Where to Eat in Paris: 18 Restaurants You’ll love for 2023

This post is about the restaurants in Paris, the majority without Michelin Stars, that we liked the most and the ones that we want to visit. As you know, we live in Paris and we try to test and try as much restaurants as possible.

If you are looking for an itinerary, check this blog post, Best things to do in Paris, a complete guide with an itinerary for those who travel to the city of light for the first time.

This article will grow every month and hopefully, you will be able to find restaurants for all tastes and budgets.

We are trying to order this list by arrondissement so you will know where to go depending on your location.

Do You Prefer a Tour?

• Paris Gastronomic Bus: Tour the center of Paris aboard the Bustronome, a luxurious gastronomic bus where you can enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner during the city tour.
• A unique day: Dinner Cruise.
• Check out this Cheese and wine tour in Paris

Best restaurants in Paris

There are plenty of lovely places to go for lunch (déjeneur) or dinner (diner) in Paris. Depending on the area, prices will vary a lot.

Of course, the most touristy areas, like everywhere else, are the most expensive, but there are always little tricks to save money in Parisian restaurants.

Where to eat in Paris. 1st Arrondissement

Kodawari Ramen (Tsukiji). Japanese cooking.

Another Japanese restaurant we tried in Paris in March 2023 is Kodawari Ramen. There are two Kodawari restaurants; you have KODAWARI TSUKIJI at 12 rue de Richelieu and KODAWARI YOKOCHŌ at 29 rue Mazarine.

We went to the first one, which is specialized in fish ramen. Moreover, the restaurant is set in a Tokyo fish market. The truth is that it’s amazing, and the ramen is probably the best and tastiest I’ve ever tried, with the exception of the ones we tried in Japan.

Fer asked for the SARDINE BOMB!! the chef’s version and I ordered the PAITAN DE DAURADE ROYALE with egg (tamago).

If you already know Paris or are craving ramen, this place is fantastic. The only bad thing is that you have to wait.

Let me tell you how it works; when you get to the restaurant door, you’ll see a QR code; you have to use the code to be on the wait list. 10 minutes before your turn is coming, they send you a text message.

I think this is great because you don’t have to wait at the door, you get on the waitlist and you can walk around, do shopping or whatever you want until they call you.

We arrived at 12 noon on a Sunday and ate at 1:30 p.m. We went for a walk around the Japanese quarter, but you can also go to the Louvre and take some photos of the pyramids, but you won’t have time to visit the museum.

But without a doubt, a place that I loved. The next time, I will go to Kodawari Yokocho, which specializes in beef ramen. Oishii!

Verjus – Modern European cooking

Verjus, beautifully tucked within the romantic nooks of Paris, is a celebration of Modern European cuisine.

Under the culinary genius of Chef Braden Perkins, the restaurant promises a harmonious blend of traditional tastes with contemporary techniques.

With an ever-changing seasonal menu, Verjus offers dishes that are both visually arresting and tantalizing to the taste buds at a fixed price of 98€ per person plus wines.

I would never think I would go to an American chef restaurant in Paris, but this is the case with Braden Perkins, it absolutely worth it.

The wine list, thoughtfully curated, ensures each dish has its perfect liquid counterpart.

Natural wines, a trend in sustainable and organic viticulture, find their presence on the menu, complementing the flavors of each dish beautifully.

Among the city’s many stylish restaurants, Verjus outshines with its unique character and flair. Whether it’s a quiet dinner or a celebratory evening, Verjus stands out as a jewel of Parisian fine dining.

Where to eat in Paris in the 2nd Arrondissement

Pizzeria Popolare. Italian (obviously)

This is the second restaurant of Big Mamma group that we include in this guide but it is fair to admit that this group is doing an amazing job. I have tried 3 restaurants, one in Lyon and two in Paris, and I really enjoyed everytime I’ve been there.

As always in the restaurants of this group the truffled pasta is a classic and pizzas are excellent.

The dining experience though, is a bit different than the others because the concept changes.

The restaurant has long tables that are shared with other diners, which can create a lively and convivial atmosphere. You should take this into account if you decide to go, it’s better knowing before than expecting other thing and find out you will share a table with other people.

The service is top-notch, and the food is absolutely delicious. It’s definitely a place I’ll be returning to!

Where to eat in Paris in the 3rd Arrondissement

Restaurant L’Oyat

Restaurant L’Oyat is a popular wine bar and restaurant located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris at 11 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth.

