The Best Food In Paris – 5 Excellent Restaurants
By Carrie Green Zinn
Going to Paris and wondering where is the best food in Paris?
Who doesn’t love the food in Paris? Each time I go, I uncover more of why this city holds a special place in my heart!
The food in Paris is a huge part of the entire experience in the city of love and lights. The sites are important but the food in Paris must be an integral part of your vacation!
La Maison Rose
2 Rue De L’Abreuvoir
Known as one of the most iconic restaurants in Paris, La Maison Rose is a must stop when touring Montmartre.
Enjoy this delightful small menu featuring only seasonal vegetables, fish, and meat in one of the most beautiful and historic neighborhoods of paris.
La Maison Rose has a rich history filled with the most famous artists, writers, and singers since the early 1900’s. Picasso, Dali, Camus, and others have dined here.
Make a reservation or take a chance to stop in for an afternnon snack.
Judy Cantine Qualitarienne
18 Rue de Fleurus
Best for breakfast or lunch. Judy’s is a vegan, gluten free restaurant focused on being “qualitarian.”
Judy’s concept is to create food that is good for both body and mind, while respecting the planet. And if you aren’t into that sort of eating, it doesn’t matter because all the food is delicious!
Le Petit Boullion Pharamond
24 Rue de la Grande Truanderie
In 1879, Alexander Pharamound founded this restaurant, then A La Petit Normande in the Les Halles neighborhood.
The Pharamound family renovated the restaurant at the time of the Paris Exhibition, and it is maintained to this day, filled with beautiful woodwork and painted mirrors.
Famous characters such as Hemmingway and Clèmanceau spent time in this famous and traditional Paris spot.
We REALLY enjoyed the grilled chicken breast with a mushroom cream sauce and mashed potatoes.
A traditional French, cozy, cold evening dinner. And it was so inexpensive, we were kind of shocked! We shared some desserts, of course. Crème Brûléé, a must in Paris! Délicieux!!!
6 Tips to find the Best Food in Paris
2. Research ahead of time and find places you will like, in the neighborhoods you want to visit.
3. Make reservations before you travel.
4. Organize your daily activities around where you are starting the day with breakfast, where you are stopping for lunch, and where you have reservations for dinner.
5. Build in some early evening down time at your hotel or apartment before venturing out again for the dinner adventure. It can go a long way in revitalizing the group!
6. Remember that pleasure travel is costly, and eating well is part of both the cost and the pleasure!
Restaurant Le Coupe-Chou
9&11 Rue de Lanneau
The atmosphere of this restaurant perfectly Parisian. We were placed in a cozy spot by the fireplace with only three or four other tables in the room.
We enjoyed the duck breast with morel mushrooms in a port wine sauce with mashed potatoes, the beef filet with potatoes, and ratatouille with herbs of Provence, burata and pesto with nut oil.
Every bite had the three S’s; savory, sublime, and satisfying!
For desert, Chocolate Leigois, Crème Brûlée, and a Pear Poached in Red Wine and Honey!
This restaurant was opened by three partners in 1962 and was decorated in the 17th century style with round tables, a stone chimney and stone floors, specific to the neighborhood it is in.
On the slopes of Montagne Saint-Geneviéve, the owners began buying neighboring buildings so the restaurant has rooms upstairs connected by passageways and staircases. Those rooms are decorated with green velvet wing chairs and antiques.
During renovations, the owners discovered artifacts of a Gallo-Roman city from the time of Marcus Aurelius. They found 12th century pottery and statuettes!
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the queen of Denmark, and many more have dined here!
BigLove Caffe
30 Rue Debelleyme
The Big Mama Group is an Italian restaurant chain dedicated to offering the most amazing Italian food in Paris.
This particular location in the Marais is known for roasting their own coffee beans and serving remarkable raspberry and marscapone French Toast and ricotta Pancakes!
They are also famous for their gluten free pizza. So uncanny is this gluten free crust, that no one can tell the difference between the GF or traditional crust!
The menu changes each month, so you could keep going back and not worry about repetition!
You will LOVE the atmosphere! Some private tables, some shared. Walls are piled high with shelves of jars and bottles and hanging cheeses and sausages.
We enjoyed Kale Middleton, Let it Beef, and Hot Drunk Love. We shared salads and enjoyed a Mammargherita pizza, a Truffle Trouble pizza with portobello mushrooms, and a Lady Di Napoli pizza with capers and olives.
Quick & Easy Links
Flights & Hotels: I recommend Expedia
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Car Rental: I recommend Hertz
Tours: I recommend Viator
Gear: Check out my Travel Stuff
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Now you know where to find the
best food in Paris
Paris is so full of sights and sounds and tastes. It can be overwhelming to know where to eat.
Use this list to help you make some plans and dinner reservations. These restaurants are the best place to begin your dining experience in one of the best food cities in the world. I promise you won’t be sorry with these meals!
I also highly recommend a late afternoon cafe stop for wine and french fries! Never enough pomme frit! Bon Appetit!
Carrie
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Carrie Green Zinn is the owner and author of Carrie Green Zinn – A Travel Blog, which helps travelers become inspired to explore and step out of their comfort zones. Carrie focuses on family vacations, empty nest travel, and girlfriend getaways. Her work is informed by her life as a former dancer, therapist, and school psychologist. She brings her passion for writing, photography, and making the world a smaller place to her ever growing blogging audience.
I love the idea of afternoon wine and pomme frit!