Paris is a foodie’s heaven. When we first visited Paris in 2024, we had so much fun–we never ran out of things to do, things to see, cafes to try and of course things to eat.
We’re delighted that Paris has exceptional coffee, with a thriving 3rd wave coffee scene which is not the norm in all European or Asian countries, or heck even across all American cities. The peaceful ambience of streetside cortado sipping is hard to beat.
In Paris, we had the flakiest, butter-packed croissants, and tastiest pastries we’ve ever tasted. We tried award-winning baguettes that ruined many other baguettes for us. And of course we dined at world-class and Michelin-rated restaurants, as well as many modest French bistros. Paris is brimming with great food and drinks, and we can’t wait to return. Check out our list below of the best restaurants in paris, as well as our favorite pastries and cafes too!
1. Maison – Japanese-French fusion
For an intimate and special dining experience in Paris, visit Maison. This Japanese-French fusion restaurant is located in the 11th arrondissement and offers both lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus in a lovely terracotta-lined loft. Diners are seated in front of the open kitchen, and you’re treated to 5-7 courses of dishes that meld Japanese flavors with French techniques by Chef Sota Atsumi.
Our favorites from this 3-hour lunch were the salt-bread-baked guinea fowl, fresh asparagus and roe mousse, as well as the stuffed onion mushrooms. These sound like simple dishes, but they were full of savory flavors, tender textures, and fresh ingredients–all reminiscent of our time in Tokyo.
Type of food: Japanese French fusion, fine dining
Price: $$$ ($90 USD pp)
What to order: prix fixe menu
Arrondissement: 11th
Address: 3 Rue Saint-Hubert, 75011 Paris, France
Website
2. Restaurant Georgette – French Bistro
For a real contemporary brasserie experience, visit Restaurant Georgette in the 6th arrondissement. We had dinner here, and the elegant and rustic interior felt both chic and intimate at the same time.
We especially loved the modern menu, which featured a chorizo mousse with an egg that reminded me of a new take on soup with croutons. One thing that broke my brain was savory ice cream! My favorite item was the sweet onion tart with onion ice cream. As wacky as this sounds, it was the perfect balance of sweet and savory with an added layer of polar temperatures from the hot tart and cold ice cream.
Type of food: French brasserie
Price: $$ ($50 USD pp)
What to order: chorizo mouse dish topped with egg, sweet onion tart with onion ice cream
Arrondissement: 6th
Address: 44 Rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris, France
Website
3. L’Ami Jean – French Bistro
L’Ami Jean is always a bistro we recommend to friends because the food is amazing, and the bustling, small dining room feels so lively. The menu is focused on local, sustainable ingredients with an ode to traditional meals. We loved the roasted pigeon’s simple seasoning and tender bites. And the sauteed mushrooms with soft-boiled eggs and cream were rich, meaty, and caramelized. Our meal at L’Ami Jean felt like a slightly elevated yet comforting experience.
L’Ami Jean is also walking distance to the Eiffel Tower, so if you want a nice lunch before doing touristy things, we recommend making a reservation here. Luckily, you’ll be seated next to the partially open kitchen, where you can see Chef Stéphane Jégo work effortlessly with his staff & servers, who were all helpful and so friendly!
Type of food: bistro
Price: $$ ($50 USD pp)
What to order: razor clams, roasted pigeon, sauteed mushrooms
Arrondissement: 7th
Address: 27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris, France
Website
4. Little Red Door – Cocktail Bar
For a good cocktail bar, try Little Red Door in Le Marais. It has a loft interior that’s moody, dark, and lively – perfect for a night out with a date or friends. You may need to use your phone to read the menu in the dimly lit bar, but their drinks are delicious and creative. I ordered the Kabosu, made with citrus liquor, limoncello, yuzu, and egg white, which was incredibly refreshing and light.
It’s primarily a cocktail bar, but it also offers light snacks, such as olives and cheese. There might be a line out the door when you arrive, but it goes pretty quickly if you’re in a smaller group. Since we’ve initially visited, Little Red Door moved lower on the World’s Best Bars list from 6th (2024) to 59th (2025), but I would still say it’s worth it to visit!
Type of food: cocktail bar
Price: $ ($20 USD pp)
What to order: housemade cocktails
Arrondissement: 3rd (Le Marais)
Address: 60 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris, France
Website
5. Kubri
Started by two Lebanese-French sisters, Kubri features a menu of full-bodied and seasoned dishes, such as escargot shawarma, where tender wild snails are cooked with parsley shawarma butter and tangy lemon pickles — a fusion dish of my dreams. Or the hispi cabbage that’s tender, roasted, and dressed with a savory seasoning of Aleppo pepper butter, shanklish (Levantine cheese), cri-cri peanut, pickled apricot, and oregano.
