Eating My Way Through Paris

My Favorite Places To Eat In Paris

Everyone knows Paris is a food lover’s paradise. The spices and flavors of the world all converge in Paris to be manipulated into one endless feast.

While some people go to Paris to enjoy Michelin 3-star dining experiences, I prefer to eat like a local when I travel. Everyone who visits Paris, whether it’s for a few days, a few weeks, or a few years, has their own favorites. I’m going to tell you, my faves and what I think you should not miss, whether you consider yourself a food critic or a sidewalk diner.

If you eat nothing else in Paris you have to sample a few of the classic baguettes from just about any Boulangerie or street vendor throughout the city. After stopping for your morning cafe au lait or capuccino and a flaky buttery croissant or pain au chocolat (another must-have, in the city that invented them), check out the display of baguettes.

Of course, you can buy a baguette au naturel to build your own sandwich or you can buy one already filled with various toppings.

My personal favorite is creamy brie and thinly sliced ham or smoked salmon. Just stash it into your backpack, to pull out as you explore Paris’ hidden treasures. You can feel like a true Parisienne when you stop at a park bench and pull out your baguette for a mid-day snack

So you’ve had your croissant, and nibbled on your baguette with some savory fillings… what you need now is a sugar fix and you can’t turn around in Paris without being tempted by every kind of pastry, cake, cookie, and candy you can imagine. Stop into one of the thousands of boulangeries along any of the city’s thoroughfares and side streets… feed your temptation, it’s all there for the eating.

On my most recent trip, I discovered Aux Merveilleux by Fred, basically flavored meringue cakes. They are crisp on the outside with a whipped cream, gooey filling inside, and covered in any number of toppings like coconut, nuts, speculoos cookies, or even crystalized meringue. They come in individual “cakes” or large, full-size cakes. The shops are all across Paris and I have discovered that there is even one here in Toronto (I’m on my way).

You haven’t eaten a macaron until you’ve had one of Paris’ famous sweets, in the world’s macaron capital. By the way, that’s MACARON not macarOOn! Believe me, there is a world of difference. If you haven’t sampled a macaron, they can best be described as almond meringue cookies with a creamy flavored filling. And the number of colors and flavors is mindboggling.

The grand-daddy of the macaron makers is Laduree. There are a number of Laduree shops in Paris selling not only macarons but some of the most tempting pastries you will ever see. Its main flagship restaurant/pastry shop is on the Champs Elysees. It features a covered outdoor patio to allow diners to sample its famous fare sitting beside one of the world’s most famous boulevards.

On my first visit, I had the Ispahan (roses, and raspberries on a giant macaron). During my most recent visit, I sampled a caramel eclair, filled with rich caramel cream and a caramel craquelin on top. So decadent.

But beware of the price tag. I bought a few boxes of macarons to take home with me to share with friends and ended up paying 120 euros and the meringues didn’t travel well. By the time I got home many were broken and dried out. Best to eat them fresh, and I’ve since learned I don’t have to travel for one of these sweet treats. There are bakeries in almost any city now where you can get your macaron fix. Many Toronto bakeries have now established themselves in the macaron hierarchy; Nadege Patisserie, Delysees or… Laduree (yup, they are now global).

As famous as Paris is for its macarons, one of its lesser-known achievements is ice cream. It makes sense that the French would be able to turn something so simple into something so amazingly decadent. And probably the king of Parisienne ice cream is Berthillon. Its sorbets and luxury creme glaces are known the world over. Consider some of their flavors: lemon praline with coriander, cafe with whisky, rum raisin, nougat and honey, or caramel ginger. Of course, they have all the old standbys and encourage you to mix and match.

One word of advice, you don’t have to line up (sometimes for over a block) outside the main Berthillon shop on Ile Saint Louis. Stores all over Paris sell most, if not all Berthillon flavors, one is even right across the street from the Berthillon shop. And you can always pick up a pint of your favorite in a Paris market.

But as good as it is, Berthillon is not my favorite creme glace in Paris. I had a triple chocolate ice cream cone that made me weak in the knees from Jeff des Bruges Mouffetard, a chocolatier who knows what he’s doing. THIS was my favorite Parisian ice cream… sorry Berthillon.

After a day of shopping the fashionable streets of Paris, or strolling around the tourist hot spots, stop off for lunch at any of the sidewalk cafes across the city. They are quintessentially Parisian. Just pull up a seat, turn it out so you face the street, you don’t want to miss any of the action, and order a glass of Beaujolais, or be a little adventurous. I got my first taste of a Parisian Mojito, usually made with rum and mint and lime… try it with champagne sometime… it was surprisingly refreshing.

