Your insider dining guide
From €7 kebabs to Michelin-starred tasting menus — every restaurant on this list is a place I’ve eaten at, loved, and sent friends to. No sponsorships, no PR meals. Just the truth.
Here’s the thing about eating in Paris: the difference between an incredible meal and a tourist trap is often just one block. I’ve watched friends spend €45 on a mediocre croque monsieur near the Eiffel Tower when there was a life-changing €8 galette five minutes away.
So I made this list. Twenty-five restaurants I actually go to — the places I text friends about when they’re landing at CDG. Romantic spots, cheap gems, the best hidden finds, and a few splurges that are worth every centime.
— Your amie
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Where to take someone you really like
3ème — Haut Marais
What to order: The chocolate mousse — served from a giant communal bowl, and yes, you can have seconds. Pair with the duck confit.
✦Amie note: Ask for a table in the courtyard under the fairy lights. This is where I take every friend who's just fallen in love.
20ème — Belleville
What to order: Whatever Raquel is cooking tonight. The chalkboard menu changes daily — trust it blindly.
✦Amie note: It's tiny, loud, and packed with artists from the neighborhood. Not polished-romantic — real-romantic. Reserve or don't bother.
7ème — Invalides
What to order: The rice pudding. I know, I know — but this isn't normal rice pudding. It's a life-altering caramelized masterpiece. Start with the pork ribs.
✦Amie note: Stéphane Jégo runs this place like a dinner party. It's boisterous and generous and the portions are heroic. Not a quiet candlelit vibe — more of a we're-so-happy-to-be-alive vibe.
The Paris you came here for
5ème — Latin Quarter
What to order: Steak tartare prepared tableside and the crème brûlée. A carafe of the house Côtes du Rhône.
✦Amie note: Sit on the terrace facing the Panthéon. Order slowly. This is the bistro experience that made you book the flight in the first place.
9ème — Grands Boulevards
What to order: Œufs mayo to start (the official dish of Paris bistros), then the roast chicken. Total damage: about €15.
✦Amie note: Built in 1896, the Belle Époque dining room alone is worth the visit. They still write your bill on the paper tablecloth. Queue moves fast — go at 6:30pm to skip it.
11ème — Oberkampf
What to order: The ceviche (it changes, it's always good) and whatever tartine is on the board. Grab a glass of Gamay.
✦Amie note: Standing room at the bar is honestly the best seat. This is where Parisian chefs eat on their night off — which tells you everything.
7ème — Rue Cler
What to order: The croque monsieur is absurdly good. So is the salade niçoise. Simple things done perfectly.
✦Amie note: On one of Paris's most charming market streets. Come for a late breakfast on Saturday, then stroll the market stalls. Exactly the morning you imagined having.
Where the natural wine flows and the small plates shine
10ème — Canal Saint-Martin
What to order: Let the sommelier choose your wine (tell them what you usually drink, they'll push you somewhere better). The charcuterie plate is non-negotiable.
✦Amie note: The original Paris natural wine bar, still the best. Tiny, cramped, no reservations at lunch — and I love every chaotic second of it.
2ème — Sentier
What to order: The lobster roll (yes, in Paris — trust me) and whatever seasonal plate catches your eye. The wine list is extraordinary.
✦Amie note: Greg Marchand's more casual, no-reservation spot across from the main restaurant. Line up at 6:45pm for the 7pm opening. Worth it every time.
11ème — Rue Saint-Maur
What to order: A glass of something from the Jura (ask Camille — she knows everything) with the burrata and the rillettes.
✦Amie note: Seven seats. One tiny bar. The most Instagrammed wine bar in Paris and it actually deserves every photo. Go at 5pm on a Tuesday for the real experience.
The best meals in Paris cost under €10
3ème — Haut Marais
What to order: The Moroccan couscous stall (the one with the longest line — you'll know). Or the Japanese bento box from Chez Taeko.
✦Amie note: Paris's oldest covered market, and still the best lunch deal in the Marais. Come at 11:30 to grab a bench seat. By noon, every table is a fight.
4ème — Le Marais
What to order: The falafel spécial with everything. €8 for the best street food in Paris. Eggplant, hummus, cabbage, hot sauce — say yes to all of it.
✦Amie note: The line looks terrifying but moves in minutes. Eat it walking through Place des Vosges. This is mandatory. I don't make the rules.
3ème — Marché des Enfants Rouges
What to order: Any sandwich — they're all built on pain Poilâne with seasonal ingredients piled absurdly high. The one with chèvre and fig is legendary.
✦Amie note: Alain is a character. He sings, he dances, he makes a sandwich that's somehow a spiritual experience. Get there early on weekends — he runs out.
3ème — Le Marais
What to order: A buckwheat galette complète (ham, egg, Gruyère) and a bowl of cider. Then a salted-caramel crêpe because you're on holiday.
✦Amie note: The best crêpes in Paris, and I will defend this opinion with my life. They use organic buckwheat from Brittany and the butter is unreasonable. Reserve for dinner — lunch is walk-in.
