Christine’s Paris FAVORITES (updated 2023 – but still might be a bit dated. check online to see if restaurant still exists)

i thoroughly trust “time out paris”  just google it and go to their website. they have good recommendations for restaurants and cafes.

generally, you need to make reservations everywhere.

also – not worth going to ‘fancy’ asian restaurants (we went to the thai restaurant in the 7th that macron liked – and not impressed)– they are expensive and not great.  better to do it back in USA.  (mirama – see 5th arrondissement – doesn’t count – is not fancy, it’s ‘real’ and favorite)

RESTAURANTS/EATING:

1st arrondissement

  • cafe marly – in wing of louvre facing pyramid – good food, better prices at lunch, not cheap. you can get a table next to a window looking down at the ‘marly court’ inside the louvre or you can sit on the balcony and look at the pyramid (haven’t been here for years)
  • frenchie bar a vin – ‘frenchie’ was the hot new expensive restaurant.  we couldn’t get in, but they have a wine bar across the street ‘frenchie bar a vin’ and it was fabulous – great little appetizers and wines and reasonable prices. – (2019 – full of americans now.  couldn’t even get into wine bar.  don’t come without reservation.)
  • le fumoir – 6 Rue de l’Amiral de Coligny – hip and cool restaurant across from louvre – like an old mansion’s library – filled bookcases line the walls.

4th arrondissement –

  • Le temps de cerises – rue petit musc – nice, cute, ambiance everybody has outdoor terraces now.
  • Ma Bourgogne – in Places des Vosges – I used to ignore because it’s so touristy, but I went there with a friend and had lovely lunch with a glass of excellent wine. And can’t beat the location. Plus it’s in covered walk way, so good in case of rain
  • l’as du fallafal – 34 rue des rosiers – best felafel in the world (imho) don’t go to any of the neighbours there, not good.
  • cafe beaubourg – 43 Rue Saint-Merri, pricey for cafe, but love the omelets and scrambled eggs and can hang out and watch the square in front of beaubourg/pompidou center with street performers, tourists and the rest of the world.

5th arrondissement:

  • mirama – 17 rue st Jacques – authentic chinese ‘diner’ with ducks hanging in the window. my favorite is the soup with noodles and shrimp ravioli. when i tasted these i said “now there’s no reason to go home…”

6th arrondissement

  • brasseries up and down boulevard montparnasse are fun places to have lunch and people watch
  • le cantine du troquet – 79 Rue du Cherche-Midi (see description in 14th arr)

7th arrondissement

  • les cocottes – 135 Rue Saint-Dominique– chef christian constant’s casserole restaurant – fun comfort food – very good and well priced.  all sit at counters so sort of french version of a diner.
  • le 7eme vin– 68 ave bosquet – wine restaurant – good food, good price

11th arrondissement,

  • le clown bar – very hip bar restaurant (not cheap – but nothing in paris is anymore) – next to the ‘winter circus’ (cirque d’hiver) with clown tiles on the wall
  • cafe de l’industrie – fun restaurant very reasonable prices. i love the ambiance and love breakfast and hanging out here
  • bofinger – 5 rue de la bastille (not good anymore – don’t go here – ignore the tourist books) classic brasserie – used to have good fish, alsatian food (sauerkraut) –– right off the bastille – (NEW NOTE 2012 – we don’t like this anymore.  too big, very mediocre food.  nice space, but you can do better!)

12th arrondissement

  • l’ebauchoir– rue Citeaux – classic bistrot – EXCELLENT food in nice bistro ambiance– (we had our improvised wedding lunch here) (prices have gone up a little too, so not cheap)
  • l’encrier – rue traversiere – cute little restaurant (which has nostaligic value for us because we lived above it– not worth traveling for if you’re not in the neighborhood)
  • le bistro du peintre cafe, 116 ave ledru rollin – classic brasserie – local – real.    we have our favorite dishes – like herring with potatoes, confit canard (duck) – standard french brasserie fare (2023 – we just went and still like it. good authentic ambiance)
  • l’ami pierre – wine bar with bar food – used to be crazy smokey but that’s allowed anymore. (2023 – we just went here and it’s a fun ‘authentic’ ambiance. food is good and prices very reasonable)
  • chez paul, rue charonne – sorry, it’s been a long time since i’ve been here

14th arrondissement

  • le cantine du troquet, 101 rue de l’ouest – really good – southwest french food- down to earth – menu on blackboard – cash only – no reservations-– metro pernety (i haven’t been to this one for a very long time, but go to the one in the 15th – and i still like it)