One restaurant that is a Paris institution (in this city that is full of them) is Les Deux Magots — a world-famous hangout for artists and writers, like Picasso, Hemingway, and Jean-Paul Sartre, on Saint-Germain Boulevard. But, while this once legendary cafe/restaurant was a hangout for the literary elite, it is now a tourist hotspot. And if you can’t get in there, try another famous restaurant next door, Cafe de Flore. The food is okay but the prices are outrageous… 25€ for a salmon sandwich. But people-watching at this busy intersection is worth the higher than average prices.

It’s hard to find a bad restaurant in Paris. In 2021 there were almost 38 thousand restaurants in the city of lights, almost triple the number in Rome. So the tough competition keeps them on their toes.

An international dish that has found a new home in Paris is the shawarma (either chicken or beef) and fries often served with homemade spicy ketchup. Middle Eastern food is popular all across France because of the large immigrant population.

High up on my list is a tiny little middle eastern restaurant in the Latin Quartier. Savannah Café is just around the corner from Ste. Etienne de Mont. My friend and I shared 2 plates of various hors d’oeuvres — hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouli salad, pickled carrots, and lots of wine. Then for dessert, we had a deliciously smooth cream with orange flower water and cinnamon… absolutely amazing. The owner was friendly and helpful, chatting with us in English.

Keep in mind that the more Michelin stars (maximum of 3) that a restaurant is awarded, the busier the restaurant and the more expensive the menu. The first time I was in Paris with my family we celebrated a birthday at Le Grand Colbert and we all went back again on our latest trip. It’s not a Michelin star restaurant but it has been welcoming diners since 1900 and was featured in the movie “Something’s Gotta Give”, with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.

It’s in a corner of the Galerie Vivienne, the famous, historic passageway — best described as a high-end mini shopping mall. The waiters wear traditional black pants and white shirts. The restaurant reflects the Galerie decor, floors are mosaic tile, the walls golden with large mirrors, plants, and art nouveau lights. The elegant dining room is ringed by leather booths.

The food is distinctly French from escargots to frites and from duck to blanquette de veau (rich and tender veal slices, smothered in a light au jus and spiked with a fresh but sour lemon confit on top).

Desserts are more simplistic. I had a roasted peach with candied almonds and a snifter of Amaretto (a perfect pairing) and others had the creme brulee with a crunchy sugar top and a creamy rich dessert underneath.

The prix fixe prices are reasonable. The Menu Bistrot is two dishes (appetizer and main or main and dessert) for 23,50€ and three dishes is 32,50€ and you can also order a-la-carte. Those are lunch prices (from noon until 6 pm) and if you want to dine in the evening, add another 10€ to the price. That’s a good tip for any restaurant. If you want to try a place in Paris, but are watching your wallet, have lunch or an early dinner (before 6 pm) for cheaper prices… but the same food. It’s also a good choice to try the Plat du Jour, always at a better price and it’s usually delicious.

You can dine at the oldest restaurant in Paris, Le Procope which was established in 1686 but I discovered a brand new restaurant on my most recent visit. Yakuza Katsu Sando & Coffee is a new concept restaurant that creates the most delicious Franco-Japanese sandwiches in a perfect blend of the two food cultures. The small restaurant in the Odeon/St. Germain neighborhood had been open for less than a month when I visited with a friend.

I ordered a chicken sandwich — but not your typical chicken sandwich. The white meat had been rolled in panko crumbs and deep fried but wasn’t the least bit greasy. It was crisp on the outside and tender inside. It was inside lightly toasted white brioche bread along with mild red onions, crunchy red cabbage coleslaw, a creamy Tonkatsu sauce, and black sesame seeds sprinkled on top. My friend had a spicier pork sandwich, again crisp on the outside and tender and juicy inside with coleslaw and wasabi to give it a bit of a bite. We shared some crisp sweet potato fries with nori sprinkled on top and served with a spicy wasabi mayonnaise dip. It was a great discovery and is one of my top recommendations.

Of course, you can always grab a slice of pizza or a burger just about anywhere. But just a warning, every time I saw people eating those fast foods in Paris, they were using a knife and fork. It felt like I was in an episode of Seinfeld.

Something else that gave us all a good laugh is a sign in restaurants promising “non-stop service.” We could just imagine the server hovering over a table, “Can I get you anything? How is the food? Are you done yet? Can I bring you something else?” Too much of a good thing.

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