The restaurant is run by the talented (and rocker) chef from Dunkirk Jeremy Sergeant, trained in London and South Africa before establishing his own restaurant in Paris.

His culinary skills are undoubtedly reflected in the delicious dishes served here.

The restaurant’s interior is tastefully decorated, making it one of these stylish restaurants in Paris I love. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, making it the perfect place to enjoy a meal with friends or family.

There’s a menu (formula) for lunch with an affordable price of 28€ that given the quality of the dishes is a very good price. For diner “à la carte” though, price will be around 60€ or 70€ per person.

The menu is short, always based in high quality ingredients of the season. 3 or 4 starters, 3 or 4 main courses and 3 or 4 desserts. I love that because it means every single dish is mastered and thoughtfully designed.

“Restaurant L’Oyat” is a popular dining destination in Paris, with locals and tourists alike flocking to this restaurant for its exceptional cuisine and good ambiance.

I’m not surprised why the restaurant has received high ratings, with many praising the quality of the food and the service provided by the friendly staff.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a perfect place to enjoy a memorable dining experience in Paris, “Restaurant L’Oyat” is definitely worth a visit. Its stylish interior, extensive wine list, and delicious cuisine make it one of the most popular restaurants in the city, and a must-visit for anyone who loves Paris dining around the 3rd Arrondissement.

Where to eat in Paris in the 5th Arrondissement

La Méthode

It is a restaurant with typical French food, located 2 minutes from the Pantheon, in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement.

It is a restaurant with typical French food, located 2 minutes from the Pantheon, in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement. The establishment prides itself on its classic French cooking, capturing the essence of traditional culinary delights.

We sat on the typically covered terrace you’ll see in French restaurants. The customer service was excellent, and the food was as good as the service.

We ordered without really knowing what we were ordering since my French was zero at that time, Fer remembered a little from school, and the hotesse didn’t speak English.

The homemade chocolate coulant, is the best I’ve ever tasted!

Although it is located in the Latin Quarter, this restaurant is on the outskirts and is not frequented by foreign tourists.

We do believe that some were French tourists, or at least they seemed so, and the best thing is that it was not crowded or it seemed because the French people speak generally in a lower tone of voice.

Another thing that I liked, besides the food, is that they don’t rush you; behind us, there was a couple who had been sitting before we arrived with a coffee, and they were still there when we left.

The menu price was about € 19 per person plus the drink apart, Fer had a beer and I asked for tap water, in french they say “carafe d’eau”. By law, in this country, they are obliged to serve a bottle to you and do not charge for it.

The bill was forty-something euros. So, for me, I totally recommend La Methode de Paris.

If you want to go, this is the address: 2 Rue Descartes, 75005 Paris.

La Brasserade, Latin Quarter

This provencal restaurant is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter. We got in because we were strolling the Latin quarter, we saw the chalkboard menu, we wanted to taste fondue, it was time for dinner and we were hungry!

The restaurant is charming; the waiter who attended us was a gentleman who spoke Italian, French, some Spanish and English.

The atmosphere of La Brasserad is noisy and active. La Brasserade has a lot of tourists and you can hear a lot of Italian and Spanish in the restaurant.

In addition, the area in which it is located invites you to have a drink in any of the gambling dens along Rue Huchette.

I’m not going to say that this restaurant is top but prices are affordable, on average, about 20 euros per person, we took a salad, a fondue, half a bottle of Bordeaux, and two coffees.

Le Jardin du Roy, Latin Quarter

This restaurant in the Latin Quarter’s famous Rue de la Huchette is nice. Although we ate from the lunch menu (Formule midi), there were two or three menus of different prices.

We ordered the € 15 one that included a starter, a main dish, and dessert. And to drink a jug of water.

The menu was excellent, and the dessert was delicious. But, Fer ordered a pint of Affligem beer, and they charged him € 11, almost the same as the meal. So, keep that in mind, in case you ask without looking at the prices.

I ordered a salad with goat cheese, entrecote with fries, and a chocolate mousse. Very good, totally recommended.

Where to eat in Paris in the 6th Arrondissement

Little Breizh, Saint Germain

Great for galettes (savory crepes made with buckwheat) and sweet crepes.

Price 20 euros per person, but they had menus of € 11.90, including the first plate, second plate, dessert, and a glass of cider or homemade apple juice.

Lovely customer service and the crepes are superb!

Address: 11 Rue Gregoire de Tours.

