Essential Paris restaurant, food and wine experiences
This article represents the personal favourites of Foodtourist’s editors Sue Dyson and Roger McShane. These are the places they haunt on their regular visits to Paris.
Paris remains to us one of the most exciting and compelling food cities in the world. It is a city in which you can splurge hundreds or thousands of dollars on a single meal or where you can get a meal cooked by an expert chef for as little as 30 euros as you can at a restaurant such as Rino or Les Papilles or Aux Deux Amis and for a little more at night you can eat in great places such as Septime.
In recent years we have noted the emergence of classy wine bars and special places known as cave-à-manger where you can buy a bottle of wine to take home or you can take it to the table and have a simple meal. Examples are Aux Deux Amis, Les Papilles, Verre Volé, Coinstot Vino and La Cave de l'Os a Moelle. Alas, one of our favourite wine shops, La Cave de l'Insolite, also joined this band as well - but has recently closed seeing the exit from the industry of the gregarious and tireless promoter of natural wines, Michel Moulherat.
Paris also has some of the best food shops in the world. And some of the best are not the traditional ones that everyone knows about such as Ladurée and Fauchon. Rather they are tiny jewels such as Pierre Hermé (try the ice creams as well) or Jacques Genin or Da Rosa where products of exceptional quality are available.
Paris is the city of unrivalled food opportunities where you can dine at some of the most expensive restaurants in the world, wander to some of the best food shops to be found anywhere or simply sip a cup of coffee while watching café society in action. If you want to splurge on a 3 star meal then options to consider are L’Astrance (where the food is very controlled and careful), maybe Pierre Gagnaire (where the food can be very uncontrolled), perhaps the quietly elegant Taillevent or the slightly more radical Arpege.
However, more and more these days we are attracted to the less formal bistros and the tiny cave-à-manger that somehow seem more connected with the soul of French food. This style of food probably reaches its purest expression in the funky Le Comptoir run by megastar chef Yves Camdebourde. The food here is deeply rooted in tradition and executed with flawless precision by the chef. A dish of tripe we ate there recently was one of the most soulful dishes we have enjoyed in a long time. Turn up exactly at 12 noon to secure a table if you have not booked an evening meal. The breakfast here is also one of the best in Paris, but preference is given to house guests.
In a similar vein, we have also been attracted on our last few visits to a little place called Aux Deux Amis in Oberkampf where the wines are seriously natural with labels such as Mosse and De Moor and Villemade and the food is not tricked up but soulful and satisfying.
Another very special place that we love is Les Papilles. Here you dine in a wine shop with many interesting wines lining the walls. The menu is fixed. Four courses with no choice. But what food! We enjoy the conversations we get into here as people stroll along the shelves trying to choose the best wines to go with their meal. You can choose any wine from the shelves and they will open it for you for a small surcharge. A dish of long cooked pork belly and vegetables we had there recently was superb as was a dessert of pannacotta served in a chunky glass.
For lovers of natural wine (wine produced organically or biodynamically with minimal intervention and fermented with natural yeasts) there is a place that should be on your 'must-visit' list. This is the funky Vivant where the food is delicious and the seriously natural wines are memorable. The amazing vibe here was established by the owner Pierre Jancou who is of both French and Italian extraction and who cares passionately about both the food and wine (only ever natural and often hyper-natural) he serves. His former restaurant called Racines is also a great place to visit as the new owners have continued his philosophy.
Another hot spot where the food is very good is in Rue Saint Dominique in the 7th. Les Cocottes is yet another restaurant in the stable of Christian Constant. Sit at the bar and enjoy one of the many interesting snacks on offer. It is also open all day including breakfast. This restaurant does not take bookings so your chances of getting a table are as good as anybody else.
No visit to Paris would be complete without a visit to Ribouldingue Restaurant in the 5th. The area around this restaurant is infested by tourists and there are many really bad eating places in the vicinity. However this one is different! Some of the best offal dishes in France are available here. We order dishes such as lamb tongues or marrow bones or a main course of a stunning and sparsely presented whole veal kidney or a dish of tripes au vin blanc and potatoes. And there is the wine list. It is packed with organic and biodynamic wines from throughout France.
