“A Taste of Paris” shows our readers a side of the City of Lights beyond the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, offering insights into the French capital’s neighborhoods that are informative and inspiring.
Production: LWS Production / E-TV
Travis’ Tips for Foodie travelers visiting Paris
La Table d’Eugene: If you’re looking to experience the new wave of French cooking, head to Geoffroy Maillard’s homage to seasonal French products in the 18th arrondissment. Beautifully presented, each plate provides a medley of well balanced and refreshing flavors. At a very reasonable price point, this is an excellent place to indulge in a multiple course tasting menu.
La Rallonge: If you’re more in the mood for sharing plates and delectable mouthfuls alongside drinks, Geoffroy Maillard’s bar à tapas annex to La Table d’Eugene. Taste the sea with Galician octopus or Escabeche mussels and a glass of Loire Valley white from the extensive wine list or stick the classic cheese and charcuterie board, featuring a wide range of mixed cheeses and meats from across France and Spain.
Marché des Enfants Rouges: Paris’ oldest market is over 400 years old and lays behind an iron gate in the 3rd arrondissement. With offerings from the French, Japanese to Lebanese and beyond, this is a foodie’s dream. Closed Mondays.
Marché d’Aligre: A quintessential Parisian neighborhood marketplace. With vendors selling everything from flowers, fruit, cheese, meats to vegetables, this is a great place to come and taste some local produce.
Le Mary Celeste: From the team behind Candelaria and Glass, this restaurant offers locally-sourced meat and produce with a perfectly complementary wine and cocktail list. (The Marais)
Clown Bar: This restaurant has a great neighborhood feel and offers small plates for sharing. A must for me is the crème brûlée. Closed Monday & Tuesday. (The Marais)
Laurent Dubois: Laurent Dubois has received the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), the highest designation for a cheesemonger and affineur in France. (The Marais)
Café Pinson: Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Sunday for brunch with a lovely selection of vegetarian and vegan options. (The Marais)
Tout Autour du Pain: This is one of my favorite places in Paris to get bread. Come in for a croissant or a baguette for lunch. Closed during the weekend. (The Marais)
Coutume: A favorite coffee shop for locals and tourist alike. Get your coffee in your preferred choice of brewing method and some light and healthy breakfast, brunch or lunch offerings. Closed Mondays. (Saint-Germain)
Cosi: One of the best sandwich places in the city and an absolute bargain considering you’ll spend less than 10 euros ($11.20) on a delicious lunch.. Pick one up on your way to the Jardin de Luxembourg to enjoy al fresco. (Saint-Germain)
Semilla: A contemporary bistro offering modern interpretations of classic French dishes delivered from a stunning open kitchen. I would recommend booking your table a day or two in advance. (Saint-Germain)
Henri Le Roux: Not only a master chocolatier but also boasting the title of “caramelier”. The shop is filled with wonderful edible chocolate creations and is a must for chocolate lovers. (Saint-Germain)
Pierre Hermé: This is one of the top names in pastry. Bursting with everything from cakes to tarts, to ice creams and macarons, everyone can satisfy their sweet tooth. (Saint-Germain)
Bob’s Juice Bar: This is the go-to place in Paris to get your fresh-pressed juices and vegetarian food. (Canal St-Martin)
El Nopal: This Mexican taqueria is a must for tacos, burritos and quesadillas in Paris. (Canal St-Martin)
Le Papillon: A perfect blend of dive appeal and lots of Old World charm. A very affordable place for lunch. (Latin Quarter)
Brewberry: A place for the beer aficionado where they sell hundreds of different brews including some craft beers from all over France. (Latin Quarter)
Sola: This is a top restaurant pick from food critics. Here you’ll find that French and Japanese style cuisine are married in a blissfully flavored package. (Latin Quarter)
Hotel Amour: This establishment is run by artist Andre Saraiva, who we met in my Art Lovers video. The onsite restaurant is not only a great place to be scene but offers wonderful lunch menu and brunch during the weekend. (Pigalle)
For the modern Foodie: Le General
Located at the crossroads of some of Paris’ finest and trendiest foodie spots in the Marais and in the 11th arrondissement, Hotel Le Général is the perfect headquarters for those who frequently find themselves experiencing late night cravings. No matter which direction you head once you exit the hotel, fine and worldly cuisine awaits you. Inside the hotel you’ll find bold splashes of color and pattern nestled among demure modern furnishings. High quality bedding invites you to sleep at the end of a long day of following your nose and free WiFi means its easy to load up restaurant locations from our handy Paris foodie map.
