30 french bistro restaurants worth the trip across France, editor-ranked. All cuisines in France.
Septime ★ 4.8 · Paris
11e · 80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Bertrand Grébaut's Septime in Paris remains the room every neo-bistro in the city compares itself to. Reservations open 21 days ahead and burn within an hour.
Tip: Easier on a Tuesday lunch than Friday dinner. Same kitchen, same wine, half the wait list.
La Mercerie ★ 4.7 · Marseille
1er · 9 Cours Saint-Louis, 13001 Marseille
La Mercerie in Marseille's 1er opened in 2018 from the Paris Popup trio Harry Cummins, Laura Vidal and Julia Mitton, a stripped-concrete room.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; book the terrace on Cours Saint-Louis for warm nights.
Le Baratin ★ 4.7 · Paris
20e · 3 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
Raquel Carena cooks Argentine-French intuition food at Le Baratin, the Belleville room every Parisian chef calls their favourite when no one is listening.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday, often Saturday too. Phone bookings only, no website.
Regain ★ 4.6 · Lyon
1er · 3 Rue d'Algerie, 69001 Lyon
Regain in Lyon's 1er sits at the foot of the Croix-Rousse slope, where the kitchen runs a Mediterranean-leaning author menu paired with the city's tighter.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seating; book the natural-wine pairing for the full effect.
Regain ★ 4.6 · Lyon
1er · 3 Rue d'Algerie, 69001 Lyon
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 €€€.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seating; lunch formulas €25-59, dinner menus €55-75.
La Mercerie ★ 4.6 · Marseille
9 Cours Saint-Louis, 13001 Marseille
La Mercerie in Marseille's 1er opened in 2018 from the Paris Popup trio Harry Cummins, Laura Vidal and Julia Mitton, a market-driven bistronomic tasting menu.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the terrace seats are the prize on warm nights.
Frenchie ★ 4.6 · Paris
2e · 5-6 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris
Gregory Marchand's Frenchie sits on Paris's Rue du Nil, the alley he and his suppliers turned into a four-shop street: bistro, bar, wine cellar.
Tip: If the bistro is booked, the Frenchie Bar à Vins across the alley takes walk-ups and runs the same kitchen.
Tomy & Co ★ 4.6 · Paris
7e · 22 Rue Surcouf, 75007 Paris
Tomy Gousset's Tomy & Co in Paris's 7e earned a Michelin star in 2018 and still runs the seasonal kitchen everyone in the embassy quarter books for a long.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The five-course tasting at €98 is the deal of the room on weeknights.
Soif ★ 4.5 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 35 Rue du Cancera, 33000 Bordeaux
Soif in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is Cecile Lambre and Nico Lefevre's natural-wine and small-plate bistro on Rue du Cancera, with around 350 low-intervention.
Tip: Pull up a stool at the windowed wine collection; the chalkboard menu changes daily and runs until they sell out.
Symbiose ★ 4.5 · Bordeaux
chartrons · 4 Quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux
Symbiose in Bordeaux's Chartrons is the bistronomic dining room and speakeasy on Quai des Chartrons, run by four young partners with seasonal small plates.
Tip: Book the dinner sitting; the cocktail bar behind the bookshelf takes walk-ins only and stays open until 01:00.
Bistrot d'Antoine ★ 4.5 · Nice
vieux-nice · 27 Rue de la Prefecture, 06300 Nice
Bistrot d'Antoine on Rue de la Prefecture in Vieux Nice has cooked Armand Crespo's two storey neo bistrot since 2006 in the shell of a 1904 cafe.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book at least three days ahead, even at lunch.
Bistrot d'Antoine ★ 4.5 · Nice
vieux-nice · 27 Rue de la Prefecture, 06300 Nice
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.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; book at least three days ahead even at lunch.
Le Servan ★ 4.5 · Paris
11e · 32 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris
Tatiana and Katia Levha's Le Servan in Paris reads the seasonal-French rulebook through a Filipino lens. The dining room is loud, the menu changes weekly.
Tip: Lunch is a third of the price and almost as good as dinner. Booking opens 30 days out.
Le Chateaubriand ★ 4.5 · Paris
11e · 129 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris
Iñaki Aizpitarte's Le Chateaubriand in Paris invented the modern neo-bistro tasting menu in 2006. A fixed five courses, no swap, runs €85 a head.
Tip: Bookings 09:00 the day prior; or take a 21:30 walk-in slot at the second seating.
Une Table a Deux ★ 4.5 · Toulouse
carmes · 10 Rue de la Pleau, 31000 Toulouse
Une Table a Deux in Toulouse's Carmes is Morgane and Nicolas's Bib Gourmand bistronomic room with French cuisine threaded with Korean and Malaysian.
Tip: The 3 or 4-course lunch menu is the value entry; book at least a week ahead, the room is small and runs fully booked.
Le Chien de Pavlov ★ 4.4 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 45 Rue de la Devise, 33000 Bordeaux
Le Chien de Pavlov in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the cozy bistronomic room on Rue de la Devise with antique furniture, Tiffany lights and a market-driven.
