Top 10 Restaurants in Paris

Every cuisine in the world has a touch that makes it special and recognisable. It could be the use of spices, the heat, or the preparation of its dishes. However, French cuisine has many nuances that define it and have made it one of the most famous in the world.

The combination of sweet and savoury, the raw ingredients, the mastery of dough, the subtlety of butter and the mastery of meat and fish have made eating in Paris a culinary experience. That's why, if you're thinking of visiting the French capital, I'm going to give you a list of ten places to eat that you can't miss. Let's get started!

If you want to taste all the delicacies that Paris has in store for you in a unique and exclusive way, one of the best plans I can offer you is to book a private gastronomic tour so that you can have a personal guide who will take you to different places to try the characteristic products.

From a famous macaron with a good coffee to tasting a glass of local wine with French cheese. Let your taste buds fall in love with this experience, which will undoubtedly be worth it during your trip to the French capital. You can choose to take the private tour with your group of friends or family or, if you are travelling alone, in a small and exclusive group, which will be guided through different markets and key locations where you will make the obligatory stops to sample the city's most famous local products. Bon appétit!

Details of interest

• Price: between €140 and €150.
• Duration: around 3 hours of gastronomic tour.
• Address: with this type of tour, you will visit different typical places around Paris.
• Recommended for: groups of friends or families who want to taste and learn about the local cuisine of France.

If you want to get off the beaten track and discover Parisian cuisine in an authentic way, close to its people, one of the best things to do is visit the Marché d'Aligre, located in the 12th arrondissement. Six days a week, this area hosts a large market with both an open-air and a covered section, where you can stroll around and discover the fresh, local produce that ordinary Parisians buy.

Fortunately, so you don't feel so lost, you can find small group tours that take you on a morning trip to discover this picturesque place and, of course, offer you a gastronomic experience by sampling the food and ingredients from the market stalls. A real treat for your taste buds that goes beyond the usual and gives you a deeper insight into the flavours that predominate among local residents.

Details of interest

• Price: between €60 and €70.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Address: Marché d'Aligre, Place d'Aligre, 75011.
• Recommended for: groups of friends or families who want to try local flavours and enjoy an experience closer to everyday life.

Paris may have many places and attractions that make it unique, but when it comes to gastronomy, two of its mainstays are wine and cheese. If you want to learn about and taste these two ingredients in a special and unique way, you can do so at one of the tastings organised in the Latin Quarter, a place steeped in French history and culture.

Not only will you taste the different types of wines and cheeses that are most famous in Paris, but you will also be guided at all times by expert chefs and sommeliers who will advise and instruct you on the nuances you will taste. There are different tours that organise this type of French-style tasting, and if you like the world of wine, it is definitely something to consider.

Details of interest

• Price: between €40 and €50.
• Duration: tastings usually last around 2 hours.
• Address: Latin Quarter of Paris.
• Recommended for: couples and groups with a taste for the world of wine and cheese.

The Moulin Rouge is one of the greatest shows in Paris. In addition to offering a show full of excitement and music, it also provides a delicious dinner that you can enjoy to the rhythm of the cancan. For decades, this place has been the nerve centre of Parisian bohemian life, and today it continues to offer performances every week.

If you are interested in seeing this spectacular performance and enjoying a glamorous dinner, you should plan ahead, as tickets and table reservations are usually purchased well in advance. That's why I recommend booking a tour or ticket package, which usually allows you to choose from several menus at the Moulin Rouge, as well as enjoy France's most famous cabaret.

Details of interest

• Price: between €190 and €200, including dinner and show.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.
• Address: Moulin Rouge, 82 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018.
• Recommended for: couples who want a special dinner.

If you are visiting central Paris and want to be sure of a first-class place to dine, I recommend L'Atelier Maître Albert, a restaurant located a few steps from Notre Dame with a classic and cosy style and traditional gourmet food that will make your mouth water.

Its décor, centred around a large lounge with a fireplace, and its dishes based on meat, fish and vegetables cooked over a low heat make it not only a comforting place to eat, but one of a quality befitting the French capital. I recommend booking a table in advance as it is a very popular place in Paris.

Details of interest

• Price: around €25 per person.
• Address: 1 rue Master Albert 75005 Paris.
• Recommended for: romantic dinners, couples.