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Because sometimes you wake up at 11am and that's perfectly fine
6ème — Saint-Germain-des-Prés
What to order: The omelette aux fines herbes and a chocolat chaud. Yes, you're paying for the address. Yes, it's still worth it once.
✦Amie note: Go on a weekday morning when it's mostly locals reading Le Monde. Sit upstairs. Pretend you've been coming here for years. The hot chocolate is genuinely excellent.
10ème — Canal Saint-Martin
What to order: The ricotta hotcakes or the shakshuka. Both are dangerously good. The flat whites are the best in this neighborhood.
✦Amie note: Melbourne-meets-Paris brunch culture, and it works beautifully. They don't take reservations, so arrive by 9:30 on weekends or prepare to wait. The wait is lovely — you're on the canal.
3ème — Haut Marais
What to order: The banana bread is famous for a reason. The avocado toast is perfect. And the coffee — sourced from small European roasters — is genuinely some of the best in Paris.
✦Amie note: Tiny, sunny, always a queue on Sundays. This is where the cool young Parisians go, which means the people-watching is almost as good as the food.
Eating incredibly well for almost nothing
18ème — Pigalle
What to order: Three courses for €20. The terrine, the blanquette de veau, and the île flottante. Classic French cooking at canteen prices.
✦Amie note: The newer, flashier cousin of Chartier, right on Pigalle. Open until midnight, gorgeous Art Deco interior, and genuinely affordable. Date night on a backpacker budget.
13ème — Butte-aux-Cailles
What to order: The enormous salade Basque (duck gizzards, goat cheese, walnuts — it's a meal) or the cassoulet. Portions are almost aggressive in their generosity.
✦Amie note: Cash only, no reservations, portions built for lumberjacks. The Butte-aux-Cailles neighborhood is a secret village inside Paris — cobblestones, street art, and no tourists. Come for dinner, stay for the vibe.
10ème — Strasbourg-Saint-Denis
What to order: The dürüm kebab — hand-rolled lavash bread, spiced lamb off the vertical grill, fresh herbs, and a light yogurt sauce. €7 and it's enormous.
✦Amie note: The best kebab in Paris, and I am not being casual about this claim. The 10ème's Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis is a treasure corridor of cheap, incredible food from around the world.
Paris has come a long way, mon amie
9ème — Rue de Rochechouart
What to order: The mushroom bourguignon is a revelation — rich, earthy, and deeply satisfying. The seasonal tart is always beautiful.
✦Amie note: Run by two brothers who prove French cuisine doesn't need butter to be extraordinary (though honestly, sometimes it helps). A gorgeous little room with serious cooking.
3ème — Le Marais
What to order: The truffle pizza or the burrata pizza. Sourdough crust, seasonal toppings, natural wines. Simple and perfect.
✦Amie note: Great for a vegetarian date night in the Marais. The space is tiny and romantic, the pizzas are genuinely delicious, and the wine list is all natural and well-curated.
For the night you want to remember forever
11ème — Rue des Grands-Champs
What to order: The tasting menu — every dish is grilled over binchotan charcoal. The chicken thigh and the grilled cabbage will redefine what you think food can taste like.
✦Amie note: An American-Japanese couple running one of the most exciting restaurants in Paris out of a former mechanic's garage. Counter seats only. This is dining as theater.
11ème — Charonne
What to order: The tasting menu — there's no à la carte. Seasonal, vegetable-forward, and consistently one of the most inventive meals in Paris. The bread course alone is worth the reservation struggle.
✦Amie note: Book exactly 3 weeks ahead when reservations open online. Set an alarm — they fill in minutes. If you miss it, try Septime La Cave next door for wine and snacks — no reservation needed.
1er — Palais-Royal
What to order: The prix fixe lunch is the secret — €115 for a multi-course meal in one of the most beautiful rooms in the world. The ravioli de foie gras is legendary.
✦Amie note: Eating lunch in a restaurant that's been serving since 1784 — Napoleon's table, Hugo's table, Colette's table. The lunch prix fixe makes this almost reasonable for what you get. A once-in-a-lifetime afternoon.
From your amie
These restaurants are just the beginning. My full guide has the complete itinerary — where to eat, when to go, what to skip.
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Lunch is the secret
Many of Paris's best restaurants offer a prix fixe lunch for half the dinner price. Septime, Le Grand Véfour, and dozens more — always check.
Reservations matter
For anything above €€, book 2–3 days ahead minimum. For the splurge-worthy spots, 2–3 weeks. Use La Fourchette (TheFork) app — it sometimes has last-minute slots.
Eat dinner late
Restaurants open at 7pm but Parisians eat at 8:30–9pm. The vibe is completely different later — better service, warmer room, less rushed.
Tipping is simple
Service is included in France. A euro or two on the table for good service, or round up the bill. Never 20% — they'll think you made a mistake.
Water is free
Ask for 'une carafe d'eau' and you'll get free tap water. No need to buy bottled unless you want sparkling.
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Want the full curated Paris guide?
A curated itinerary with the best restaurants, hidden gems, and insider tips — so you never waste a meal in Paris. Starting at just $19.
Love it or your money back — no questions asked.
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