One of the best indulgences when visiting France’s capital, Paris, is the food. From crème brûlée to steak frites, I guarantee my list of eleven essential spots around town will satisfy your taste buds. I’ve broken everything down by locations so you can align your sightseeing with must-have food excursions.
Jewish Quarter
L’As du Fallafel: One of the most famous falafel spots in Paris, found in the trendy Jewish Quarter. Don’t let the line out the door and down the block discourage you from ordering. Whether you dine in or order to-go you’ll be glad you crossed this off your list. I ordered the falafel pita. Expect biting into a huge pita filled with falafel, salad, roasted eggplant and sauce. Snag extra napkins, it’s tasty but gets messy.
La Droguerie: Since there’s always room for dessert, especially in Paris, live the motto, “a crêpe a day keeps the doctor away.” Conveniently down the street from L’As du Fallafel, there’s a charming window shop you can watch your crêpe be made. By the looks and taste of it, the owner has mastered both sweet and savory crêpes. Bonus: he is extremely pleasant. The best decision I ever made was ordering a fresh, hot Nutella and banana crêpe.
Latin Quarter
L’Avant Comptoir De Le Terre: My favorite food experience in Paris thus far (I also was ringing in my birthday, so a lot of wine was involved). I’ll start by saying this is not your average restaurant. There are no seats, only a counter, the menus are hanging from the ceiling, and you’re greeted with a giant ball of butter and fresh bread. Your best bet is to have the waiter choose your plates, they know best. Hip Hop music is blasting, one guy is working the kitchen, and another is taking everyones order while pouring wine. It gets pretty wild. They even let me torch my own crème brûlée #BirthdayBehavior. Everything from great company to tasty tapas in this Latin Quarter gem.
Saint Germain des Pres Quarter
Poilâne: For your bakery fix, this stop has you covered. Treat yourself to a perfectly flaky chocolate croissant or famous apple tart for breakfast. This stop is also very popular on food tours. They also specialize in bread, rumor has it they are the best in the world. You may want to take a loaf or three to-go.
Rue Cler
La Fromagerie: Be sure to pop into this family-owned cheese shop while walking the streets of Rue Cler. With an extensive selection of cheese and wine, this shop is perfect for picnic essentials on your way to the Eiffel Tower. Fill up your basket with options like comte, brie and green pesto cheese.
Ladurée: If you’re guilty for having a sweet tooth, macarons are a popular choice here. They are a little on the pricey side for a box of six, but definitely worth trying and purchasing for cute picture purposes.
Champs Elysees
Pierre Hermé: When in Paris, french pastries are quintessential. The Champs Elysees location is a must try and definite see. Enjoy the decor while you indulge in different sweets and eclectic flavored macarons. Some say these are tastier than Ladurée. Pierre Hermé offers more exotic flavors like passionfruit, madagascar vanilla and raspberry lychee with a larger price tag. Get it to-go and walk over to Nespresso
Nespresso: Life hack alert. After a drawn-out day of shopping and walking on Champs Elysees, what’s better than free coffee? I couldn’t believe it was free, I guess I’m new to this Nespresso life. Although I feel kind of cheeky leaving this here, f– it, you’re on vacation. I ordered a “sample” of the Hazeltino at the coffee bar. The intensity is ranked at 6 and it turns out my coffee sample is served in a mug.
Le Relais de l’Entrecôte: The legendary steak and fries, a Parisian staple. If you don’t eat here, did you even visit Paris? Seriously. There is no menu necessary because they only serve one thing. You are first presented with a mixed greens salad, followed by half a steak cooked to your choice of perfection, with a side of fries, covered in their secret green sauce. Mwah! The other half of your steak arrives as soon as you finish the first serving. Pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy one of the best meals of your life. This location is off the streets of Champs Elysees, plus a few miles from the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.
Les Halles
Boulangerie Julien: Located in the center of Paris, you can smell this bakery from a block away. We walked here for breakfast one morning and stocked up on tons of sweets, bread and quiches. My personal favorite was the “pistachio escargot” pastry. It was perfectly flaky with just the right amount of pistachio paste. Seating is minimal, so I recommend taking it to-go.
Montmartre
La Cave Gourmande: You will leave this cozy restaurant beyond satisfied after the abundant amount of food presented. A great dinner spot while sightseeing the charming hilltop city of Montmartre. Everything on the menu sounded amazing so our table ordered it all: Escargot tastes like butter and pesto, bone marrow melts in your mouth, and their speciality, the beef bourguignon (stew) is tender. We also ordered the steak and fries, creamy mashed potatoes, and grilled chicken. All great portions as well as flavors.
This list was made with hopes that you too will experience these recommended spots on your next trip to Paris, France. If you have any additional stops and recommendations, share them with us. Until then, au revoir!
Check out the behind the scenes of all my adventures and meals on both my Instagram highlights in Paris: @shabbysmalls & @shotbysmalls.
Currently listening to: Petit Biscuit – Sunset Lover