Where to eat in Paris in the 8th Arrondisement

Del Papa Restaurant, Arc du Triomphe

It is an Italian restaurant that is near the Arc de Triomphe. This is where we dined on New Year Eve; we chose it for the location and because the price of the menu did not go too much, 50 euros each.

We take a look at the menu, and on an average day, you can eat for about € 20; as always, drinks raise the price the most depending on what you order.

Our experience in this restaurant is from December 31st, so many people from all over, French, Italians, Spanish, Russians, and others do not identify the language.

Despite the number of people there, the customer service was excellent, and the food was tasty and abundant.

The only downside, perhaps, is that there were many tables and we were very close to each other. It is almost inevitable to talk to the next person, we like that, but, probably, others don’t.

Pierre Hermé Paris

Pierre Hermé Paris is perfect for giving yourself a sweet treat or bringing a gift, but it is quite expensive. It has shops scattered throughout the French capital, including the Eiffel Tower. A must-try the macarons.

Miss Ko Restaurant

On March 2023, I finally went to dinner at the Miss Ko restaurant, I had it on my to-do list for a couple of years. And it did not disappoint at all.

This popular restaurant is a short walk from the Champs Elysées and the Louis Vuitton store. The minimum price that you are going to spend will be €50.

The decoration is excellent, it is modern, it has good music, a very good customer service, with waiters who speak several languages and of course, the culinary experience was delicious.

We each ordered a spritz to drink, some gyozas for starters, a 25-piece sushi mix for two people, a typical pizzetta, and for dessert, some mochis, and a cheesecake.

The sushi was of exceptionally good quality, the sauces were excellent, and the cheesecake was very rich. Undoubtedly, it is totally recommended, and I will surely return.

Of course, you must make a reservation online; they ask for it at the door; if not, you cannot enter.

Where to eat in Paris. 11th Arrondissement

Orgueil Restaurant

The Orgueil has a concept of zero waste with seasonal products. The waitress proposes a number of dishes per diner that is considered to be enough so that there is no excess food. This is why the menu changes depending on the season.

The idea is to share the dishes with your companions (or not!); they would be much more elaborate and chic like tapas.

The presentation of the menu is also very original; It looks like tarot cards. Each card has 3 dishes for you to choose starters, vegetables, fish, meat, and dessert. We ordered 3 dishes each plus a dessert to share, which was more than enough.

They have a good selection of wines and the waiters know how to guide you to choose the perfect wine for your dinner.

For starters, you can try the goat cheese with pine nuts, and green asparagus which is excellent. Don’t forget to order the croquettes.

They are not the typical ones like those made in Spain; they had a French touch, and they seemed to be made with rillettes.

By the way, if you haven’t tried the rillettes, I recommend the goose ones.

As main courses, we recommend you to try the gnocchi with compte cheese and mushrooms, the squid teriyaki with potatoes, and the lamb confit with hazelnuts.

Desserts are elaborate, we loved the brioche with chocolate and ice cream.

All the waiters speak English and several speak other languages too if you have any questions or want to get a suggestion, it’s much easier.

The price is reasonable for being in a cool neighborhood in Paris.

Ober Mamma, Oberkampf

It’s an Italian restaurant, where we celebrated my sister’s birthday. It is located in the Oberkampf area, near Bataclan.

You will eat wonderfully well, it has the most reasonable prices, the service is excellent and the waiters are super friendly.

If someone has a birthday, you can let them know and they sing you happy birthday in Italian and put a candle in your dessert or a cup of chantilly cream with a candle.

Here we ate like crazy (there were 5 of us), and we ordered everything we wanted, including two bottles of wine and two cokes. As starters, we ordered burrata, carpaccio, and octopus, then the main course each. I ordered gnocchi, probably the best I’ve ever eaten in my life.

We also ordered a classic spritz each, a dessert each, and 5 shots of limoncello. The whole bill was € 273.

One of these days I am going to prepare an exclusive post about this restaurant because I loved it and it is highly recommended. Or ask me if you want more information.

You have to book in advance. Note: It’s hot in the main room because of the pizza ovens.

Note: We returned to Ober Mamma and noticed that the menu was different. I ordered a dish of pasta with truffle, OMG! Delicious!!! I think it’s only for winter, but if you go and see this dish, ask for it, you won’t regret it.

Where to eat in Paris in the 14th Arrondissement

L’Assiete. Montparnasse

I knew about this restaurant from the article in the New York Times The 25 essential dishes to eat in Paris and I said to myself that I had to taste that Cassoulette.

