Paris Food, Dining Recommendations
Listen to the accompanying podcast episodes for this topic here: Part 1 and Part 2.
General Advice
Restaurants are obligated to post their menus with prices outside, either on a sign or in their window. This makes it very easy to choose the perfect place for your tastes and budget without having to look online or go inside.
Look for the word “formule” on restaurant signs. Many places will have an affordable set price for a shortened menu, consisting of an appetizer + main course, main course + dessert, or all three. This is an affordable way to try some nicer places, such as Bofinger.
Helpful vocabulary:
Sur place = for here
Note: Some places will charge a higher price for dining in than taking out, which helps pay waiters. In France, waiters do not live on tips like in The United States. For exceptional service, you can tip a few cents or even leave a 1 euro coin.
Emporter = to go
Grabbing a snack or sandwich and eating down by the Seine River, Canal Saint-Martin, or in one of the lovely Parisian gardens is truly magical. But so is sitting outside on the patio and embracing the Parisian café culture.
Bofinger
Breakfasts
The French mainly eat pastries (croissants, pain au chocolat) for breakfast, along with an espresso. A couple mornings, we stopped at cute cafés and had their breakfast formules, which included a choice of a hot drink, orange juice, croissant, tartine (baguette toast) with butter and jam, and we were able to add scrambled eggs for an additional charge.
The large American-style breakfasts and brunches have recently started becoming more of a trend, so it is possible to find a larger breakfast. For a great brunch with a New York City-inspired interior, check out 46 and 3rd.
Cafés
Espressos are the most common coffee drink in Paris. They are very small and very strong! Allie prefers to order a noisette, which is equivalent to a macchiato, and AJ sticks with the hot chocolate, which is very chocolatey and rich in Paris, miam miam!
Iced coffee drinks have become more prevalent in recent years, but be warned: they are not flavorful and do not taste as good as what we are used to as Americans. Iced lattes will cost you 6€ + and will taste like nothing more than milk with ice cubes.
Allie’s newest obsession while living in Paris was the espresso tonic, which was served at many hipster/industrial coffee shops, such as Motors Coffee in the Marais.
Café Loustic - Dominated by locals and is a cozy, inspiring coffee shop. This would be the place to go to work on a novel or journal.
Café Kitsuné - Go to the location at 2 Pl. André Malraux for a nice dine-in experience upstairs. The Palais Royal location is takeaway only. For extra fun, try one of their fox-shaped cookies.
Ten Belles - Good food, good coffee, good people, good vibe. Loved it.
Back in Black -Go for a special hand brewed coffee and a great homemade scone with jam and cream
Café de l’Industrie -do yourself a favor and order the café viennois (espresso with a mountain of whipped cream on top!)
Bakeries/Desserts
The area around the Canal Saint-Martin (primarily the 10th arrondissement) has Allie’s favorite bakeries, and the coffee shops are great, too (Ten Belles, mentioned above). Check out Du Pain et Des Idées, Aux Péchés Normands, and Sain Boulangerie. The croissants at Sain are more dense than typical croissants, a very tasty surprise.
Best croissant in Paris? Allie’s vote goes to Stohrer, Paris’ oldest bakery from 1730.
Our favorite go-to French dessert? Éclairs! (coffee for Allie, chocolate for AJ).
Perhaps even better than an éclair is a religieuse, basically a cream puff with a smaller one stacked on top.
Ice cream: Amorino vs Berthillon. While hotly contested among Francophiles, our vote goes to Amorino for best ice cream in Paris
Grab a cream puff at Odette’s. Sit upstairs for a great view of the Notre Dame across the river
If you’re craving an American sweet, check out Boneshaker Donuts. They have new specialty flavors every month in addition to their classics, like their boneshaker cream (a Boston cream but with cardamom in the cream!)
General Food Recommendations
French baguettes are magic. Try a “tradition”, which is made with only traditional (and fewer) ingredients
One of Allie’s favorite things to order in France is a salade au chèvre chaud (warm goat cheese salad). Le Latin St. Jacques in the 5th has a great one.
Croque monsieurs are the French equivalents of grilled cheese, with ham and gruyère cheese. Elevate this by ordering a croque madame, which adds a fried egg on top. For a beverage, order it with an Orangina (carbonated orange juice with pulp). You can sometimes find this at American grocery stores like Woodman’s.
Restaurant Recommendations
Bouillon -There are several chains throughout the city, all with different menus. They offer the classic Parisian dining experience complete with waiters clad in black and white, beautiful décor and architecture, and classic French bistro fare, but at a fraction of the cost!
Chez Gladines - Affordable classic French food in a relaxed environment with an emphasis on Basque cuisine, the region of France close to Spain. Try a warm goat cheese salad or Basque cassoulet with a Basque beer.
Chez Suzette - Best sit-down crêpes with Breton cider from Northern France
Crêperie Genia -Forget the over-priced crêpe stands in the touristy areas. Head to one of these take-away only stands (I always go to the one in the 5th at 53 Rue de la Harpe) for seriously delicious and CHEAP crêpes and sandwiches.
Wanted Café - Welcoming, community-based café with a delicious veggie bowl. They offer a solid brunch, too
Café Procope - Oldest café in Paris (1686) that has historical mementos on display from the Revolutionaries who used to dine there, such as Napoleon Bonaparte’s hat. The ravioli appetizer is one of the best things we ate during AJ’s visit and his chicken vol-au-vent.
La Jacobine - Located right next to Café Procope, this historic restaurant has perhaps the best French onion soup in the city
Le Progrès -Also has excellent French onion soup and French coffee (espresso and cognac + whipped cream)
Capriccio Sorentino - BEST. PIZZA. IN. PARIS…PERHAPS. IN. THE. WORLD. Located right around the corner from the Eiffel Tower. Eat indoors or take it to go for a meal with a view
Le Petit Crème -flowery décor and great food on the busy market street Rue Montorgueil
Ground Control -Outdoor and indoor food-truck/food hall extravaganza with cuisines from all around the world. Seriously cool vibe
Café du Coin - You’ll only see locals here. Don’t go out of your way to go here on your first trip to Paris, but it does have great coffee and pizza, and you will feel like a local yourself
