23 Best Restaurants in St-Germain-des-Pres, Paris

If you can't fathom paying hundreds of euros per person to taste the cooking of Pierre Gagnaire, one of France's foremost chefs, at his eponymous restaurant, but would still like to encounter one of his outstanding culinary experiences, book a table at his Left Bank fish restaurant. At Gaya, Gagnaire uses seafood as a palette for his creative impulses. Expect small portions of artfully presented food. Vegan options are offered upon advance request. 

Within the beautifully restored Monnaie de Paris, you'll find star chef Guy Savoy's hallowed dining room. The market-fresh menu features à la carte classics such as artichoke truffle soup or red mullet fish, but if you want the ultimate gourmet dining experience, splurge on the 13-course, €630 tasting menu. The more modest eight-course lunch menu will only set you back €260, and these prices do not include wine. Whatever you order, every dish is a work of art. 

A perennial favorite, this lively, unpretentious bistro is prized by expats and locals for its friendly atmosphere, consistently good food, solid wine list, and English-speaking staff. Dishes like pork belly with crushed potatoes or swordfish with fresh vegetables always hit the spot, especially when followed by decadent chocolate ganache infused with candied bergamot or poached peaches with white wine and sorbet.

This quaint, casual bistro a few blocks from the Musée d'Orsay is open seven days a week and serves its own scrumptious versions of the deeply satisfying French classics like a country terrine, brandade de morue (a garlicky, salty cod and mashed potato dish) and blanquette de veau (a delicious, creamy veal dish). Desserts are also traditionally French, and the giant dollop of chocolate mousse is to die for.

This lively and popular brasserie is open from 8 am to 2 am every day, serving a copious morning breakfast, brunch on weekends, and an excellent full menu of everything from warm goat cheese salad to magret de canard from noon until 1 am. In keeping with the area's literary past and its name (Les Editeurs means "the publishers"), the book-lined space hosts monthly discussions with best-selling contemporary authors.

If it's steak you're craving, put your faith in Jean-Luc Roulière, a fifth-generation butcher who opened this long, narrow bistro near St-Sulpice church. Partner Franck Pinturier is from the Auvergne region, which is also known for its melt-in-the-mouth meat, so start with a marinated octopus salad or a rich marrow bone before indulging in a generous slab of Limousin or Salers beef, excellent veal kidney, or, for the meat-shy, sea bream with fresh vegetables.

Young, talented, and now famous chef Cyril Lignac has nabbed three small sites all within a few feet of each other to create a trio of intimate signature spaces. The main address is Au Prés, which serves Angus rib-eye steaks and Japanese-inspired delights such as teriyaki lamb chops or miso-carmelized black cod. Lignac oversees every detail, including the choice of marble countertops, brass lamps, dark leather booths, and the preservation of the original 1950s floral wallpaper. Next door at number 25 is another elegant, more modern style bar called Le Bar des Prés, which specializes in Japanese maki and sashimi for lunch and dinner. Finally, Dragon, just across the street is an evening-only private cocktail and sushi bar. A good cocktail is as much a part of the Lignac experience as the delicious and carefully prepared food.

Run by legendary bistro chef Yves Camdeborde, this small, Art Deco restaurant gets booked up early for its satisfying menu of traditional French cuisine. Favorites include classics like rib steak with potato puree and grilled salmon. Reservations are not accepted, resulting in long lines and brisk service. Camdeborde also has two local tapas bars, one right next door and a much larger one (Le Comptoir du Marché) around the corner at the Marché Saint-Germain, where delicious small plates, good wine, and a festive atmosphere are guaranteed.

This casual-chic eatery within the Hotel Lutetia is the most relaxed of the hotel’s restaurants. The extensive menu has a respectable oyster and shellfish selection, plus classics like escargot, steak tartare, and roast chicken as well as fish and vegetarian options. The sun hits the corner terrace in the afternoon, making it a perfect spot to soak in a little sun while watching busy shoppers crisscross by. 

Picasso, Chagall, Sartre, and de Beauvoir, attracted by the luxury of a heated café, worked and wrote here in the early 20th century. Today you'll find more tourists than intellectuals, and prices are hardly aimed at struggling artists, but the outdoor terrace is popular with Parisians and great for people-watching.

Overlooking the St-Sulpice church, this retro café recalls the Paris of yesteryear, before the proliferation of luxury boutiques and trendy eateries. It is a favorite spot for locals for a coffee, drink, or simple meal.

With a cheerfully bright and tiny, wood-beamed dining room—there's more space in the loft-like upstairs—this spot is devoted to the egg in all its forms. Whether you like yours baked with smoked salmon, whisked into an omelet with truffle shavings, or beaten into fluffy pancakes, there will be something for you on the blackboard menu. It's perfect for a late breakfast or light lunch on weekdays (it opens at 10 am and closes in the late afternoon), though rather mobbed for weekend brunch (10 am to 6 pm).