This popular place, a small and simply decorated pure Parisian bistrot that makes you feel at home when you get in, captivated me.

David Rathgeber, a chef with one Michelin star winner in Benoit Bistrot (2006), under Alain Ducasse management, decides to take the reins of L’assiette.

The cassoulette is absolutely amazing, is an absolute unit of cassoulette that probably is enough for two people, take this into account if you are not a great eater. I couldn’t finish it.

Using beans from the Vendée region (the most famous in France), a superb blend of six types of meat: lamb neck, hand-chopped sausage, confit of duck legs, pork ribs, garlic-infused sausage, and pork belly are cooked for several hours mixing the flavors.

The price was 35€ for the Cassoulette when I went there. It is definitely worth it.

La Coupole. Brasserie, French

The 14th Arrondissement is one of my preferred. Very well communicated with Montparnasse on its left side and with a historical neibourghood of cafes and restaurants one after the other that give you endless possibilities.

I really like to walk down the rue de la Gaité and stroll the Boulevard de Montparnasse to enjoy the ambiance. If you are in Paris during a football match of the French team (Les bleus), this neiborhood will not let you down, for sure.

In the Boulevard of Montparnasse you will find a lot of restaurants and bars, and La Coupole is one of the historic restaurants of Paris that since 1927 will catch your eye and will invite you to get inside with its art deco style.

Countless famous people like Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir or Jean-Paul Sartre were sitting there enjoying the music, several films have taken this restaurant as filming scenario and again Simenon with the commissaire Maigret uses La Coupole as the center of the investigation.

I have been there three times in the last two years. The best oysters I have had in Paris were served here in la Coupole.

The pork is stunning and the artichoke is simple, honest and delicious. I tasted the tuna tartar which was delicious but they changed the menu, now is bar instead of tuna.

If you’re really hungry you can ask for a choucrut or filet de boeuf, you will not be dissapointed.

Price will be around 60 to 80 € per person depending on what you order.

Mangue Rouge, Porte d’Orleans

If you like Thai food, this restaurant is going to enchant you. It is not located in a tourist area, and we found it by chance in October 2021 because we stayed at the Acropole Hotel, which is a few steps from this restaurant.

This Thai restaurant has typical Thai food, the menu is in French and Thai, but many of their names will sound familiar to you if you like this type of food.

It’s honestly one of the best Thai restaurants I’ve ever had.

Here we went for dinner and ordered from the menu, the main course for each, a dessert and a beer. The price did not reach € 30 per person. It would probably have been around € 50 per person if it had been in the center.

Where to eat in Paris 17th Arrondissement

Chez Fred. Contemporary French Cooking.

A classic Bistrot restaurant that we love in Paris is Chez Fred. A French cuisine restaurant that has been open since 1945. It has a classic Parisian touch and exquisite food.

This restaurant was a “bouchon lyonnais” and it has been pictured in the books of Georges Simenon as one of the preferred restaurants of the famous commissaire Maigret, the main character of his novels.

Chez Fred, under the direction of Laurent Hullo, has been reborn today as a Parisian bistro in the glory of good, authentic, and seasonal cuisine.

But what can you expect from Chez Fred? A bistronomic, tasty, gourmet, friendly cuisine based on the right product: the area and the season.

We ordered a carpaccio from the bar, very fresh and tasty; I ordered a shrimp risotto, it has been a long time since I tasted one so delicious, and Fer ordered a pepper sirloin, super tender. We also ordered dessert and coffee. Excellent espresso coffee!!!

Everything really excellent. We will repeat it for sure. Also, one of the waiters spoke a little Spanish.

Open from Monday to Friday for lunch and dinners.

• Check Out: What to do in Paris in December

Where to eat in Paris in the 18th Arrondissement

Bibiche, Montmartre

Here we were visiting Montmartre and on the way to the Moulin Rouge, we decided to find a place to eat. We arrived by chance, it looked good.

We dined at the typical Parisian tables on the heated terrace. My photos have all come out red because of the stoves, hehehe.

Here you have to taste, the foie grass and the camembert roti are highly recommended. It’s what we ordered first and it was great. We also ordered Os a Moelle as a starter, it was good, but I have tried better.

As main courses we ordered meat, 2 onglets that were very good and Fer and Mati ordered Cote de boeuf to share, it looked good, but I found it too much food!

Address: 42 Rue Lepic, Paris

Other Restaurants that We Want to Go

The number of restaurants in Paris is incredible; you have something for all tastes and budgets, so recommending it is challenging because there will always be another to try.