And if you’re coming with a group, definitely share the short rib shawarma! They don’t mess around when they warn you that it feeds 4-6 people, because it comes with three large beef ribs that have been braised for quite a while to yield super tender, fall-off-the-bone pieces. It comes with an accoutrement of tahini, toum, sumac, and bread, so bring your appetite!
We visited Kubri at lunchtime, but they also have a similar dinner menu. Their seating fits a good number of people indoors and a few seats on the front patio. Kubri is also located in the 11th arrondissement, right in front of a metro station.
Type of food: Lebanese French
Price: $$ ($60 USD pp)
What to order: braised short rib, escargot, hispi cabbage
Arrondissement: 11th
Address: 108 Rue Amelot, 75011 Paris, France
Website
6. Terra Bar à Vins – Wine Bar
Terra Bar à Vins is an intimate bar that offers a long list of wines, cocktails, and small, homemade dishes. We liked the communal seating on a bar that wraps around the kitchen hearth, where the chefs are making all the dishes through the night, and you’re encircled by the small number of staff running around pouring drinks all night.
We enjoyed an egg parfait which sounds a little odd, but it had an interesting, airy mousse texture, layered with celery puree and crunchy bits of fried wonton. We also loved the grilled mushroom and the chocolate hazelnut tart, which was incredibly light and not too sweet or decadent for a finishing bite.
Located in the 3rd arrondissement, Terra Bar à Vins is a local wine bar bistro where Parisians share a meal and hang out with friends all night. We frequently saw many diners go back and forth outside for smoke breaks and continue ordering new bottles of wine on a Saturday night. Definitely grab a reservation here, as it’s quite small, and relax.
Type of food: wine bar, restaurant
Price: $$ ($60 USD pp)
What to order: chocolate hazelnut tart, cheese platter, egg parfait, ceviche
Arrondissement: 3rd (Le Marais)
Address: 63 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris, France
Website
7. Musa, Oberkampf
Dare I say one of the best meals I’ve had in Paris was at Musa Oberkampf?! You know it’s a good restaurant when you basically order everything on the menu and surpass the recommended number of plates per person. Musa Oberkampf is a restaurant that strikes a balance between great food and delicious cocktails and beverages.
The dishes are a fusion of Mediterranean and French cuisine, and we loved the cacio e pepe arancini with its melty centers and extra-fried crust, the beef tacos (surprisingly!) because the meat was so savory and rich, and the sautéed mushrooms with tangy sauce. This whole meal was a flavor bomb welcomed with open arms.
Like most of Paris’s cocktail bars, Musa Oberkampf is small, so we recommend making a reservation. They also have another location in Belleville, with a slightly softer vibe and atmosphere, but a similar menu. We just loved the staff, they were so helpful and upbeat. And just because it’s a restaurant and cocktail bar, there were groups of both adults and children dining happily, too, so it’s reasonably family-friendly for dinner.
Type of food: Mediterranean French
Price: $$ ($60 USD pp)
What to order: pandan cocktail
Arrondissement: 11th
Address: 117 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris, France
Website
8. Mokonuts
Mokonuts was a priority on our second trip to Paris because we were so intrigued by the idea of trying Japanese, Lebanese, and French fusion dishes. This cozy restaurant is run by a couple, Moko Hirayama and Omar Koreitem, and it truly feels like you’re having a meal at someone’s house. Moko seated us and took our orders, chatting with customers left and right throughout the service. It was an endearing meal.
The menu is simple, but the dishes themselves are so well seasoned, such as the extra-tender organic chicken with carrots and buttery chanterelle mushrooms. Each bite of chicken had a nice, crispy layer of skin, accompanied by perfectly roasted and thoroughly seasoned meat that extended across the bone.
For dessert, we befriended the table next to us (see how the cozy environment helps create such an intimate vibe!) and shared a plate of Mokonuts’ famous cookies and a sweet, seasonal black fig tart.
Mokonuts is a cozy restaurant open for lunch, and reservations are required due to its small capacity (no more than 24 seats). Reservations open two months in advance, so there’s plenty of time to grab a table. If you can’t make it, try their other nearby locations: Mokochaya (lunch walk-ins) and Moko Loco (dinner).