If you want to experience part of the Basque food craze that is sweeping France then a visit to L’Ami Jean in the 7th is a must. The garbure and the rice pudding here are worth a very long journey.
We also have a great deal of affection for Spring. This is a very small restaurant run by an American chef (Daniel Rose) who is receiving a lot of praise from Parisians for his cooking. We have eaten here on a number of occasions in both the previous venue and the new swish premises and it has been excellent on all occasions. The wine list highlights many of France's natural wine producers such as Antoine Arena from Corsica.
Le Jeu de Quilles is a delightful, tiny restaurant that we discovered on our most recent trip to Paris. There are only a handful of tables seating 19 people. The kitchen is open and the regular customers chat constantly with the laid-back chef. The prices are very reasonable and the wines carefully chosen.
Le Chateaubriand is a wonderful, old-fashioned bistro serving 'new' food in the 11th. The food cooked by Basque chef Inaki Aizpitarte is excellent and sometimes exciting and the natural wine list is new and clever. Go here for the buzz as much as the food. Sometimes a dish can fail. On one occasion the dessert failed and on another the dessert was superb but others didn’t quite hit the mark. He has also opened a new place that we love next door. It is a bar called Le Dauphin and the wine selection here is excellent and the food first class.
Other places you might like to experience include La Cave de l'Os a Moëlle in the 15th where the food is served family-style at shared tables, the laid-back Astier in the 13th, the frenetic La Regalade in the 14th and the Alain Ducasse bistro Aux Lyonnais in the 2nd where the pike quenelles in nantua sauce are wonderful. If you want to go to somewhere on the spur of the moment you could also check out L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon which has a no-bookings policy most of the time. Our last meal saw some bad lapses in service but the food is always interesting and it provides a chance to try the famous mashed potatoes.
Good wine bars include Le Verre Vole in the 10th just next to the Canal Saint Martin where the newly renovated kitchen turns out some very good food to accompany the extensive range of natural wines that are available.
Another place we feel comfortable in is the haunt of locals at the back of the 5th called Les Pipos where they stock interesting wines such as the Morgon Cotes du Py of Foillard and Catherine le Goeuil's elegant Cotes du Rhone from Cairanne to accompany soulful dishes such as steak tartar or the incredibly vibrant oysters from Brittany that are always available.
New Paris restaurants we haven't tried
Since our last trip to Paris two places have opened that are receiving rave reviews. They are both on our list for the next visit.
l'Agape Substance
L'Agape Substance can be found in the Saint Germain district not too far from our favourite Le Comptoir and close to the Odeon metro station. It is small with only 24 seats, but the reports we have heard about the technical precision of the cooking of chef David Toutain makes us want to get there soon. He has worked at a number of leading restaurants including l'Arpege in Paris and Mugaritz in San Sebastian.
66 rue Mazarine, 75006. Ph +33 1 43 29 33 83. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Au Passage
This very new wine bar in our current favourite part of Paris, the 11th, is also receiving a lot of attention. We are particularly excited about this opening because the chef is a friend of ours, James Henry, whose talents we admired when he was cooking at Peppermint Bay in Tasmania and then later when he was in the kitchen at Spring in Paris.
The produce here comes from excellent suppliers such as Joël Thiébault and Thierry Breton from Chez Michel who supplies the bread. And the wines are suitably natural with offerings from luminaries such as Emile Heredia.
Currently, a three course lunch is a mere 16.5 Euros!!
1 bis passage de Saint-Sebastien, 75011. Ph +33 1 43 55 07 52.
Our favourite Paris restaurants
We have chosen the restaurants that provide a wide range of interesting and exciting dining experiences from three star dining to out-of-the-way places that are little more than a bar with a couple of tables.
Septime
The space is interesting - almost rustic in a NOMA sort of way. The food is fantastic with flavours bursting from every dish. The wine list is a careful compilation of the most interesting natural wines from France and Italy (and beyond) with even rare and obscure wines such as the Belluard Le Feu being available. And finally, the waiting staff are efficient, friendly and knowledgeable.