If you want to sample the most traditional dishes in Paris in a place with over 130 years of history, you should definitely visit Brasserie Lipp, a restaurant located in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood that specialises in typical French cuisine and brasserie fare.

Some of its most typical dishes are Bismarck herring, cod brandade, sauerkraut and roast free-range chicken. This popular restaurant is open every day and serves lunch and dinner, so if you have the opportunity, be sure to try its delicacies.

Details of interest

• Price: around €35 per person.
• Address: 151 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006.
• Recommended for: couples and families who want to try traditional dishes.

If you love seafood, you can't miss La Criée, a chain of restaurants specialising in fresh seafood that offers high-quality lunches and dinners at reasonable prices, as well as takeaway food.

Fresh oysters, tuna tartare, grilled prawns, even a French version of fish and chips. Whether you're travelling with friends or family, this place offers top-quality products and you'll find it all over the city, although one of its largest locations is right in the centre.

Details of interest

• Price: around £20 per person.
• Address: 31 Bd de Bonne Nouvelle, 75002.
• Recommended for: families and groups of friends.

The French are true masters at making dough, whether for their delicious baguettes or their famous croissants. That's why you can't leave Paris without trying one of the city's most popular bakeries, Du Pain et des Idées.

This place sells the most famous croissants in all of Paris, but it also has a wide selection of breads and other pastries, and you even have the option of asking them to make you a sandwich to take away and enjoy as you stroll through the city of light and love. Without a doubt , a unique and very typical experience.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately £10 per person.
• Address: 34, Rue Yves Toudic, 75010.
• Recommended for: lovers of bread and pastries.

One of the most typical foods you can find all over Paris is undoubtedly crepes. These delicious pancakes, which can be eaten both sweet and savoury, originate from France and are loved by tourists and locals alike, so you can find many establishments and stalls selling them.

However, I recommend trying them at one of the best places in the city, the Creperie Bretonne, one of the most famous establishments located in the heart of Montparnasse, which attracts thousands of foodies every day who want to try this delicacy at a very affordable price.

Details of interest

• Price: between €4 and €9.
• Address: Rue de Montparnasse.
• Recommended for: families and couples who like sweets or pancakes.

Going to Paris and not climbing the Eiffel Toweris like not having been there at all. This enormous and famous international monument is the icon of the city, and from the top you can not only enjoy fantastic views of the entire city, but also enjoy a romantic dinner or lunch in its restaurant high above the city.

The Eiffel Tower has its own restaurant, Altitudes 58, which offers set menus and an à la carte menu full of traditional French dishes and products. As you might imagine, the prices are higher than in a regular restaurant, but remember that it's not every day you get to toast and enjoy a gourmet meal at the top of one of the Wonders of the Modern World.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately €45 per person.
• Address: Champ de Mars, 5 Av. Anatole France, 75007.
• Recommended for: romantic dates and couples.

Paris enjoys being the capital of one of the richest countries in the world and, in addition to being geographically positioned between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, it has a fairly versatile climate that gives rise to top-quality products. This means that the raw materials are excellent and the basis of its dishes has an extra flavour.

Furthermore, Paris has been one of the cradles of haute cuisine and the world's greatest chefs. This city has managed to combine tradition and products from the sea and the land with the most innovative culinary techniques of each era, giving rise to typical dishes such as:

• Foie gras
• Coq au vin
• Snails
• Brioche
• Crepes
• Quiche
• Ratatouille

Keep in mind that Paris is quite an expensive capital city compared to other European countries. That's why, when calculating your budget for eating out during your visit to the city, you need to decide what kind of places you want to visit and what your plan is.

You can find restaurants that cost around €35 per person, but you can also choose to eat at street stalls or more local restaurants where lunch can cost around €15.

Paris, like other cities in northern Europe, tends to wake up and go to bed early, and this is also reflected in its meal times. As a general rule, shops tend to open at 9 a.m. and close around 7 p.m., so, as you can imagine, lunch and dinner are adapted to these hours.

Local Parisians usually have lunch between 12 noon and 2 p.m. and dinner around 8 p.m., so restaurants will offer their menus at those times. However, being in such a busy city, you will never have any trouble finding a place open where you can enjoy a delicious meal at a reasonable price.