15th  arrondissement

  • brasserie le suffren– good seafood, good price, fast service, pleasant ambiance– corner of ave de suffren & ave motte-picquet (we downgrade this rating – when things aren’t right they don’t take any responsibility)
  • au roi du cafe – local cheap good eats – 59 rue lecourbe – very authentic feeling – full of locals.  not worth travelling to, but it was our local.
  • cantine du troquet dupleix – 53 Bd de Grenelle – see 14th arrondissement – we still like this one a lot. reasonable prices, fun

all over paris:

amorino – fabulous gelato

my favorite things to do in paris

  • riding bikes along the seine on what used to be a highway, now permanently for pedestrian/bikes. in summer they bring in sand and call it ‘paris plage’ (paris beach) with sprinklers and lots of fun things.
  • riding bike from home, past eiffel tower to rue st dominique for dinner, then back again, past the eiffel tower on the hour, when it does a special sparkle at night.
  • oysters and champagne in the winter – we’d pick ‘em up at cafe du commerce on rue du commerce and bring home. food there is not exceptional, but the oysters are excellent. you can buy platters of opened oysters in many places, including the open air markets
  • marais,
    • felafel at “l’as du felafel” (the neighboring felafel places are NOT great. And whatever you do, don’t go to the American diner around the corner – terrible) – there is a hidden park down the street through a covered entryway – go here to eat if you don’t want to wait in line for a place in the restaurant – we never sit inside.
    • walking down “rue francs bourgeois” – an ancient street with old mansions and fun shopping
    • walking along rue st antoine  into the place de vosges through secret passage of hotel de sully
    • walking all around marais
  • omelet at cafe beaubourg, on the plaza in front of the centre pompidou (perhaps just a personal and nostalgic thing – but cool, chic place and crowd. watch the tourists going to the pompidou museum and the performers on the plaza) and the omelet or scrambled eggs are great.
  • ile de la cite
    • sainte chapelle – the king’s chapel, art history described it “like being inside a jewel” (really fabulous – you can’t tell by looking in the door because it’s upstairs) try to go on sunny day
    • (sadly permanently closed) – flower market which is also bird market on sundays .
    • the park behind notre dame, bridge to ile saint louis to have BERTHILLON ice cream & sorbet, walk down center street “rue st louis en l’ile” i was once told that the people who live on the island, refer to leaving the island as “going to the mainland”
  • bastille area
    • breakfast at cafe bastille – great omelette or scrambled eggs
    • lunch at “le peintre” cafe on rue ledru rollin
    • l’ebauchoir” bistro rue citaux
    • walk on the viaduct park – old train tracks converted to park (used as model for ny’s ‘high line’)
  • musee d’orsay – impressionists
    • my favorite: degas pastels (not always on display)
  • shopping at outdoor marches

other things to do:

  • musee de la chasse – hunting museum is very funky and fun.  surprising!  in gorgeous old mansion.
  • deyrolle – is taxidermy animal shop – funky and fun. review
  • l’orangerie museum in the tuileries
  • open double decker bus tour
  • bateaux mouches
  • musee d’orsay – impressionists
  • musee marmottan – more monet
  • bon marchee “le grand epicerie” – great fancy food market 7th arrondissement – bon marche is big department store in 2 buildings.  if you can’t find “le grand epicerie” you’re in the wrong building

more things to do:

  • picasso museum has been finally reopened. don’t know how good…
  • musee carnavalet – museum about paris. ok.
  • musee cluny – medieval museum – lots of tapestries
  • catacombs – piles and piles of bones moved there from paris cemeteries when haussman and napolean rebuilt paris
  • sewer tours – smelly…  paris was very proud of the sewers that were built when paris was rebuilt by haussman and napolean
  • perfume museum
  • chocolate museum

julia’s favorite things:

  • view from roof deck cafe of “printemps” dept store (i really like the kitchen department)
  • caramel macaroons at “bon marche” – “le grande epicerie” food market
  • climbing up stairs of eiffel tower
  • cluny area –2 islands – berthillon ice cream
  • beaubourg centre pompidou museum
  • marais – rue rosier
  • biking on velib
  • taking metro over bir hakeim bridge (where they filmed ‘inception’) seeing eiffel tower, off at passy, walk back over bridge – walk on island  -“isle des cygnes (swan island) then back to 15th to get crepe at corner cafe

 

BAKERIES: personal favorites:

  • eric kaiser – great baguette and pain de campagne (thicker baguette), financiers (almond madeleine like cakes), almond croissant
  • bakery on rue lagrande, 5th arrondissement, across river from notre dame (across from “hippopotamus” – makes an amazing “le royale chocolate” – fab chocolate thick rich mousse cake
  • some people love “sadaharu aoki”– a revered japanese interpretation of french pastries and chocolate. i wasn’t won over…

MACAROONS:

  • la duree – is a famous brand. expensive
  • eric kaiser has a few bakeries around town. i quite liked his macaroons.
  • bon marche – julia loved the caramel macaroons. all are good.  there is a seating area in the back of the main floor
  • pierre herme is the other famous brand – more experimental flavors – interesting
  • la moulin de la vierge – (the virgin’s mill) – julia’s other favorite macaroon – giant caramel. it was our local in the 15th arrondissement if you happen to be in the neighborhood

i also loved doing lunch time cooking classes. for the same price as lunch in a cafe, you make it and then eat it.  they are offered by various groups, most in french, but they sometimes offer english speaking classes.  there are also companies specifically catering to english speakers.  often take place in department stores’ specially made kitchens next to the kitchen departments. (2019-some have gotten expensive – but look for the short lunch time ones which are still reasonable)

here is a list by david liebovitz:(from 2011)

OPEN AIR MARKETS:

Markets http://meslieux.paris.fr/marches

there are also “chocolate tasting tours”.

another good website resource: