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Aaron Gone Travelling Aaron Gone Travelling
Aaron Gone Travelling Aaron Gone Travelling Aaron Gone Travelling
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      • Hong Kong
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      • Macau
      • South Korea
      • Taiwan
    • South Asia
      • India
    • South East Asia
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Bouillon chartier, french brasserie
  • Food
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Recommended Restaurants in Paris by a Parisian

  • April 24, 2018

Updated 25/09/20202

Paris is magic. It is cliché and yet extraordinary. It can be pulsating with vigour or sleeping in elegance.

There are a million reasons to love Paris but for me, it is the French cuisine that captured my heart.

Paris is a labyrinth of food.
Every corner you turn into in Paris will have a few tantalising, antique-looking eateries putting out their chalkboard with their “menu à prix fixe” handwritten on it. The sound of silverware clanging together or the tantalising perfume of freshly baked baguettes from the boulangeries are all reasons enough to fall in love with the City of Light.
It is my only intention to purposefully get lost in Paris – in search of the best restaurants in Paris.
When you only have days in Paris, choosing great restaurants to dine in could be a colossal task. There are more than 40,000 of them!
After a few months of residing in Paris, I have gathered some friends from Paris and in their opinion, these are the best restaurants in Paris that you have to get into your itinerary!

Bouillon Chartier - Restaurants in Paris

Bouillon chartier, french brasserie
Bouillon Chartier - where you could get both an amazing Parisian ambience and scrumptious home cooked meals.

Bouillon Chartier official website

First up in this list of the best restaurants in Paris, it has to be Bouillon Chartier. It is the epitome of old, homely French cuisine.

More than a century old, this popular French restaurant in Paris is incontestably a must-visit. In comparison to other sophisticated French restaurants, Bouillon Chartier is on the more humble side of the game. You will be eating in a large, legendary dining hall.

The food is typically similar to that found in homes in France, cooked by wonderful and loving grandmothers. It is not flashy; instead, it is a timeless classic. As a dessert, try the chou with Chantilly cream. You will regret otherwise.

50 million meals served later, the à la carte menu remains reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in Paris. This is an unmissable Parisian culinary experience.

Jaja

fried-eggplant-jaja-paris-restaurant
Fried eggplant from Jaja, my favourite restaurant in Paris.
lamb-jaja-restaurant-paris
The gigot d'agneau (lamb) is cooked to perfection.
ambience-jaja-best-restaurant-paris
The vibe at Jaja restaurant in Paris.
sample-menu-jaja
Jaja's menu.
peas-pancetta-egg-jaja
Egg yolk, pancetta, peas.
strawberry-rhubarb-tarte-dessert-jaja
A great dessert to end the perfect meal - strawberry and rhubard tartelette.

Jaja official website

After 4 visits to Paris and having lived in Paris, I can say that this is my favourite restaurant in Paris so far.

Tucked away in a leafy courtyard, Jaja is a sensational, modern-rustic bistro which serves a creative, seasonal menu and organic wines.

I recommend getting the Gigot d’Agneau and the eggplant. The menu changes but most these two are always there for good reasons.

If you can, reserve a table to avoid disappointment.

Le Colimaçon - old school French bistro

escargots-snail-paris-colimaçon
Inventive take on the classic French escargots. You can eat the shells because they are made from pastry dough!
beef-tartar-colimaçon-paris-french-classic
Beef tartar from Le Colimaçon - well seasoned, balanced and beautifully executed.
le-colimaçon-paris-dish
Special of the day from Le Colimaçon, braised duck in pastry.

Le Colimaçon official website

Le Colimaçon is a French bistro that serves inventive dishes in a cosy setting with raw-stone walls and wooden beams.

My heart was won over by the chef’s inventive takes on the traditional French snail dish. This is my favourite dish at the restaurant. You must give it a shot for yourself.

Expect a full house every night in this local gem. Reserve a table to avoid disappointment.

Glou

fish-ceviche-glou
Wild fish ceviche from Glou - incredibly fresh!
view-from-glou-paris-restaurant-haussmannian
If you sit by the window, this would be the view for you to enjoy!
razor-clam-nduja-glou-paris-restaurant
Razor clam with nduja sauce from Glou. The sauce was amazing.

