38 editor picks in Paris.
38 french bistro places in Paris we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Paris | French Bistro across every city.
The bistro is the heart of how Paris eats: small rooms, a short chalkboard menu and a tight wine list, often passed between generations of cooks. The 11th arrondissement has become the modern centre of gravity for the form. Septime on Rue de Charonne and Le Chateaubriand on Avenue Parmentier lead the contemporary wave, while Bistrot Paul Bert nearby keeps the traditional style alive.
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.
OrderThe cured mackerel starter and whatever fish is on the second course.
TipEasier on a Tuesday lunch than Friday dinner. Same kitchen, same wine, half the wait list.
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.
OrderWhatever the bavette is dressed with that week, and the pavlova for dessert.
TipIf the bistro is booked, the Frenchie Bar à Vins across the alley takes walk-ups and runs the same kitchen.
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.
OrderWhatever short-rib or pork shoulder dish is on, with a glass of côtes-du-rhône.
TipLunch is a third of the price and almost as good as dinner. Booking opens 30 days out.
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.
OrderThe pâté en croûte for two and whatever offal main is on the chalkboard.
TipLunch and weekend service runs walk-in; dinner Mon-Fri needs a booking six weeks out.
Raquel Carena cooks Argentine-French intuition food at Le Baratin, the Belleville room every Parisian chef calls their favourite when no one is listening.
OrderThe sweetbreads if they are on, and a glass from Philippe Pinoteau's natural list.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday, often Saturday too. Phone bookings only, no website.
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.
OrderSteak frites cooked saignant, île flottante for two, a pichet of house red.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. Book two weeks ahead for a weeknight or take the 19:30 first seating.
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.
OrderThere is no a la carte. Trust the menu and order a bottle from the natural list.
TipBookings 09:00 the day prior; or take a 21:30 walk-in slot at the second seating.
Le Cinq Mars is the kind of Paris room a gallerist takes a writer to: red banquettes, chalkboard, an endive salad with Roquefort and walnuts that has not.
OrderThe endive Roquefort salad and pot-au-feu in winter; vitello tonnato in summer.
TipLunch is open to walk-ins; dinner books a week ahead, two weeks for a weekend.
Chez Georges has run the same Paris bistro menu since 1964: sole meunière, oeufs en gelée, profiteroles. Located in 2E. Kitchen leans french bistro.
OrderSole meunière, gratin dauphinois, profiteroles to finish.
TipClosed weekends and August. Tables turn twice; book 19:30 or 21:30 a fortnight out.
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.
OrderCôte de bœuf for two from a named Limousin farm, tarte tatin with crème fraîche.
TipThe wine list is small but well-chosen; ask the waiter rather than the sommelier.
Le Saint-Sébastien is the Paris 11e wine-bar bistro that pours a tighter natural-wine list than its size suggests, with smoked herring and beef tartare.
OrderSmoked herring on warm potatoes, beef tartare cut by hand, a glass of muscadet.
TipLunch is the easier ticket than dinner. Closed Mon-Tue, full Wed-Sun service.
Le Bistrot Flaubert in Paris's 17e is the Michel Rostang bistro annex now run by Nicolas Baumann and the Groupe Éclore team. Kitchen leans french bistro.
OrderWhatever offal main is up, the chocolate dessert, a glass of saint-joseph.
TipLunch is the steal: a two-course set for under €35, including a glass of wine and coffee.
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.
OrderSweetbreads in winter, pithivier of game in autumn, the soufflé to finish.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. The five-course tasting at €98 is the deal of the room on weeknights.
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.
OrderWhatever raw-fish starter is up, the beef tartare, the brown-butter cake.
TipLunch only Mon-Wed, dinner Thu-Fri, no service Sat-Sun. Book a week ahead for dinner.
Le Bistrot Paris in the 7e runs a classic carte where the lunch menu rotates daily and dinner stays close to the Lyonnais playbook. A regulars' room.
OrderSteak tartare with a poached egg, profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce.
TipThe lunch menu at €24 is the city's most under-rated set, including coffee and a small carafe.
Le Petit Vendôme in Paris's 2e makes the city's most-cited jambon-beurre and feeds the Place Vendôme jeweller staff at lunch from 11:30 every weekday.
OrderJambon-beurre on baguette tradition; the daily plat for under €18.
TipStanding at the bar is faster than a table; sandwiches travel well to the gardens.
Chez Paul in Paris's 11e has run a corner bistro at the same Charonne address since 1908. The carte changes by season; the bistro chairs do not.
OrderBeef tartare cut by hand, cassoulet in winter, profiteroles for dessert.
TipClosed Sundays. The pavement terrace is the best seat from May to September.
Le Petit Cler in Paris sits on Rue Cler, the embassy market street, and runs an all-day bistro carte of croque-monsieur, steak frites and Lyonnais salads.
OrderCroque-monsieur at lunch, steak frites at dinner, a glass of Brouilly.
TipThe terrace catches sun until 19:00 in summer; the back room is the warmer winter pick.
La Poule au Pot in Paris's Les Halles cooks the Henri IV chicken-in-the-pot at its historical address. The menu of grand-mère bistro classics has not changed.
OrderPoule au pot Henri IV for two, soufflé Grand Marnier to finish.
TipThe room is small and warm. Book a banquette table over the centre seats.
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte in Paris's 6e runs one menu: salade aux noix, contre-filet steak, fries, secret-recipe butter sauce. No menus, no choice, no booking.