Type of food: Japanese Lebanese French cafe
Price: $$ ($60 USD pp)
What to order: cookie plate, fig tart, seared tuna beurre blanc, chicken and chanterelle mushrooms
Arrondissement: 11th
Address: 5 Rue Saint-Bernard, 75011 Paris, France
Website
9. TRÂM 130 – Viet French Fusion
Finding Asian food while traveling in Europe (or anywhere) is a must, and we were very excited about TRÂM 130, which specializes in Asian cuisine with a focus on Vietnamese and French fusion. Chef Priscilla Trâm offers a rotating menu, and some of our favorites include sea bream and prawn crudo, served on rice crisps with chili oil; potato leek soup with stracciatella; fried chicken thighs with nước mắm caramel glaze; and a caramelized shallot tatin.
The blend of French techniques with comforting, savory flavors of fish sauce, lemongrass, and daikon pickles was refreshing. Some items, like the fried chicken with nước chấm caramel glaze, were a familiar pairing often seen with wings, but this version was skewered, and the seasoning was akin to an elevated popcorn chicken.
As with most bistros, they also have a nice wine list and cocktail menu, featuring drinks like pandan cocktails that pair well with our dishes. We recommend making a reservation as soon as spots open, one week in advance, because they can book up quickly. It’s a small space, but we managed to snag a group reservation for five ahead of time.
Type of food: Asian / Vietnamese / French fusion
Price: $$ ($60 USD pp)
What to order: sea bream and prawn crudo on top of rice crisps and chili oil, a potato leek soup with stracciatella, fried chicken thighs with nước chấm caramel glaze, caramelized shallot tatin
Arrondissement: 11th
Address: 130 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris, France
Website
10. Chez Janou – French Bistro
If you’re looking for a provençal-style, southern French bistro with excellent food, try Chez Janou. This is definitely a touristy spot, so expect it to be packed to the brim, but we were pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. Chez Janou offers traditional dishes, such as escargot, steak frites, and French onion soup. The escargot was rich, buttery, garlicky, and tender. And the steak was cooked properly at medium, as we requested.
There are plenty of reservations available, but the venue can get busy, so we recommend saving your spot in advance or waiting in line outside. Even if you do get a table, expect a wait for your food because the servers are very busy, and you may need to remind them of your order from time to time.
Type of food: Southern French traditional
Price: $ ($40 USD pp)
What to order: escargot, steak frites
Arrondissement: 3rd (Le Marais)
Address: 2 Rue Roger Verlomme, 75003 Paris, France
Website
11. Tanat / Kawa – Cafe
We first learned about TANAT (formerly named KAWA) from Play Coffee in Orange County. TANAT is a specialty coffee roaster that was awarded the Best Independent Coffee Shop in Europe in 2024. We’d frequently buy TANAT beans from Play and loved the variety of fruity, chocolatey, and complex flavors they offered. In Paris, there are three locations, and we visited the Victoria and Archives cafes, which offered a simple menu with rotating beans.
If you’re into third-wave coffee, visit TANAT and order a cortado (or your preferred drink). You won’t find syrups here; it’s all about drinking espresso or pourover to taste the flavor of the beans. The staff can help you pick beans based on your preferences.
Type of food: coffee roaster
Price: $ ($10 USD pp)
What to order: cortado with the current bean roasting menu
Arrondissement: 3rd, 4th, & 2nd (3 locations)
Addresses: 22 Av. Victoria, 75001 Paris, France – 46 Rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris, France – 96 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, France
Website
12. Substance Cafe
Substance Cafe is one of the best coffee experiences we’ve ever had. That is a bold statement, but what Joachim offers is very special. Joachim Morceau is the sole coffee roaster and barista at Substance Cafe, and his intimate 16-seat cafe operates by reservation only to ensure each customer receives a guided, detailed, and customized coffee experience.
You start with a short introduction, Joachim gets to know you and your preferred coffee, and then guides you, much like a fine-dining restaurant experience. He recommended we start with his espresso of the day — plain, without any additions — as a palate cleanser. And then you move on from there.
We then got to try new beans with a pourover, and ended with his cortado with special milk distillation, where the milk is frozen and then distilled slowly as it melts. He emphasized that this last drink was his dessert because it was so sweet from the milk, you wouldn’t need anything else. It was my favorite drink I’ve ever had!
If you love coffee, make sure to reserve a spot. Substance Cafe releases spots a week in advance, and each slot lasts up to 2 hours of drinking.
Type of food: coffee tasting
Price: $ ($25 USD pp)
What to order: omakase, coffee with special milk distillation
Arrondissement: 2nd
Address: 30 Rue Dussoubs, 75002 Paris, France
Website
13. Motors Coffee
Motors Coffee is a great spot for a pick-me-up in the 1st arr. This tiny cafe offers lots of great coffee options, and I prefer an espresso tonic to brighten up my afternoon. Here, you’ll find a range of tables on the patio to sit and relax with friends and feel like a local. Inside, there is a serious set of machines that will delight any coffee enthusiast. One last green flag is that there’s a bathroom on the basement floor, accessible via some winding stairs.