Tip: Sunday brunch from 11:30 is the easiest walk-in; the kitchen rewards diners who order the surprise menu over a la carte.
La Cape ★ 4.4 · Bordeaux
bastide · 9 Allee de la Morlette, 33150 Cenon
La Cape in Cenon, across the Garonne from Bordeaux's Bastide, is Nicolas Magie's bistronomic dining room with classic French luxury cuisine and a terrace.
Tip: Order the souffle course for dessert; the tasting menu prices climb but the lunch formula stays under €50.
Chez Dupont ★ 4.4 · Bordeaux
chartrons · 45 Rue Notre-Dame, 33000 Bordeaux
Chez Dupont on Rue Notre-Dame in the Chartrons is the rustic stone-walled neighbourhood bistro run by the same couple since 1988, with retro posters.
Tip: Continuous service Monday-Saturday from 12:00-23:00; Sunday lunch only.
Bleu Canard ★ 4.4 · Lille
Lille-Centre · 27 Rue Pierre Mauroy, 59000 Lille
Bleu Canard is a long narrow canteen on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille, floral wallpaper and moleskine banquettes around Ryo Nakamura's market cooking.
Tip: Children get adapted portions and something to draw on, which is rare in a room cooking at this level.
Café Bellot ★ 4.4 · Lille
Saint-Michel · 71 Rue Jeanne d'Arc, 59000 Lille
Café Bellot on Rue Jeanne d'Arc in Lille is a neighbourhood bar and bistro in one, chalkboard plates at lunch and natural wine into the small hours.
Tip: Lunch runs on reservation only. A Burgundy red starts around 7 euros a glass.
Brigand ★ 4.4 · Lille
Lille-Centre · 23 Rue de l'Hôpital Militaire, 59000 Lille
Brigand on Rue de l'Hôpital Militaire in Lille is blond wood and brick, a bistro of comfort cooking and natural wine run by a chef and sommelier pair.
Tip: Lunch is a weekly menu at 25 to 30 euros. Evenings switch to plates built for sharing.
Becbec ★ 4.4 · Lyon
3e · 232 Rue Paul Bert, 69003 Lyon
Becbec in Lyon's 3e is the small-plates room on Rue Paul Bert where a young couple runs the kitchen and a tight natural-wine cellar from a 12-cover counter.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive at 19:00 for a counter stool.
Becbec ★ 4.4 · Lyon
3e · 232 Rue Paul Bert, 69003 Lyon
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.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive at 19:00 for a counter stool.
Cinq Mains ★ 4.4 · Lyon
12 Rue Monseigneur Lavarenne, 69005 Lyon
Cinq Mains at 12 Rue Monseigneur Lavarenne in Vieux Lyon is the Saone-front table that Gregory Cuilleron runs with his brother Thibault, awarded a Michelin.
Tip: Open Tue-Sat lunch and dinner; book the €28 lunch a week ahead for the value play.
Le Comptoir du Relais ★ 4.4 · Paris
6e · 9 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris
Yves Camdeborde's Le Comptoir du Relais in Paris helped invent the term bistronomie in the 1990s and still serves the dining-room version every weeknight.
Tip: Lunch and weekend service runs walk-in; dinner Mon-Fri needs a booking six weeks out.
Bistrot Paul Bert ★ 4.4 · Paris
11e · 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris
Bistrot Paul Bert is Paris's textbook bistro: zinc bar, chalkboard menu, steak frites cooked rare with hand-cut fries, île flottante for two on a single.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book two weeks ahead for a weeknight or take the 19:30 first seating.
Le Bon Georges ★ 4.4 · Paris
9e · 45 Rue Saint-Georges, 75009 Paris
Le Bon Georges in Paris's 9e cooks farmer-named meat and a tarte tatin worth ordering before the main: the kitchen prep includes a 12-hour rest on the apples.
Tip: The wine list is small but well-chosen; ask the waiter rather than the sommelier.
Le Mermoz ★ 4.4 · Paris
8e · 16 Rue Jean Mermoz, 75008 Paris
Le Mermoz in Paris's 8e is the neighbourhood bistro chef Thomas Graham took over after Manon Fleury: a single chalkboard, fish-forward small plates at lunch.
Tip: Lunch only Mon-Wed, dinner Thu-Fri, no service Sat-Sun. Book a week ahead for dinner.
Le Banquet des Sophistes ★ 4.4 · Strasbourg
Grande Ile · 5 Rue d'Austerlitz, 67000 Strasbourg
Le Banquet des Sophistes on Rue d'Austerlitz is a bistronomic room in the Michelin guide, plating refined seasonal French dishes laced with spice.
Cartouches ★ 4.4 · Toulouse
38 Rue Pierre Paul Riquet, 31000 Toulouse
Cartouches on Rue Pierre Paul Riquet in Saint-Aubin is Nicolas Brousse's Bib Gourmand bistronomic room with a weekly-changing menu and a Languedoc wine list.
Tip: Closed Wednesday lunch; book ahead in Saint-Aubin's calmer side. Two toques from Gault Millau and a Bib Gourmand from Michelin.