40 mid-range rooms in Paris, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good rooms in Paris, with real cooking and no surprise on the bill. All Paris food.
Le Baratin ★ 4.7
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.
La Buvette ★ 4.7
67 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris
La Buvette in Paris's 11e is Camille Fourmont's 16-seat wine bar putting white beans and fish rillettes on every editorial radar. The list is electric.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Arrive at 18:00 or after 21:30 for a counter stool.
Le Baratin ★ 4.7
3 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
Le Baratin in Paris's 20e is the Argentine-French intuition bistro Raquel Carena has cooked at since 1992. The chef's favourite chef's restaurant, locals say.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday, often Saturday too. Phone bookings only; no website, no walk-ins.
Belleville Brûlerie ★ 4.6
14bis Rue Lally Tollendal, 75019 Paris
Belleville Brûlerie in Paris's 19e is the third-wave roastery supplying most of the city's specialty cafes. At 14bis Rue Lally Tollendal. Booking recommended.
Tip: Saturday cuppings at 11:30 cost 20 euros and include a bag of beans.
Holybelly 5 ★ 4.6
5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris
Holybelly 5 in Paris's 10e set the city's brunch standard in 2013. Order the pancake stack with bourbon-butter and bacon. Open daily 09:00-17:00.
Tip: Arrive at 09:00 or after 14:30 to skip the line. The pancake stack is the dish; eggs are second.
Le Servan ★ 4.5
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.
Clamato ★ 4.5
11e · 80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Septime's seafood little sister, Clamato in Paris runs no-reservation oysters, ceviche and grilled fish from 19:00. Walk-in only; queue forms by 18:45.
Tip: Arrive at 18:45 for the first seating or after 21:30 for the second. No bookings ever.
Coutume ★ 4.5
47 Rue de Babylone, 75007 Paris
Coutume in Paris is the city's longest-running specialty roaster, founded by Tom Clark and Antoine Netien in 2010. The 7e cafe doubles as the public roastery.
Tip: The bar runs cupping every other Saturday at 11:00; the subscription delivers 250g monthly.
Clamato ★ 4.5
80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Clamato in Paris is Septime's seafood little sister, open until 23:30 with oysters and grilled fish. At 80 Rue de Charonne. Booking recommended.
Tip: Arrive after 21:30 for the second seating; the late oyster set is the best deal of the night.
Chez Aline ★ 4.5
85 Rue de la Roquette, 75011 Paris
Chez Aline in Paris's 11e is the sandwich counter Delphine Zampetti runs on Rue de la Roquette. Twelve seats, daily-rotating fillings, queue forms at 12:00.
Tip: Get there by 12:30 or the morning batch is gone. Closed Sunday and Monday; cash and card both work.
6 Paul Bert ★ 4.5
6 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris
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.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book a week ahead for dinner; lunch is easier walk-up.
L'Ami Jean ★ 4.5
27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris
Stéphane Jégo's L'Ami Jean in Paris's 7e is the Basque bistro on Rue Malar where the chalkboard menu changes daily. At 27 Rue Malar. Booking recommended.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book three weeks ahead for dinner; the lunch set is the easier ticket.
Clamato ★ 4.5
80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Clamato in Paris is Septime's no-reservation seafood little sister at 80 Rue de Charonne. Oysters, ceviche, grilled hake from 19:00; walk-in only, 24 stools.
Tip: Arrive at 18:45 for the first seating or after 21:30 for the second wave. No phone reservations.
Le Comptoir du Relais ★ 4.4
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
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
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
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.
L'Arbre a Cafe ★ 4.4
2e · 10 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris
L'Arbre a Cafe in Paris 2e is Hippolyte Courty's specialty roaster on Rue du Nil. Single-origin biodynamic and fair-trade beans roasted in Paris.
L'Avant-Comptoir ★ 4.4
3 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris
Yves Camdeborde's L'Avant-Comptoir in Paris is the stand-up tapas-bar next to Le Comptoir du Relais. Twenty plates on hanging menus, no seats.
Tip: Open until 23:30. The grilled pâté en croûte plates run €8; pair with a glass of Beaujolais cru.
L'As du Fallafel ★ 4.4
34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris
L'As du Fallafel in Paris is the Marais falafel window open until 23:30 most nights, with a €9 sandwich and a queue that moves in 15 minutes at 23:00.
Tip: Closed Saturdays for Shabbat. The line keeps moving past 22:00; takeaway is faster than table.
La Grande Crèmerie ★ 4.4
8 Rue Grégoire-de-Tours, 75006 Paris
La Grande Crèmerie in Paris's 6e is the small natural-wine room on Rue Grégoire-de-Tours with charcuterie plates and a 600-bottle cellar. Booking recommended.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Phone bookings only; the cellar holds the deeper natural list.
Treize au Jardin ★ 4.4
5 Rue de Médicis, 75006 Paris
Treize au Jardin in Paris's 6e is the Luxembourg-Gardens brunch room Laurel Sanderson opened. American pancakes, eggs Benedict, the only proper grits in town.
Tip: Walk-in only. Sunday queue forms at 10:00; take a coffee to the gardens while you wait.