In the short time it has been open, Septime has become known as a must-visit restaurant to sample the assured cooking of Bertrand Grebaut.
A full review will be available soon
Vivant
Pierre Jancou's latest incarnation is buzzing! Great food based on perfectly-selected produce, an amazing array of natural wines accompanied by good service in an amazing, yet tiny space makes this a must-visit venue in Paris.
Read our review here: Vivant
RINO
This lovely, tiny restaurant is turning out beautiful food based on great produce. The wine list is carefully chosen and provides choices from throughout France - many of which are natural. The service is charming.
Read our review here: Rino
Le Dauphin
The little cousin of the amazingly popular Chateaubriand next door. We were delighted with the quality of the food and with the natural wine selection. The food is small plates but the servings are cleverly put together and represent amazing value for money.
Read our review here: Le Dauphin
Les Papilles
This lively 'cave a manger' has tables arranged in front of the wine racks. You choose a wine and then settle back to enjoy a fixed menu of delicious food.
Read our review here: Les Papilles
Ribouldingue Restaurant
For lovers of offal and natural wine this cosy restaurant in the 5th is a special favourite.
Read our review here: Ribouldingue Restaurant
L'Ami Jean
Here you can enjoy great Basque-influenced cooking while enjoying one of the best-selected wine lists in Paris.
Read our review here: L'Ami Jean
Aux Deux Amis
Aux Deux Amis is a newcomer to the Paris dining scene. It is informal, lively and serves some of the best biodynamic and natural wines from throughout France. And the food and wine are very reasonably priced.
Read our review here: Aux Deux Amis
Le Cave de l'Os a Moelle
A lovely cave doing family-style service of good food. Buy your wines in the shop and drink them at the table.
Read our review here: La Cave de l'Os a Moelle
Le Chateaubriand
One of the hottest spots in Paris at the moment. In the top 50 list of best restaurants in the world. The wine list is excellent.
Read our review here: Le Chateaubriand
Restaurant Itineraires
Some very good food here although we have had reports of indifferent service. The day we went it was very good.
Read our review here: Restaurant Itineraires
Le Comptoir
A regular spot for us. This is a great bistro with fair prices for the quality of the food. The wine list has some of France's natural wine treasures. Have a drink at l'Avant Comptoir (see Bars section) while waiting for a table.
Read our review here: Le Comptoir
Cafe de la Nouvelle Mairie
This cafe in the 5th serves good, honest, traditional French food in a lively atmosphere along with a long list of organic and biodynamic wines from throughout France.
Read our review here: Cafe de la Nouvelle Mairie
Le Repaire de Cartouche
Repaire de Cartouche is a gem of a restaurant in the 11th. The engaging owner directs proceedings to ensure that guests have a great time. The food is wonderful while being relatively reasonably priced.
Read our review here: Le Repaire de Cartouche
Le Jeu de Quilles
A particular favourite where the open kitchen invites conviviality. The food is very good, the wines interesting and the prices reasonable.
Read our review here: Le Jeu de Quilles
Spring
Spring is back in action at a new location. Run by American Daniel Rose this is a very good venue. There is a downstairs bar as well.
Read our review here: Spring
Le Baratin
Le Baratin was one of the first bistros in Paris to move to an all-natural wine list. The food is simply presented and very good and the wine selection is amazing. Just leave the selection to the sommelier and you won't be disappointed.
Read our review here: Le Baratin
Racines
A great place for natural wine and some very good food. Some of the produce is sourced from the Arpege garden.
Read our review here: Racines
Coinstot Vino
Another good value venue in the same 'passage' as Racines is the new Coinstot Vino. It specialises in tasty food from good producers and the best of natural wines.
Read our review here: Coinstot Vino
Astier
Astier is a very good place to experience a typical Parisian bistro. The food is very good and the wine list features wine from throughout France including Corsica.
Read our review here: Astier
Aux Lyonnais
The Alain Ducasse empire has taken over many restaurants in Paris. This is one of them. However, it has the feel of a 19th century bistro. The service is slick and the food an excellent representation of Lyonnais cuisine.
