To say “Paris restaurant” is to say nothing, however. The variety is so great that one needs to be much more specific.
Let’s concentrate on the classic: the small neighborhood restaurant with a dozen or so tables, eclectic décor, professional waiters and a carte (list of dishes) that gives some of the classics of French cuisine as well as a few innovative creations of the chef.
Ask friends for recommendations, look online for reports of experiences, go to the restaurant ahead of time to examine the menu, then make a reservation and be there on time.
Best Restaurant Areas
We’ll make it easier for you: find one of these major restaurant areas near your hotel or apartment/flat, wander through it at mealtime, check menus and décor, find a table and enjoy!
You can also read about some of our meals and consider those choices.
What could be better?
Mealtimes
Parisians like to lunch anywhere from noon to 2 or 2:30 pm, and to dine from 8:30 or 9 pm onward (so if you make a reservation for 7:30 pm you’ll be dining very early…if the restaurant is even open.)
The Ceremony
Please read our page on French restaurant etiquette.
As you enter the restaurant the staff will greet you, and you should respond in kind with Bonsoir, monsieur or Bonsoir, madame as appropriate.
Look at la carte(the menu) and also L’ardoise, the blackboard list of daily specials. Every restaurant except the most elegant ones has a blackboard outside, inside on a wall, or on a table…somewhere.
Order an entrée (first course), a plat (main course), a boisson(beverage) such as wine, beer, a soft drink or bottled water. (You can always—and we always do—ask for un carafe d’eau,a flask or bottle of plain tap water—no charge.)
You will always be brought a basket of French bread (pain), and you can always ask for more as you need it. No extra charge.
After your two first courses, you may want to order a fromage (cheese) course, and/or dessert.
After these courses—and only after, never with—you may order café (coffee), but usually only café noir. More…
A final option is a pousse-café or digestif, an after-dinner brandy or liqueur.
Paying the Bill
Your waiter will not normally bring you your addition (check/bill) until you ask for it. It should be printed from the cash register, with an itemized list of what you’ve consumed.
The total will be in euros, and will include all taxes, service charges and tips you need to pay (taux et service compris, prix net, TTC are terms you may see on the check indicating that all is included.)
There is no need to leave a tip/gratuity.
If you pay in cash and there are a few small coins among the bills/notes in your change, it’s customary—but not at all obligatory—to leave these on the table.
As you leave the restaurant, your waiter and indeed the entire staff will bid you goodbye, and you should respond the same way with Au revoir, monsieur or Au revoir, madame, as appropriate.
Baston
Photograph: Courtesy MC MONIN
Bordeaux
Behind a canary-yellow façade hidden in a foodie-friendly Bordeaux backstreet, this understated micro-boulangerie and restaurant run by a sourdough-loving duo was recently acclaimed by the Le Fooding team for good reason. They do impeccable brioche, focaccia and sandwiches to go, plus a super-concise menu of creative modern French food by night.
Pétrelle
Photograph: Courtesy Lorenzo Zandri
Paris
Beloved by British chef Ollie Dabbous, this hallowed address saw some serious celebrity action in its former incarnation (Mick Jagger, Christian Lacroix and Lady Gaga all sprinkled their stardust). Newly under sommelier Luca Danti and chef Lucie Boursier-Mougenot, its romantic, boudoir-style décor, replete with flea-market finds, now backdrops affordable market-fresh cooking with a Mediterranean slant.
Le Comptoir Breizh Café
Photograph: Courtesy RomainBuissonPhotographe
Saint-Malo
Resolutely non-traditional crêpes and galettes are the lure to this blend of Breton tradition and Japanese flair, embodying the Franco-Japanese love affair (there are branches in Paris, Cancale and Tokyo). Local buckwheat, butter and cider play off against sake, seaweed and pickled vegetables in a Zen setting where, as per the name, counter seating dominates.
L’Auberge du Corsaire Chez Paul
Marseille
If you can’t afford the deconstructed version at the three-starred Le Petit Nice across town, the bouillabaisse at this more laidback affair truly compensates. Far from Marseille’s hustle in the ridiculously scenic fishermen’s village of Les Goudes, diners eat slap bang amidst the boats (work up an appetite by strolling to the nearby Cap Croisette).
Bistrot Paul Bert
Paris
Anthony Bourdain sang the praises of this establishment, bottling the essence of the classic Paris bistro. Yes, tourists come in spades—but so do locals, drawn by the picture-book décor and reliably careful soufflé, steak frites, etc. Given the owner’s ardent support of vignerons, oenophiles have nothing to quibble about.
Auberge de la Roche
Valdeblore
Le Fooding’s top restaurant for 2022 is well worth the detour from Nice. Overlooked by the Mercantour massif, the superbly stylish getaway has a handful of cosseting rooms and a dining room pivoting around a cut-stone fireplace. Dinner (a pricey-ish-but-worth-it set menu) and decadent breakfasts tap the terroir and their three on-site permaculture gardens.
