52 Best Restaurants in Paris, France

Founded in 1903 and patronized by literary luminaries like Marcel Proust and Gertrude Stein, Angelina is famous for its chocolat "l'Africain"—an ultra-rich hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. The beautiful chestnut "Mont Blanc" pastry is the ideal accompaniment. Book well in advance online to avoid being disappointed.

This charming courtyard café-tearoom grew out of an adorable pastry shop (next door) specializing in the French sablé, those classic melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies, with an assortment of ethereal cream fillings. Marble-topped tables, velvet chairs, and other vintagelike touches make this one of the neighborhood's most charming spots for lunch, brunch, or dessert. The excellent food, homemade drinks, and stellar pastries are all icing on this scrumptious cake.

Eating a crêpe in Paris might seem clichéd, until you venture into this modern offshoot of a Breton crêperie. The plain, pale-wood decor is refreshing, but what really makes the difference are the ingredients—farmers' eggs, unpasteurized Gruyère, shiitake mushrooms, Valrhona chocolate, homemade caramel, and extraordinary butter from a Breton dairy farmer. You'll find all the classics among the galettes, but it's worth choosing something more adventurous like the cancalaise (traditionally smoked herring, potato, crème fraîche, and herring roe). You might also slurp a few Cancale oysters—a rarity in Paris—or try one of the 20 artisanal ciders on offer.

Once described as the "center of the civilized world," this grand café was a meeting place for the Belle Époque's glitterati. It's an elegant spot to enjoy a drink (or meal) in the shadow of the Opéra Garnier.

Pastry chef extraordinaire Cedric Grolet made his name at Le Meurice, the palace hotel just down the street, with his exquisite sculpted fruits—glorious trompe-l'oeil versions of the real thing made with various chocolates filled with creamy fruit or nut ganache. At this cafe near the Opéra, you can sample the master's sublime cookies and breakfast pastries along with other gourmet delights.

If you're serious about what's in your coffee cup, head straight to this streamlined café near the Place des Vosges, where you'll find only the best from roasters around Paris. A short but spot-on menu features avocado toast with a poached egg, cinnamon buns, and homemade cakes and cookies. The weekend brunch is very popular; arrive early or prepare to wait a little.

If this weren't one of Paris's most outstanding wine bars, the wait and metal tractor seats might be a deterrent. Yet wine lovers would be hard-pressed to find a better venue for sampling a great list of French wines and inspired selections from Italy and Spain—every one of them sold by the bottle or glass—with superb tapas to match. Feast on yummy small plates like the "coleslaw" of citrusy calamari, black-olive coulis, and a sprinkling of pine nuts; bresaola with apples, spicy mizuna leaves, and dollops of creamy horseradish; and a wedge of Stilton served atop a paste of Speculoos biscuits with poached pears and smoked walnuts. Get here right at 7 pm when the restaurant opens or shortly afterward to avoid waiting for a table.

This was Paris's first coffee bar, founded by former Guatemalan ambassador to France turned coffee ambassador, Gloria Montenegro. With three spacious rooms, all coffee preparations under the sun, and a daily special brew chosen from among dozens of varieties of meticulously sourced beans from plantations around the globe, this is a Paris institution.

Set in a bright, modern space on a tiny street in the lower reaches of Montmartre, the popular Le BAL Café Otto caters to a diverse clientele who come for the great coffee, delicious homey food, lively crowd, and the art gallery/bookstore. Italian- and French-inspired cuisine (like spelt risotto with mushrooms, hazelnuts, and creamed spinach) during the week rests alongside a traditional weekend brunch menu featuring items like tender pancakes, fried eggs with ham and roasted tomatoes, and buttery scones with jam. On Sunday in spring and summer, brunch is truly an event, with artists, hipsters, expats, and young families enthusiastically enjoying all of the above. Note that the café closes at 10 pm on Wednesday and Thursday and 7 pm on Friday and Sunday, so perhaps look elsewhere for dinner.

A head-turning variety of luscious pastries, classic French breakfast sweets and breads, ice cream, chocolates, and homemade jams will tempt every sweet tooth at this charming bakery and tearoom. Tucked into the historic covered Passage Jouffroy, Le Valentin is a picturesque spot for breakfast, lunch, or teatime—or buy a box of irresistible French-Alsatian sweets to enjoy on the go.

This tiny gem of a coffee shop may not have the ambience of Paris's historic brasserie cafés, but it does have something you won't find in any brasserie in Paris—reliably excellent coffee served with care and enthusiasm. What's more, a small menu of delicious homemade sweets and sandwiches and salads at lunchtime pretty much covers all your restorative needs in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

One of the city's best examples of the casual gourmet cafés popping up around Paris, Mokonuts is run by a talented husband-and-wife team who create delicious dishes and pastries that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. Prepare for crowds at breakfast and teatime, when you can choose from chunky multigrain cookies, sweet or savory muffins, tarts, and other sweet goodies. At lunch, locals elbow their way in for a variety of gourmet salads, sandwiches, and hot dishes. Accompany your meal with excellent coffee, a selection of teas, or a freshly made juice, like the refreshing orange-blossom lemonade. Dinner (€70) is served only by reservation for at least eight.