OrderSteak medium-rare, frites for the second helping, profiteroles to finish.
TipQueue from 12:00 for lunch or 19:00 for dinner. The Marais branch is the easier ticket.
Le Petit Marché in Paris's 3e Marais is the locals' off-the-Place-des-Vosges bistro: an Asian-tilted twist on French staples, run by the same family.
OrderTuna tartare with sesame, steak with Roquefort, crème brûlée to finish.
TipThe terrace fronts a quiet square. Book a fortnight ahead for a Friday or Saturday.
La Rôtisserie d'Argent in Paris is La Tour d'Argent's bistro annex on the Seine. The Bresse chicken comes off the rotisserie in the room, no a la carte.
OrderQuarter Bresse chicken, frites in beef fat, the famed pressed-duck dessert.
TipThe terrace catches the Notre-Dame light; ask for table 4 by the window in spring.
Polidor in Paris has run a Latin-Quarter bistro at the same address since 1845. The carte still holds bœuf bourguignon, blanquette de veau, tarte tatin.
OrderBœuf bourguignon in winter, tarte tatin with crème fraîche, a pichet of red.
TipCash preferred. The shared tables are part of the experience; come at 19:30 to share with strangers.
Chez Denise (La Tour de Montlhéry) in Paris's 1er is the all-night bistro that fed Les Halles porters until 1969 and now feeds the night-out crowd.
OrderSteak tartare, andouillette
TipClosed weekends. Arrive after midnight for the quieter second-wind crowd; tartare is the order.
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte in Paris is the 6e steak-frites room that queues until 23:00. At 20 Rue Saint-Benoît. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
OrderSteak frites with house butter sauce
TipQueue from 21:00 for the late seating; tables turn every 45 minutes after the dinner rush.
Bouillon Pigalle in Paris pours classic bouillon dishes until midnight. At 22 Boulevard de Clichy. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
OrderBouillon classics
TipAfter 22:30 the queue thins. Order onion soup, steak tartare and île flottante for the late triple.
La Poule au Pot in Paris's 1er Les Halles cooks classic grand-mère bistro until 02:00. At 9 Rue Vauvilliers. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
OrderPoule au pot Henri IV
TipAfter midnight the room thins to regulars; the soufflé Grand Marnier is the order for a late dessert.
Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond in Paris keeps its 1879 dining room running until midnight. Tripes à la mode de Caen, Camembert flambé, Norman dishes after 23:00.
OrderTripes à la mode de Caen
TipThe tile mosaics are listed Historic Monument. Sit on the upper level for the dining-room view.
6 Paul Bert in Paris is the unsigned annex of Bistrot Paul Bert two doors down. Seafood and natural wines, 20 seats, the same group's quieter sister room.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. Book a week ahead for dinner; lunch is easier walk-up.
Chez Julien in Paris's 4e sits on the Seine quai opposite Île Saint-Louis. At 1 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
TipOpen daily lunch and dinner. The riverside terrace is the seat; book a fortnight ahead for sunset.
Bouillon Pigalle in Paris reopened the bouillon model in 2017 and now seats 300 daily with no booking. At 22 Boulevard de Clichy. Booking recommended.
OrderBouillon mains under €12
TipQueue from 19:00; tables turn every 45 minutes. The Lyonnais sister Bouillon République is the alternative.
Le Petit Vendôme in Paris pulls baguette tradition split lengthwise, butter and Bayonne ham, for under €6. The classic Parisian counter sandwich.
OrderJambon-beurre
TipClosed weekends. Take the sandwich to the Tuileries gardens five minutes south by foot.
Chez Alain Miam Miam in Paris is the Marché des Enfants Rouges galette window. €13 buys a laminated-baguette galette built to order with farmer-named.
OrderGalette
TipCash only. Arrive at 11:00 before the line forms; the galette is served from a bench seat.
Phở Bánh Cuốn 14 in Paris's 13e plates a €12 bowl of phở and a €14 bánh cuốn-and-rolls set. The broth runs 14 hours; bánh cuốn comes off the morning steamer.
OrderPhở
TipOrder the phở tái nạm and bánh cuốn for two; the lunch queue moves fast, folds by 14:30.
Eyal Shani's Miznon in Paris's 4e plates roasted-cauliflower whole-head pita at €14 and a slow-cooked lamb shoulder pita at €18, with fries and a sit-down.
OrderStuffed pita
TipThe whole-head roasted cauliflower is the order; takeaway is faster than the 15-seat counter.
Le Cinq Mars in Paris's 7e plates a €24 weekday lunch set: endive salad with Roquefort, plat du jour, dessert. The same kitchen runs the €60 dinner carte.
OrderLunch set
TipLunch is open to walk-ins; arrive at 12:30 to skip the gallery crowd that fills by 13:00.
Le Bistrot Paris in the 7e plates a €24 lunch set Mon-Fri: steak tartare, plat du jour, profiteroles. At 33 Rue de Lille. Booking recommended.
OrderLunch set
TipThe lunch menu at €24 is the city's most under-rated set; book a window seat by phone.
Le Baron Rouge in Paris's 12e shucks oysters on the pavement Saturdays for €2 each. Glasses of cru Beaujolais run €4; the cheapest serious oyster set in town.
OrderOyster and wine pairing
TipSaturday 10:00-13:00 is the move: oysters on the street, cru Beaujolais from the barrel.
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