Glou official website

Glou is a small, elegant restaurant with a terrace that serves traditional cuisine and wine.

If you are lucky, you might be able to be seated upstairs which comes with a splendid view of a few Haussmannian buildings.

It is highly recommended by at least 2 of my Parisian friends.

As it is a compact restaurant, try to get a reservation especially during peak travel season/ weekend.

Le Coupe Gorge

foie-gras-restaurant-paris
We ordered foie gras as one of our entrées. It did not disappoint!
fish-paris-restaurant-coupe-gorge
Fish dishes in Paris are in abundance are most of them are fresh too.
duck-breast-orange-sauce-coupe-gorge
The best duck breast in orange sauce that I have found so far in Paris is from Le Coupe Gorge.

Le Coupe Gorge official website

Do you know that Le Coupe Gorge means cutthroat in French?

Far from being a trap, Le Coupe Gorge is a timeless old-world bistro serving elegantly plated French classics & seasonal dishes, with tasting menus.

It was white asparagus season and the quality of the asparagus did not disappoint. The foie gras was balanced by the tartness of the salad dressing and the jam. I had the best duck with orange sauce at Le Coupe Gorge!

Joséphine Chez Dumonet

pigeon-chez-dumonet-paris
Image from Google
grilled chateaubriand josephine chez dumonet
Grilled chateaubriand.

Joséphine Chez Dumonet official website

The century-old bistro Joséphine Chez Dumonet in the 6th arrondissement is famed for its foie gras, beef bourguignon, soufflés.

As with most other desirable tables in the City of Light, you need a reservation to dine in Joséphine Chez Dumonet.

It is a pricier establishment but it is worth every cent. I highly recommend the beef bourguignon and the pigeon.

L'As du fallafel

Shawarma plate l'as du fallafel
Mega portion of shawarma. If you are not that hungry, you could share this with your companion.
l'as du fallafel, kosher food in paris
L'as du fallafel - probably one of the most renowned falafel places in the whole of Paris!
l'as du fallafel, kosher food in paris
Falafel plate with a lot of hummus.

L’As du fallafel official website

L’As du Fallafel has a restaurant as well as a takeaway counter where you can get delicious falafel and shawarma. The serving size is enormous, and you can get it for a very low price, which is great news for budget travellers!

It’s a great way to recharge after an afternoon spent exploring the beautiful Marais (which is my favourite neighbourhood).

Most Parisians will tell you that they have been to L’As du Fallafel at least once. It truly is one of the most amazing restaurants in Paris.

Le Cabanon de la Butte

Le Cabanon de la Butte official website

Le Cabanon de la Butte is a charming restaurant with views of the city rooftops and traditional French fare with a seasonal focus.

Located in Montmartre, dining in this restaurant means you are greeted with one of the best views in Paris!

If you can, ask to be seated by a window with a view.

Read more about Paris!

Complete Paris Travel Guide – written by an Expat

2-Day Paris Travel Itinerary – Tourist Version

Living in Paris – My life in Paris

Obviously, there are many, many more restaurants in Paris that my friends haven’t visited – it would take a lifetime to try them all! If you have any recommendations for restaurants in Paris to visit while in Paris, please leave a comment below!

There are so many tourist traps (with reheated food) in Paris. To make sure you’re having the most authentic French food, join a food tour and you will look at croissant and pain au chocolat differently after that!

Like it? Pin it!

#paris #france #restaurants

Where to stay?

Paris is ginormous and that’s why I recommend staying at Marais. Most of the restaurants listed here are located at Marais. 

That way, you don’t have to spend much time on commuting every day. Plus, you could avoid the metro which tends to be the hotbed for pickpocketing. Besides, you are close to many restaurants, bars and attractions.  

Budget – Bastille De Launay is a rare gem as compared to other accommodations offered at the same price range. Breakfast here was beyond my imagination while I was staying here. Highly recommend!

Comfortable – The interior design of Hotel du Petit Moulin is impressive. It’s next to a market, a metro station, a beautiful park, a huge shopping centre and right above one of the best boulangeries in town… what more can you ask for?

High-end – I certainly think the Hôtel de Joséphine Bonaparte should be a tourist attraction itself. Be ready to be pampered like kings and queens (well, it’s named Bonaparte for a reason). 

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