Juvéniles ★ 4.4
47 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris
Juvéniles in Paris's 1er is the Scottish-French wine bar Tim Johnston opened in 1987, with a brunch-leaning weekday lunch carte and scotch eggs since 2018.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The brunch-leaning lunch from 11:00 is the easier ticket than the dinner crowd.
Le Bistrot Flaubert ★ 4.3
17e · 10 Rue Gustave Flaubert, 75017 Paris
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.
Tip: Lunch is the steal: a two-course set for under €35, including a glass of wine and coffee.
Robert et Louise ★ 4.3
3e · 64 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris
Robert et Louise in Paris's 3e has grilled côtes de bœuf over an open log fire in the dining room since 1958. Booking required for the fireside tables.
Tip: Two seatings only, 19:30 and 21:30. Closed Sunday. Sit close to the fire in winter.
Lomi ★ 4.3
3 Ter Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris
Lomi in Paris is the 18e roastery and barista training school where Aleaume Paturle runs the city's most respected coffee education programme. Cafe up front.
Tip: The Saturday barista classes are open to the public; book on the Lomi site a fortnight ahead.
Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or ★ 4.3
28 Rue de la Goutte d'Or, 75018 Paris
Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or in Paris is the 18e taproom that pioneered the city's modern craft scene, with brews named after Marais and Goutte d'Or street.
Tip: The Wednesday-Thursday flight at €9 covers four house pours; food trucks rotate Friday-Saturday.
Kilomètre Zéro ★ 4.3
39 Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth, 75003 Paris
Kilomètre Zéro in Paris's 3e République is the in-house brewpub where six signature beers travel less than ten metres from tank to glass. Booking recommended.
Tip: Tuesday quiz nights and Thursday tap-takeovers fill the room; Sunday closes at 22:00, so come earlier for the rotating guest beers.
Chez Denise (La Tour de Montlhéry) ★ 4.3
5 Rue des Prouvaires, 75001 Paris
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.
Tip: Closed weekends. Arrive after midnight for the quieter second-wind crowd; tartare is the order.
La Poule au Pot ★ 4.3
9 Rue Vauvilliers, 75001 Paris
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.
Tip: After midnight the room thins to regulars; the soufflé Grand Marnier is the order for a late dessert.
Aux Lyonnais ★ 4.3
32 Rue Saint-Marc, 75002 Paris
Aux Lyonnais in Paris is Alain Ducasse's Lyonnais annex on Rue Saint-Marc. At 32 Rue Saint-Marc. Booking recommended. Cash and card accepted.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The €40 set lunch midweek is the same kitchen at half the dinner price.
La Cave de l'Insolite ★ 4.3
30 Rue de la Folie-Méricourt, 75011 Paris
La Cave de l'Insolite in Paris's 11e is the natural-wine cave-and-bistro on Rue de la Folie-Méricourt. At 30 Rue de la Folie-Méricourt. Booking recommended.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The €25 cheese-and-charcuterie sharing plate feeds three; phone only.
L'Atelier Saisonnier ★ 4.3
15 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
L'Atelier Saisonnier in Paris's 11e Bastille is the weekend buffet brunch room with pancakes made to order, charcuterie and cheese boards. Family-friendly.
Tip: Book ahead; the 10:00 seating is €30 all-in, the 12:15 seating bumps to €32. Terrace seats fill first on Saturday.
Hardware Société ★ 4.3
10 Rue Lamarck, 75018 Paris
Hardware Société in Paris is the Melbourne-bred brunch room on Rue Lamarck in Montmartre, with Australian brunch plates and flat whites pulled.
Tip: Reservations recommended for weekend brunch. The waffle is the dish; pair with a banana smoothie.
Le Cinq Mars ★ 4.2
7e · 51 Rue de Verneuil, 75007 Paris
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.
Tip: Lunch is open to walk-ins; dinner books a week ahead, two weeks for a weekend.
Le Saint-Sébastien ★ 4.2
11e · 42 Rue Saint-Sébastien, 75011 Paris
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.
Tip: Lunch is the easier ticket than dinner. Closed Mon-Tue, full Wed-Sun service.
Chez Michel ★ 4.2
10e · 10 Rue de Belzunce, 75010 Paris
Chez Michel in Paris cooks Breton-Norman regional French in the 10e, kig-ha-farz in winter, a kouign-amann for two as dessert. Priced at €€.
Tip: The annex tables in the cave are the quieter option; book at least a week ahead.
La Rôtisserie d'Argent ★ 4.2
5e · 19 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris
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.
Tip: The terrace catches the Notre-Dame light; ask for table 4 by the window in spring.
Hexagone Café Roastery ★ 4.2
121 Rue du Château, 75014 Paris
Hexagone Café Roastery in Paris's 14e roasts on a Probat behind the Montparnasse-side cafe. Single-origin espresso and a 12-bean retail wall.
Tip: The roaster runs Sunday-Tuesday; come Wednesday to Friday for the freshest beans on shelf.
Brasserie de l'Etre ★ 4.2
19e · 7ter Rue Duvergier, 75019 Paris
Brasserie de l'Etre on Rue Duvergier in the 19e brews certified-organic Parisian beer. Edward Jalat-Dehen founded the social-economy microbrewery in 2014.