Top Casual Dining in France

Binchstub Broglie ★ 4.8

Binchstub Broglie off Place Broglie is a tarte flambee counter using farm produce, firing classic and inventive flammekueche to eat in or take away.

OrderTarte flambee fermiere

Le J'Go Restaurant ★ 4.8

Le J'Go on Place Victor Hugo is the southwestern French bistro and wine bar built around Cochon noir de Bigorre, market-facing terrace and Gers bottles.

OrderCochon noir de Bigorre, Saucisse de Toulouse grilled with white beans, Plat du jour

TipSolo lunch best at the bar; the saucisse de Toulouse grilled with white beans is the canonical order.

La Merenda ★ 4.7

La Merenda in Vieux Nice is Dominique Le Stanc's bench seat Nissard kitchen on Rue Raoul Bosio, the chef who walked away from Le Negresco for grandmother.

OrderThe stockfish stew (estocaficada) and the petits farcis at lunch.

TipNo telephone, cash only, two sittings per service. Book at the door earlier the same day.

Winstub Le Clou ★ 4.7

Winstub Le Clou on Rue du Chaudron near the cathedral is a classic Alsatian tavern for choucroute, baeckeoffe and waedele, poured with Riesling.

OrderBaeckeoffe, Waedele

Fufu Toulouse ★ 4.7

Fufu Toulouse on Rue de Metz is the small ramen counter with thick tonkotsu broth and gyoza turned to order, opened by the team behind a Paris noodle shop.

OrderTonkotsu ramen, Gyoza, Donburi bowls

TipLines start at 12:15; the takeaway window is the easier midday route if the indoor counter is full.

May ★ 4.7

May on Rue Pharaon in Carmes is the small Vietnamese kitchen with banh mi to order, slow-simmered bun bo Hue and fresh spring rolls served on lacquer trays.

OrderBanh mi, Bun bo Hue, Spring rolls

TipClosed Sunday and Monday; the lunch banh mi plus iced jasmine tea at €13 is the daily favourite.

Daniel et Denise Crequi ★ 4.6

Daniel et Denise Crequi in the 3e is the original 1968 location, now run by MOF Joseph Viola whose pate en croute won the 2009 world championship.

OrderThe pate en croute as a starter, then the quenelle de brochet.

TipClosed Sat-Sun; book a fortnight ahead. The bouchon label is genuine here.

Regain ★ 4.6

Regain at the foot of the Croix-Rousse in the 1er is Benjamin Sanchez and Thomas Rolland's neo-bistro, with raw walls, globe lighting. Priced at €€€.

OrderThe panisse fries with black-olive powder and aioli, then the daily set.

TipLunch is the easier seating; lunch formulas €25-59, dinner menus €55-75.

La Corde a Linge ★ 4.6

La Corde a Linge sits on Place Benjamin Zix in Petite France, an all-day Alsatian room famous for big plates of homemade spaetzle by the canal.

OrderSpaetzle, Salads

Mama Bubbele ★ 4.6

Mama Bubbele on the Quai des Bateliers is a tarte flambee specialist, turning out crisp, thin flammekueche in savoury and sweet versions until late.

OrderTarte flambee

La Cave au Cassoulet ★ 4.6

La Cave au Cassoulet on Rue Peyrolieres in Carmes is an unfussy cassoulet specialist with confit duck, sausage and beans baked in clay cassoles.

OrderCassoulet de Toulouse, Confit de canard, Magret de canard

TipSmaller than the celebrated cassoulet rooms; the cassole is single-serve, do not order a starter if you intend to finish it.

Le Bon Vivre ★ 4.6

Le Bon Vivre on Place Wilson is the all-day southwestern brasserie with continuous service, a covered terrace and a deep Lauragais cassoulet menu.

OrderCassoulet, Saucisse de Toulouse, Confit de canard

TipWalk-in friendly; the cassoulet with duck plus sausage is the canonical order. Open Sunday, which most of the centre is not.

Le Garet ★ 4.5

Le Garet on Rue du Garet in Lyon's 1er is the canonical bouchon, four blocks from the Opera, with a chalkboard menu rooted in the classic Lyonnais repertoire.

OrderTablier de sapeur to start, then the quenelle de brochet with sauce Nantua.

TipClosed Sunday-Monday; book a fortnight ahead for the dinner service.

Daniel et Denise Saint-Jean ★ 4.5

Daniel et Denise Saint-Jean in Vieux Lyon is Joseph Viola's bouchon in the old town, where the pate en croute won the world championship and remains.

OrderThe pate en croute as a starter, then the quenelle de brochet sauce Nantua.

TipClosed Sunday-Monday; book three days ahead; service can run long.

Daniel et Denise Croix-Rousse ★ 4.5

Daniel et Denise Croix-Rousse is MOF Joseph Viola's third bouchon, on Rue de Cuire facing Place des Tapis in the historic canut quarter of the 4e.

OrderThe pate en croute starter, then the praluline brioche for dessert.

TipClosed Sunday-Monday; lunch is the easier seating near the daily Croix-Rousse market.

Chez Etienne ★ 4.5

Chez Etienne in Marseille's 2e Panier has cooked wood-fired Marseillais pizza since 1943, no menu, cash only, the half-anchovy half-cheese the local order.