Type of food: coffee
Price: $ ($10 USD pp)
What to order: any espresso-based drink
Arrondissement: 1st
Address: 7 Rue des Halles, 75001 Paris, France
Website
14. La Maison D’Isabelle – Pastries
La Maison D’Isabelle is an award-winning patisserie that won the best croissant in 2018, and it was recommended to us by Gracie, our pastry chef, who taught us how to make croissants. I’ve had many pain au chocolats, but this one blew us away with the deep buttery flavor. It changed the way I thought about chocolate croissants, and now I use this as a baseline for trying new bakeries in Paris and abroad.
On this recent trip, we also tried a fresh baguette that had a nice crust and a soft center – it practically saved our less-than-delicious airplane meals on the way home. Hot tip: always bring a fresh Parisian baguette on the plane, and you won’t be disappointed! We also picked up a small quiche Lorraine with the flakiest crust and a rich custard texture.
Bonus points if you visit La Maison D’Isabelle on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday morning because there will be a market in the same plaza in Pl. Maubert, where you can pick up pate, cheese, and other goods to pair with your fresh baguette.
Type of food: Boulangerie
Price: $ ($5 USD pp)
What to order: pain au chocolat, quiche, baguette
Arrondissement: 5th
Address: 47ter Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris, France
Website
15. The French Bastards – Pastries
The French Bastards is a chain of boulangeries and patisseries in Paris and Lille, offering innovative flavors with traditional pastries. We’ve tried sandwiches packed to the brim with burrata, pesto, arugula, and sundried tomatoes–so so so satisfying, mainly because of the fresh-baked baguette.
For sweets, the chocolate eclair had a perfectly crisp choux crust filled with a lightly sweetened chocolate mousse, and drizzled with a dark chocolate shell. We also recommend the pain au chocolat for a more traditional option.
Although we enjoy trying new patisseries during our Paris trips, it’s always nice to have a dependable patisserie like The French Bastards, which has numerous locations. I will never order coffee here again, as it’s more of a “just need a hit of caffeine” type of offering, but I will always return for the pastries.
Type of food: Boulangerie, patisserie
Price: $ ($10 USD pp)
What to order: eclair, sandwiches
Arrondissement: various locations
Address: various locations
Website
16. La Parisienne – Baguette & Pastries
Paris (& France in general) takes their patisserie seriously. There are many laws in place to ensure adequate labeling, methods, ingredients, and processes for creating many classic baked goods. So it’s no wonder that every year, La Confédération Nationale de la Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Française (CNBPF) holds a competition for the best baguette (Le concours de la meilleure baguette de Paris) and croissant of the year.
In 2025, Mickaël Reydellet of La Parisienne, located on Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, won the top spot for baguettes, marking his second victory since 2016.
La Parisienne’s baguette was warm, with a nice, crackly crust and a soft interior. Even eating it plain without any butter, you can still taste the subtle richness of the buttery ingredients. We also tried the pain au chocolat and equally loved the flaky layers wrapped around dark chocolate centers. It was just as fresh and warm as the baguette!
If you want to try one of the best baguettes in Paris, be sure to visit the correct address, as there are other La Parisienne locations, and each location is run by a different artisan baker. The prices for these items are very affordable, just like those at other boulangeries and patisseries in Paris. We recommend arriving early to avoid disappointment.
Type of food: boulangerie, patisserie
Price: $ ($5 USD pp)
What to order: baguette, pain au chocolat
Arrondissement: 10th
Address: 12 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 75010 Paris, France
Website
17. Aux Merveilleux de Fred – Desserts
Aux Merveilleux de Fred was right around the corner from our hotel, but we didn’t even realize until a traveling companion couldn’t stop talking about their favorite gateau. We stopped by on our last morning and bought a couple of cakes – not realizing they specialized in meringue cakes, so each bite is layered with lightly sweet meringue shells, chocolate whipped cream, and sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings. Each bite was light and airy, almost like you weren’t eating sinful desserts at all.
These meringue cakes are called merveilleux, and they originated in Belgium, eventually making their way to France. Merveilleux is basically two layers of meringue with whipped cream, and Frédéric Vaucamps of Aux Merveilleux de Fred popularized these confections. Aux Merveilleux de Fred has many locations throughout France, but we visited the one in Le Marais, as well as in Madrid and New York City.
Type of food: dessert, cakes
Price: $ ($10 USD pp)
What to order: mini meringue cakes
Arrondissement: Le Marais (& various other locations)
Address: 24 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe 75004 Paris (& various other locations)
Website
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