stumble upon the hidden eatery, be prepared for an excellent array of tapas, each dish a modern departure from their classic Spanish and Catalan ancestors. Whether you sit at the marble countertop and watch the restaurant’s talented chefs work their magic or have a more intimate evening amidst candlelight in the restaurant’s gorgeous green courtyard, Amagat will be sure to delight. The wait for a table can be long, so reservations are highly recommended.
Address: 23 Villa Riberolle, 75020, Paris
Website: amagatparis.fr
Teddy Wolstenholme
30. L’Ogre
Dish to order: côte de boeuf (for two)
Deliciously tucked away in the 16th arrondissement, L’Ogre is a meat-lover’s triumph. Foie gras or smoky bone marrow are followed by enormous cuts of perfectly pink côte de boeuf, wagyu or black angus to share, sliced at the table and served on wooden boards with the fluffiest, crunchiest chips. The whole setup is delightfully French; vintage wine bottles line up along the central zinc bar, wonky candles drip onto red-and-white-checked tablecloths and there’s even a fumoir cigar room tucked away at the back. If you’re here for supper, try to bag a table beside the window – you’ll end up with a ringside seat for the Eiffel Tower’s hourly light show. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: 1 Avenue de Versailles, 75016 Paris, France
Website: restaurantlogre.fr
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31. Bouillon Chartier
Dish to order: escargots
This brasserie is simultaneously a little touristy and one of Paris’s best kept secrets. Don’t go for the food – the ambience is what makes this place great. Hidden down an alleyway, the grand building was previously a train station. Its belle époque charm has been kept intact, with tiled, mirrored walls and high ceilings, while the feel is down to earth. Locals bustle through for an early lunch of French basics – ham, boiled eggs and escargots, which is the highlight – briskly served by waiters carrying 10 plates at a time and all reasonably priced (this is one of the few spots that sells a decent steak frites for around £10). Charlotte Davey
Address: 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Website: bouillon-chartier.com
32. Robert et Louise
Dish to order: leg of lamb
It would be easy to walk straight past Robert et Louise’s unassuming entrance on the Marais’s Rue Vieille du Temple, if it wasn’t for the smell of wood-fired meat wafting from the red gingham curtains. This restaurant has been here for more than 60 years; and although the eponymous Robert and Louise have moved on, their daughter Pascale and her husband still run the show. Inside, copper pans hang from wonky shelves above a huge stone fireplace in the centre, and mismatched wooden tables become communal at busy times. This is low-key, rustic French cooking at its best; start with a plate of garlicky snails or a doorstop slab of foie gras, followed by beef rib, entrecôte, lamb leg or veal, grilled and salted over a smouldering wood fire. Portions are hearty – and ridiculously affordable for this central part of town. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: 64 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris
Website: robertetlouise.com

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33. La Palette
Dish to order: planche de charcuterie
More of a café than a full-blown restaurant, La Palette is a Paris institution that’s been part of the fabric of upscale St Germain for more than a century – so much so that it’s Art Deco back room is a listed historical monument. Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne and Ernest Hemingway were all regulars; today, the pretty, flower-fringed terrace is filled with chic art students and local gallery owners. The menu is simple: huge charcuterie platters, steak tartare and croque monsieurs (the bite-size versions are great for grazing over a drink). There’s a real air of conviviality and old-school charm; everyone knows the waiters’ names, and you’ll be saved a spot if you come back often enough. Which is handy, as there’s hot competition for the coveted terrace seats. Teddy Wolstenholme
Address: 43 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris
Website: lapalette-paris.com
34. Crêperie Breizh
Dish to order: the galette jambon cru (prosciutto from the Aldudes Valley, sunny-side-up egg, and Comté cheese) and a glass of dry cider
Usually, croissants, coq au vin, and Calvados hoard the spotlight when one thinks about French cuisine, but at Crêperie Breizh, it is the humble crêpe that steals the show. A Parisian favourite with locations on either side of the Seine, Breizh (the Breton word for the French region Bretagne, or Brittany) serves savoury Breton galettes, crêpes made with buckwheat flour (and naturally gluten-free!). With a myriad of options ranging from classic to impossibly clever, all diners can revel in the buttery, nutty crunch of an excellent Breizh crêpe. Indeed, certain dishes are Japanese-inspired – especially the ‘rolls’, a reimagined homage to sushi, if buckwheat had gotten involved. Pair your dish with any of Breizh’s excellent ciders, which are sold either by glass or bottle and save room for pudding – a sweet crêpe, made with organic wheat flour from Brittany.
Address: 109 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75003, Paris (in the Marais)
Website: breizhcafe.com

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