Breakfast is served every morning featuring delectable hot and cold items including pastries, eggs cooked to order, various charcuteries and fresh juices and gives you the chance to properly fuel up before a day spent exploring the city.
If you’re easily tempted by the patisseries of Paris, coincide your stay at Le Général with their Pâtisserie Master Classes, held on two Wednesdays every month from 3:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m. You’ll be educated by the King of Tarte au citron and Fraisiers of Paris at the hotel’s bar in how to create the perfect French desserts. Class sizes are limited to 8 people per session and everyone gets involved in both the creation and the post-class dégustation.
For the classic foodie: Le Meurice
A room that is as decadent and delicious as French cuisine itself. Photos taken from trivago.
If you love the decadence of the butters and creams of French cuisine, ascend to the throne of Paris’ foodie hotels with a stay at Le Meurice. Le Meurice’s onsite restaurant continues the five star experience from kitchen to table boasting two Michelin stars and helmed by the one and only Alain Ducasse. The menu here remains faithful to its French roots with many local ingredients sourced locally and presented alongside seafood and meat in a simple medley. The food is further complemented by the Versailles-inspired setting which creates a royal experience for guests looking for the best.
The hotel is located across from the Tuileries Gardens and is nestled between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Having opened in the 1815 and decorated in the opulent style of Louis XVI, guests can expect the finest; from the level of service they lavish upon visitors to the Italian marble bathrooms, antique furniture and the highest level of attention to detail, a stay at Le Meurice is unforgettable.
Hotspot restaurants for Foodie Travelers
Clamato: Arrive before seven to get a seat at the seafood focused venture of Michelin-starred chef Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat. Your tastebuds will be treated to delicate and thought provoking seafood combinations that will leave you restless for the next bite.
Candelaria: Craving a bit more spice in your dinner? This popular taqueria offers hungry guests an assortment of tacos on house-made tortillas paired with salsas and Mexican cocktails. Candle-lit ambiance adds to the appeal and post dinner you can head to the hidden cocktail speakeasy at the back of the restaurant.
L’as du Fallafel: Simply the best place to get a meal under 10 euros ($11.20) in Paris. We suggest getting your falafel to go, grabbing a fork and extra napkins on the way out and head to the Jardin des Rosiers-Joseph Migneret to eat al fresco. Careful of spills! Eating a falafel without compromising your outfit is an art.
Berthillion: With an ever changing array of flavors shifting with the seasons and the unmistakably long line ups of eager ice cream lovers crowding its doors, the iconic Berthillion Glaciers deserves a spot on every foodie’s Paris hotspot list. Our pick is a cone of salted caramel and pear.
Le Chateaubriand: Take everything you know about French cuisine and leave it at the front door of Chef Inaki Aizpitarte’s neo-bistro. Unpretentious yet inventive and memorable, this is where to sample the direction Paris’ restaurant scene has been heading.
The Paris Foodie Bucket List
- Start your morning with the classic Parisian breakfast: A bowl (the French drink from bowls rather than cups at breakfast) full of hot chocolate and a pain au chocolat or croissant from a nearby patisserie. Dunking the flaky yet buttery pastry in your bowl is encouraged! We love to dip and devour at Le Moulin de la Vierge in the 2nd arrondissement.
- Stop by one of the bigger markets or your local neighborhood market to pick up picnic provisions alongside chefs and locals. Satisfy your curiosity by asking questions and sampling along the way. Our top 3 markets include the decadent Marché d’Aligre, the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges and the small and quaint Marche Monge.
- Take a cooking class with Alain Ducasse. With restaurants across three different cities and each of them boasting three Michelin stars, even standing in Ducasse’s shadow will see your culinary skills improve by leaps and bounds. With workshops for everyone from total beginners to self-processed weekend chefs, you’ll learn a thing or two about how to handle a kitchen and impress your friends to boot.
- Stuff yourself with cheese: whether you order it before dessert at a restaurant or reserve in mind with testing out as many cheeses as possible at La Coop, you’ll learn to appreciate everything from the raw and soft to the creamy blues whose smell alerts you to its presence before you’ve even seen it coming.
- Head to the Food Halls: La Grande Epicerie de Paris and Lafayette Gourmet both offer up hours of mouthwatering browsing through carefully selected aisles for foodies or anyone looking to work up an appetite. With over 70% of their products coming from across France, picking up a souvenir at the food halls make a great memory of your trip.
Tip: If you’d like to keep our Foodie recommendations handy during your Paris visit, click the ⭐ icon next to the Maps title to save it to your own Google Maps!