At the time of writing this post I have visited Paris 7 times. I have spent multiple days there each time and found some really excellent spots. These are not in any particular order. They are places that I have found to be excellent during my time in Paris and places that I would 100% return to. (some I already have). This is not your usual list and you’re not going to find the instagram spots like Pink Mama and Le Train Bleu here… although those are excellent spots.
1. Le Maquis
My favorite dinner we’ve had in Paris. I was tipped off about this place by the blog “Paris by Mouth”. Gotta give credit where credit is due! The place is no frills just good food and wine in a very small space. When we first arrived we weren’t even sure if it was open because they had a curtain over the door. They run a fixed menu and the last time we went the price was 60 euro per person not including drinks. They cook whatever they have made that day, you don’t get to choose. The meal we had was phenomenal. We sent friends back and they also said it was their favorite place to eat in Paris. It is not open on Saturday & Sunday so you have to work around that and I would 100% make a reservation if you want to eat here. I also love the charming little area where they are located, it is behind the Montmartre hill and is a little more local feeling.
Practical Info: Open Tuesday-Friday, make reservations
Address: 53 Rue des Cloys, 75018 Paris, France
Website: https://lemaquisrestaurant.fr/
2. Les Enfantes du Marche
The number one gem in the Enfants Rouges Market and I think tied for my fav meal I’ve had in Paris. They specialize in seafood and it is NOT cheap but it is FANTASTIC. I can not emphasize enough how quality and fresh the food was. I will dream about the lunch I had here until I go back and eat there again. You can’t make reservations here but we got here for lunch right before they actually opened and we had no trouble. They offered wine pairings to go with their food and made some fun suggestions. This is a bustling place but they take good care of you and make you feel welcome. There were definitely locals and tourists alike enjoying this spot and it was very crowded by the time we were leaving.
Practical Info: Open Tuesday to Sunday, Sunday Only until 5pm, no reservations
Address: Marché des, 39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France
Website: https://michael2110grosman.wixsite.com/website/accueil
3. Berthillon Ice Cream
I do not know what in the world they do to the ice cream here but it is absolutely incredible. It is some of the best if not the very best ice cream I have ever had. It’s a fun little adventure to the Ile Saint Louis to get it too. We tried chocolate and mango and they were equally incredible. I do not think you could go wrong and I can only dream of having ice cream this good somewhere else in the world. I’ll let you know when I find it!
Practical Info: Open Weds-Sunday
Address: 31 rue saint louis en l’ile, 46 Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, 75004 Paris
Website: https://berthillon.fr/
4. Mon Bleu
If you’re a cheese lover… this is your place! You must go here and eat ALL the cheese! We let them make us a board of recommended cheese and it changed my life. We also saw people eating full meals here and they looked excellent. I would definitely go back for a meal sometime. They recommended nice wines to pair with the cheese and were super kind and helpful. We made a reservation but I’m not sure it was needed as it wasn’t over crowded during happy hour time. This is in the Montmartre area so if you’re around there doing all your touristy things you can stop here before or after.
Practical Info: Open every day, Sunday shorter hours, you can make reservations
Address: 37 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France
Website: https://www.monbleu.fr/monbleu-faubourg-montmartre/
5. Refuge de Fondue
The strangest and most fun experience! This place is SMALL and just has 2 long tables down the sides. You may have to climb over the table to sit down. It only serves fondue with bread or with meat and bread. You drink wine out of baby bottles which sounds weird, and honestly is a bit weird. This is just a quirky fun experience. The fondue is good enough and if you’re in Paris on a chillier night its the perfect cozy place to duck into. Definitely skip this if you don’t like being super close to strangers, chatting to the tables around you, or just a general communal dinner feel. Do go here if you’re down for fun and interesting experiences. We had an absolute blast here. We made reservations and I highly recommend it as I mentioned it is quite small.
Practical Info: Open every day, dinner only, make reservations
Address: 17 Rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris, France
Website: https://www.lerefugedesfondus.com/index.php/a-propos/
6. Sacree Fleur
This is a classic french spot but it is definitely for meat eaters. The meat is the focus here and they give you so much of it! The meat is served on a stone with multiple sauces and frites and it was FANTASTIC. We also tried some veggies and the french onion soup. You likely wouldn’t just walk in here off the street as it looks quite unassuming (which we love). But you must make reservations to eat here.
Practical Info: Open Monday to Saturday, make reservations
Address: 50 Rue de Clignancourt, 75018 Paris, France
Website: https://www.sacreefleur.fr/
7. Maison Rose
The Maison Rose is an iconic building in Paris and hordes of people take photos here and admire it from the outside. We are guilty of that ourselves and we didn’t actually dine here until our 6th time in Paris! Don’t just look at it from the outside! Make a reservation (a must) and go inside to eat! We loved having brunch here, it is so charming. The place is quite tiny on the inside and they serve such delightful light fare. We had a 3 course brunch with some fantastic prosecco. It was also fun to peer out the windows while eating and watch the crowds taking pics and marveling at the cuteness of the place.
Practical Info: Open Wednesday to Sunday, must make reservations
Address: 2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir, 75018 Paris, France
Website: https://lamaisonrose-montmartre.com/en/
8. Boulangerie Louvard
Do yourself a favor and get to this place to get the “crookie”. This is a viral pastry that is a cross between a croissant and a cookie. We weren’t sure if it would live up to the hype, but it blew us away. It was so doughy and delicious and I couldn’t recommend getting one more highly. It seems they’re making them all over Paris and even the world now, but this is the original spot. Or at least it claims to be.
Practical Info: Closed on Sundays, just walk in
Address:11 Rue de Châteaudun, 75009 Paris, France
Website: https://maisonlouvard.fr/
9. Bellvilloise Jazz Brunch
This one was a bit off the beaten path but so cool and fun! We also did a street art tour in this neighborhood so we had a good reason to be out this way. It also may qualify as more of a full experience than a “best food” spot, but I wanted to add it to this list. They have 2 time slots for brunch and you pay a fixed rate for the buffet (35pp). The food was really good and the music was so nice. You can literally eat until your hearts content while listening to a nice jazz show. They had food for everyone, so many different types of fresh salads, cheeses, veggies, breads, pastries, chocolate mousse piled high, eggs, bacon, if you can dream it, they had it. The place is absolutely stunning and overall, its just a really fun experience.
Practical Info: Open Thursday to Sunday, I suggest jazz brunch, make reservations
Address: 19-21 Rue Boyer, 75020 Paris, France
Website: https://www.labellevilloise.com/
10. La Boite Aux Lettres
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t find something good to eat in Montmartre. I have proven over and over, even in this list, that you can. This is a little gem run by a few guys who do a chalkboard menu each night. You can pick an app, entree, and desert for a fixed price. They recommend great wines and they are really kind about explaining the menu. We’ve had some really nice meals here and since we generally stay in this area it’s a nice spot to end the night. It is both cozy and casual and we always have a solid meal here.
Practical Info: Closed Sundays, make reservations
Address: 108 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris, France
Website: https://laboiteauxlettres.com/
If you’re tired of eating and looking for another fun activity in Paris I suggest you check out Tasting Sunsets post on 10 Instagrammable Spots in Paris You Can’t miss!
Plan for me dani 