Read our review here: Aux Lyonnais
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
If you want a three star experience without the three star price tag then the small plate format here is a good place to dip your toes into fine dining.
Read our review here: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Les Cocottes
If you want an informal meal at a reasonable price or if you are dining alone then Les Cocottes is a favourite venue.
Read our review here: Les Cocottes
Le Bistrot Paul Bert
This venue has the feel of a traditional bistro while having a very modern wine list packed with the stars of the natural wine movement.
Read our review here: Le Bistrot Paul Bert
Paris Coffee
Good coffee is rare in Paris. The coffee served in most of the famous coffee houses is weak and insipid and not worthy of this great food city. Coffee appears to be an essential part of the day for most Parisians but they don't seem to care about the quality.
In fact, the coffee is Paris, in fact most of France, is universally bad and controlled by large corporations such as Cafés Richard who create mediocre coffee blends and market them to the millions.
Luckily the situation is changing slowly with a few serious coffee shops opening. We can only highly recommend one!
La Cafeotheque de Paris
La Cafeotheque de Paris is a vibrant cooffee lounge quite close to the River Seine which breaks the stereotype of bad coffee in Paris coffee houses. The coffee here is seriously good and can compete with great coffee places such as Blue Bottle in San Francisco and Single Origin in Sydney.
It is such a relief to find a small, intimate place such as this in a quiet location near the Seine (52 rue de l'Hotel de Ville) which serves such exquisite coffee that is neither bitter nor bland but rather robustly flavoured and fresh from recent roasting.
Read our review here: La Cafeotheque de Paris
L'Arbre a cafe
L'Arbre a Cafe is a brand of coffee not a place to go. But it is one for you to keep an eye out for because it is now served by some of the best restaurants in Paris. It is the brand of coffee obsessive Hippolyte Courty who we first met in Hong Kong where is is involved in a delightful wine store called La Cabane a Vin in Hollywood Road.
Formerly an historian, Hippolyte began researching coffee after failing to find good coffee in Paris and he started travelling the world searching for new and interesting varieties and then brining them back to Paris to roast.
One of his plantations is that of biodynamic producer Henrique Sloper de
Araújo in Brazil (it is no coincidence as Hippolyte is also an ardent fan of
biodynamic wines) where he sources the cult, complexly-flavoured "Jacu
Bird" coffee beans.
We have found his coffee at Philou (a very nice bistro) and Le Verre Vole in the 10th, Saturne in the 2nd, Le Dauphin, Le Bistrot Paul Bert, Aux Deux Amis and Le Chateaubriand in the 11th, the laid-back Café de la Nouvelle Mairie in the 5th, Da Rosa in the 6th.
Outside Paris we had a very nice espresso made with this coffee at Un Ile in Angers, again at l'Herbe Rouge in Valaire and at La Cave Voltaire after a pleasant lunch in Chinon.
Paris food shops
Paris is unequalled in the quality of its food shops. Other cities might have more, other cities may have bigger, other cities may have newer, but rarely do they match the consistent excellence of places such as Pierre Herme and Jacques Genin.
Wine bars
Many of the wine bars in Paris provide an excellent selection of wines from small producers throughout the country. Some, such as La Cremerie and Le Verre Vole specialise in 'natural wines' - those wines made without the use of chemicals in the vineyard or additives in the wine making process. Our latest discoveries are l'Avant Comptoir and the funky Tombe du Ciel.
One note here. Many guides mention Willis Wine Bar and Juveniles as places to drink, however our visits to these venues over the last two years have been desultory. There has been no spark from the staff, no excitement, no enthusiasm for taking you on a journey of discovery.
Wine Shops
There are many good wine shops in the Paris. We tend to go to those specialising in natural wines or at least who stock some natural wines.
Note that one of our favourite 'go to' places in Paris La Cave de l'Insolite is now closed.
Markets
One of the great attractions of the Paris is the range of markets you can visit. We particularly like the President Wilson market which is one of the best fruit and vegetable markets you will find anywhere.
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