OrderThe half-anchovy half-cheese pizza, the canonical version in the city.

TipOpen Mon-Sat lunch and dinner, closed Sunday; cash only, no reservations, expect a queue.

Le Loup, le Renard et la Galette ★ 4.5

Readers of Big City Nantes voted this Bouffay crêperie the city favourite for 2025, galettes built on butternut cream, burrata or guacamole.

OrderLa Belette galette with butternut, feta and spinach, Burrata galette, Guacamole galette

TipThis is the second room, opened in July 2024 a few doors from the original on Rue de la Juiverie; neither takes bookings.

Acchiardo ★ 4.5

Acchiardo on Rue Droite in Vieux Nice has cooked the family Nicoise canon since the close of the First World War, four generations and a single lunch sitting.

OrderThe petits farcis and the beef daube; the lunch service is the canonical one.

TipClosed Saturday and Sunday; book by phone several days ahead for lunch.

Bistrot d'Antoine ★ 4.5

Bistrot d'Antoine in Vieux Nice is Armand Crespo's two storey neo bistrot from 2006 in the shell of a 1904 cafe, a Michelin Bib Gourmand for honest French.

OrderThe blackboard plat du jour; Crespo writes a new menu every day from the morning market.

TipClosed Sunday and Monday; book at least three days ahead even at lunch.

Peixes ★ 4.5

Peixes in Nice's Carre d'Or near the Opera is Armand Crespo's Mediterranean seafood counter of ceviche, tartare and tataki on the daily catch from the Cours.

OrderThe ceviche of the day; the morning Saleya catch is in the menu by noon.

TipNo reservations; arrive by 12:30 or 19:30 to land a stool. Tapas from €7, mains around €25.

Chez Pipo ★ 4.5

Chez Pipo on Rue Bavastro has fired socca in wood burning ovens since 1923, the canonical Nicois address for the chickpea flour pancake the city invented.

OrderTwo slices of socca and a glass of Bellet rose at the bench seat.

TipOpen Wednesday to Sunday 11:30-14:30 and 17:30-22:00; no reservations, cash and card both accepted.

Le Schnockeloch ★ 4.5

Le Schnockeloch on the Quai Saint-Jean is a large Alsatian institution between the station and Petite France for choucroute, baeckeoffe and flammekueche.

OrderChoucroute, Baeckeoffe, Flammekueche

Il Paradiso ★ 4.5

Il Paradiso on Rue de la Pleau in Carmes is the family Italian trattoria with hand-rolled pastas, a wood-fired pizza oven and a small natural wine list.

OrderHand-rolled pastas, Wood-fired pizza, Tiramisu

TipThe lunch pasta of the day at €13 is the value entry; book ahead for Friday and Saturday dinners.

Le Cafe des Artistes ★ 4.5

Le Cafe des Artistes on Place de la Daurade beside the Garonne is a cafe and wine bar with a covered terrace. Reservations recommended in season.

OrderPlat du jour, Wine bar small plates, Cheese board

TipSit on the river terrace at sunset for the view of the Pont Neuf; service stays on until midnight in summer.

Chez Jean-Mi ★ 4.4

Chez Jean-Mi in Bordeaux's Marche des Capucins is the legendary morning oyster counter where the line starts at 09:00 and a half-dozen Arcachons with a glass.

OrderHalf-dozen oysters, White wine, Pate maison

TipArrive before 11:00 for a stool at the counter; cash and card both work, closed Mondays with the market.

Berthus ★ 4.4

Berthus in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is Chef Vincent's bistronomic dining room on Rue des Bahutiers, with a single €28 three-course formula at lunch and dinner.

OrderThree-course seasonal menu, Pluma iberique, Tarte au chocolat noir

TipBook a week ahead for dinner; the lunch formula at €28 holds across both services and is the easiest reservation to get.

Bierbuik ★ 4.4

Bierbuik is Florent Ladeyn's brewpub on Rue Royale in Lille, wood-fired Flemish street food downstairs and the Bloemeke estaminet menu upstairs.

OrderFrites with maroilles sauce, from the ground-floor brewpub counter.

TipThe upstairs Bloemeke runs a three-course estaminet menu at 30 euros. Beers use Mont des Cats hops.

Cafe-Comptoir Abel ★ 4.4

Cafe-Comptoir Abel in Lyon's 2e is the 1928 bouchon on Rue Guynemer where the wood-panelled dining room and Label Bouchons Lyonnais menu survive unchanged.

OrderSalade lyonnaise with a poached egg, then the chicken vinaigrette.

TipClosed Sunday; cash and card. The pichet of cotes-du-rhone is the order.

Le Bouchon des Filles ★ 4.4

Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon's 1er is the all-woman-run bouchon on Rue Sergent Blandan, where a fixed-price set lunch runs the dining room and the kitchen.

OrderThe set menu with saucisson chaud and cervelle de canut for dessert.

TipOpen evenings only Wed-Sat plus Sunday lunch; book a fortnight ahead.

Becbec ★ 4.4

Becbec in Lyon's 3e on Rue Paul Bert is the 12-seat counter bistro where a young couple runs the kitchen and the tight natural-wine cellar by hand.

OrderWhatever is on the daily chalkboard; the cellar is the order.

TipWalk-in only; arrive at 19:00 for a counter stool.