A dazzling array of gourmet pastries here includes all the classics in imaginative and delicious flavor combinations. There are also impossibly moist individual cakes, Paris's best baba au rhum, sublime cookies, and the specialty guimauve, a flavored, melt-in-your-mouth marshmallow. Be sure to sample the gorgeous Rosy Rosa dome cake with almond, rose-infused almond milk, and creamy dark chocolate all on a black sesame biscuit topped with rose petals. Next door, savory gourmet breads, quiches, sandwiches, and other takeout foods make this the perfect refueling stop after a visit to the Centre Pompidou. There's also outdoor seating in warm weather.

A five-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, Terre de Café is a boon to coffee lovers. It also serves gluten-free pastries, healthy fruit smoothies, and gourmet brunch options.

Smoked chocolate . . . orange-carrot-ginger . . . coffee--black cardamom . . . these are just a few of the intriguing ice cream and gelato flavors featured at Paris's Instagram-famous glacier. Expect only the best seasonal ingredients plus cream and sugar in the ice creams and loads of fresh fruit in the nondairy sorbets. You can taste as many flavors as you like to help you decide, and servings, by the boule, are generous. There are lots of frozen cakes and pastries too.

This handsome, contemporary Marais bistro and wine bar is the perfect place to enjoy traditional fare and excellent Burgundies served by the glass and bottle. Unusual for Paris, food is served nonstop from noon to 11 pm, and you can drop by just for a glass of wine in the afternoon. Always on the menu are Burgundian classics such as jambon persillé (ham in parsley aspic jelly), escargots, and boeuf bourguignon (beef stewed in red wine). More up-to-date picks include a cèpe-mushroom velouté with poached oysters, although fancier dishes are generally less successful.

This cozy bar is always packed, and tables often spill out onto the sidewalk. Come for a hearty meal, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.

As its impressive facade attests, this café has a special history. It opened in 1846, when Balzac was a regular, and Rue Montorgueil was the place to buy oysters, though these days, the menu is more modern with salads, burgers, and brunch options, as well as a handful of classics like escargots and French onion soup.

Set in the Galerie Vivienne, Paris's loveliest covered passage, this charmingly authentic 19th-century bistro feels both cozy and welcoming, and the food and drink are well above average. With all-day hours as well as a double terrace either inside Galerie Vivienne or on a picturesque street a few steps from the Palais Royal gardens, this is a satisfying spot for a quick coffee or glass of wine, a snack, or a full meal.

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. 

This most stalwart of Breton addresses in the French capital is known for its savory buckwheat galettes and sweet wheat-flour crêpes, best enjoyed with a glass of local Breton cider. The city boasts several outposts of this restaurant; this one quite near the Les Halles market area is known for its cozy vaulted cider cellar, with more than 40 ciders to sample.

In summer, look for the crowd spilling out the front of this signless wine bar named for Jean-Louis, the bartender (bubar or barbu is French slang for "bearded"). The wine menu—with many selections available by the glass—features French wines and small-batch vintages from South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Try the small dishes and some lovely tartines (toasted bread with various toppings), or bring in whatever noshes suit your fancy from the neighborhood—the owner encourages it.

It may not have the healthiest food in the Marais, and the coffee may not be third wave, but that doesn't keep chic locals from packing into it on a sunny (or even not-so-sunny) day. The people-watching from this choice spot—at the intersection of the à la mode shopping street Rue Charlot and the bustling Rue de Bretagne—is top-notch, and the café's 1950s film noir charm is irresistible.

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.

A true neighborhood haunt, this bustling little bistro near the Musée Picasso offers a convivial slice of Parisian life at a good value. Traditional French bistro fare is adapted to a modern audience. The best choices are the old tried-and-trues: hand-cut tartare de boeuf; rare entrecôte served with a side of golden-crisp frites and homemade béarnaise; and the classic Parmentier, with pheasant instead of the usual ground beef.

This Japanese-inspired mini-chain of coffeehouses is the place to be seen during Paris Fashion Week. There are four locations in Paris: one at 208 rue de Rivoli, one at 2 place André Malraux with a full restaurant menu, one at 30 rue du Vertbois that also serves as a roastery, and this one—the original and persistent favorite, thanks in large part to the views over the Palais Royal gardens.

A favorite of Parisians for business lunches and after-work apéros, this traditional brasserie prides itself on using quality ingredients from top French producers (and the family farm) for its homemade fare, along with all the joys of an authentic Parisian brasserie: a daily blackboard menu, brisk service, a generous sidewalk terrace, and convenient all-day hours (open 6:30 am until midnight). Its location a short walk from the Champs-Élysées does mean higher prices, but not as high as the more touristy cafés on the avenue.

The plush chestnut-and-cream decor of this café is the work of one of Givenchy's nephews. Cocktails are classy, there's a good variety of beer on tap, and the food (brasserie fare such as steaks, fish, and frites) is tasty. In the evening, candlelight makes everyone look even more glamorous.