Here are several, some of which we will be testing in future trips, but if you see this post before I update it and you feel like it, you know.

1. Mister T restaurant, this restaurant was recommended to me, if you’ve already been there, give me your opinion, please.
2. Les Ombres, for an exceptional occasion, is a costly restaurant with views of the Eiffel Tower
3. Brasserie Auteuil, looks great
4. Café Pouchkine is an elegant place for a special occasion. The average price is € 65 per person.
5. Flesh restaurant for meat lovers.
6. Freddys restaurant
7. Le Souffle is supposedly where you can eat the best souffle in Paris.

How to Save Money in Paris Restaurants

In general, Paris is a fairly expensive city, but you can save money with these tips.

• “Formule” looks for restaurants that have “Formule”, it can be formule midi or formule soir. This means lunch menu or evening menu. These menus usually include a main course with dessert or with a starter, or all three. Of course, it is cheaper than ordering from the menu.
• “Carafe d’eau” is pronounced something like caraf do, and means tap water. That is, ask for tap water. In France, it is totally normal, especially at noon lunch, the water is good and free.
• Escape from the tourist areas, avoid going to restaurants in the more expensive tourist areas, and look for the Formule if you have no choice.
• Stay in an apartment; one of the best ways to save money on any trip is to prepare the food yourself. So you can look for an apartment on Booking.com and go to the supermarket and at least prepare breakfast and dinner yourself.

Lunch and Diner Time in Paris

In France, in general, the eating hours are European.

At noon, you have lunch between 12 noon and 1:30 pm and dinner at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. These hours are for restaurants, brasseries, and bistros, but fast food places have longer hours. Exceptions depend on the area, time of year, etc.

But the good thing about Paris is that you can find excellent places with much longer hours or serve food all day than in other parts of France.

Of course, if you want to go to a more unique or famous place, you must book in advance, sometimes for a month or more!

What to Eat in Paris

If you want to eat typical food from Paris, here you have some must.

• Le croque-monsieur: Young and old love it, the croque-monsieur puts everyone in agreement. It was born in 1910 in a cafe on the Boulevard des Capucines, and its name comes from a joke pronounced by its creator. Croque-monsieur is as easy as it is quick to prepare. You only need two slices of sliced bread, cooked ham, béchamel cheese, and grated cheese. Some bake it in the oven, others in a skillet. There are also devices specially designed for this typical Parisian dish.

• Shepherd’s pie (Le hachis parmentier): Another typical dish from Paris, the shepherd’s pie or pie, is made with mashed potatoes and minced meat (or fish). The history of this dish? Antoine Parmentier, a pharmacist, created this recipe and made Louis XVI change his mind; who considered that the potato was a common and good food for animals.

• Entrecote with French fries: In the 19th century, La Villette was a slaughterhouse where butchers liked beef entrecote with butter and herbs, accompanied by “Pont-Neuf potatoes.” Today, we find this dish (rather with fries) in many Parisian bistros and even beyond the borders of Ile-de-France.

• Les Halles gratiné: Gratiné des Halles is also a typical Parisian dish. It is an onion soup topped with grated cheese that is browned in the oven. Simple, but good!

Here you have more things to try in Paris; I leave you the names in French, which is how you will find them in France.

• Le mille-feuille
• L’Opéra
• Le Saint-Honoré
• L’amandine
• The baguette Tradition (there are many varieties, ask for the one you like best at the boulangerie )
• Les chouquettes
• Les macarons (essential)
• Les fromages (cheese: you will see that sometimes they eat it for dessert)
• Le croissant and le Pain au Chocolat (essential)

Have a Drink in Paris

• Harry’s New York bar in Opera, where they (supposedly) invented the Bloody Mary
• FAT (French Art Touch) combines street art, hip-hop, and cocktails.
• Café des Chats, to have a coffee with kittens keeping you company (16 rue de Michel Le Compte).
• Go for a drink in a 1920s-style bar, hidden behind a pizzeria (5 Rue de Sedaine)
• Have chocolate in Angelina

Plan Your Trip to Paris

• What to see in Paris when it rains (or original visits to do in Paris)
• Visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery
• Must-visit tours in Paris
• What to see in Paris in 5 days
• Day Trip to Versailles

By the way, this post is not sponsored (sadly) by any of the restaurants I mentioned. I recommend them because we tried them, and we liked both the food and the attention.

Last Updated on 14 October, 2023 by Veronica