It's all about oysters at this bright 14-seat restaurant with crisp white tablecloths and pleasant service, popular with the area's chic set. If you find yourself puzzled over the relative merits of fines de claires and spéciales, you can always go with the €39 prix fixe that includes a glass of white wine and a dozen No. 3 (medium) oysters—or ask the knowledgeable waiters for advice. This simplest of meals can be supplemented with foie gras and toast followed by the fromage du moment.

Proving that an organic, vegetarian, lactose- and sugar-free menu can, indeed, be delicious, Judy was founded with the conviction that our well-being is directly connected to what we eat and how we live. The cheerful, inviting space comes with a sunny sidewalk terrace where seats are coveted by locals. If they’re taken, grab some takeout at the attached shop on Rue de Fleurus and walk one short block to the Luxembourg Gardens for an outdoor picnic. 

After extravagant success with his Asian-infused cuisine at Ze Kitchen Galerie, master-chef William Ledeuil extended his artistry to annex KGB (Kitchen Galerie Bis) just down the street, this time with a more casual focus and gentler prices. The three-course lunch menu is €39 and the six-course tasting menu is €75 without wine. A la carte appetizers and mains are also available. Whatever you order, the presentation and flavors of Ledeuil's cooking will not disappoint. 

Portraits of cows adorn the stone walls of this no-nonsense bistro near the Luxembourg Gardens, hinting at the kitchen's penchant for meaty cooking (Ferrandaise is a breed of cattle). Still, there's something for every taste on the market-inspired menu, which changes monthly and lists at least one fish, one poultry, and one vegetarian main. The dining room buzzes with locals who appreciate the friendly service and good-value three-course prix fixe (€22 at lunch, €37 at dinner).

The terrace of this corner café, opened in 1902, is a favorite haunt of local gallery owners and Beaux-Arts students. Open every day from 8 am to 2 am, light fare is available throughout the day. If there's a line, walk a few paces up Rue Jacques Caillot to Le Bistrot Mazarin, which has good café options and a comfortable outdoor terrace.

Self-described as a Maison de Plaisir (House of Pleasure) since 1766, this 17th-century wood-paneled town house flaunts its naughty history with a dark, boudoir-style decor; Émile Zola, George Sand, and Victor Hugo were regulars here, and the restaurant's mirrors still bear diamond scratches from the days when mistresses would use them to double-check the value of their jewels. The classic menu includes caviar and truffle-flavored specials. For a truly intimate meal, reserve one of the legendary private salons where anything can happen (and probably has).

What used to be a rare bookshop has been carefully reinvented into a coffee shop and gourmet deli serving casual fare like an egg and salmon breakfast, creative pasta dishes, and mixed veggie salads. The vintage hand-painted storefront and tile floors have been preserved and make the space utterly charming; these are the details that make people fall in love with Paris. There is a children's menu and a large choice of homemade desserts.

Michelin-starred chef Hélène Darroze made a name for herself decades ago, and her long-established restaurant in Paris has been revamped and renamed Marsan, a nod to her birthplace in the country's southwest. It's prix-fixe only, at lunch and dinner, whether you opt for the elegant upstairs dining room, the semiprivate table for six with a view of the open kitchen, or the more casual large table on the street level surrounded by the wine cellar. At the large table, you can choose between a simple three- or four-course menu (€45 or €95), which changes weekly. The more elegant dining room serves a four-course lunch menu on weekdays and a six- or nine-course tasting menu for lunch or dinner (€175 or €225, respectively) that features beautifully presented courses such as foie gras, lobster, hake fish, farm-raised squab, and Darroze's signature baba, an Armagnac-infused cake with vanilla syrup and candied pears. For truffle fanatics, there is a €325 six-course menu featuring Perigord black truffles in every dish. 

The serious, unpretentious, and mightily creative cuisine here quickly catapulted Quinsou to culinary fame. An emphasis on first-rate growers and suppliers puts vegetables in the limelight, though fish, shellfish, and game also make welcome appearances in the small number of market-fresh dishes that grace the daily menu. Prix-fixe menus are the only options, with a four-course lunch menu (€75) or a five-course dinner menu (€95). It's difficult to convey the originality of these dishes, but Parisians are smitten, and you will be, too.

The duo behind the popular neighborhood bistro La Boissonerie and the excellent wine shop La Dernière Goutte have poured their significant expertise into this laid-back bistro in the heart of tony St-Germain-des-Prés. Its sophisticated cuisine, superb wines by the bottle or glass, and total lack of pretension have quickly made Semilla the toast of the town. A lively open kitchen produces a menu of plentiful dishes served raw, roasted, baked, or steamed, with choices that will thrill carnivores, pescatarians, and herbivores alike. Two or three-course menus are priced at €45 and €55 respectively and the five-course tasting menu is €70. 

If you're having what is known in French as a crise de foie (liver crisis), the result of overindulging in rich food, this chic Japanese noodle house with a summer terrace and a second dining room upstairs is the perfect antidote. The blond-wood walls soothe the senses, and the freshly made soba (buckwheat noodles), served in soup or with a restorative dipping broth, will give you the courage to face another round of caramelized foie gras.