Probably the best thing about my trip to Paris was the consistently incredible food, wine, and cocktails! I don’t think I had a bad meal the entire time I was in France. With that in mind, I have a lot of recommendations for amazing places to check out. Apologies in advance for the limited food pictures – we were all too excited to eat!

Restaurants

Le Procope – A couple of my friends go here at least once basically every time they’re in Paris and I can see why! This restaurant, which claims to be the oldest cafe in the world, and opened its doors in 1686. Apparently it did not continuously operate as the Procope, which some argue means they can’t maintain the “oldest” claim. Nevertheless, this was a place frequented by some of the most famous writers, philosophers, and leaders in history including Napoleon Bonaparte, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, and Victor Hugo. You can even if you look around see some amazing artifacts on display including one of Napoleon’s hats. If the historical context isn’t enough to tempt you to go, then definitely go for the food! Everything I had in my three course meal was delicious and the service was great. I particularly enjoyed having Œufs à la neige (also known as Snow Eggs or Floating Islands) for dessert – this is a dish of meringues floating in a custard sauce and I ordered it whenever possible!

Le Coq & Fils – This poultry-focused restaurant in Montmarte is known for serving delicious whole roasted chickens (or smaller options if you go alone!). When we arrived they even provided us with some blurbs about the types of chicken available so we could make an informed selection. Of course, the chicken was incredible and worth going for, but the sides were also great (I’d especially recommend the sautéed mushrooms).

Les Papilles – Every day this restaurant serves only one set menu at lunchtime and in the evening. Honestly not having to make decisions besides what wine to drink is kind of great! The food, especially the soup course, was incredible and they also had an amazing wine selection.

Comptoir des Fables – A server at the wine bar we went to twice (more on that later!) recommended this bistro to us for dinner and it was such a good recommendation! It is relatively close to the Eiffel Tower so it’s easy to get to but I think it’s far enough from the main stretch that it didn’t feel overpriced or touristy. I particularly enjoyed their desserts – we ordered both the croustillant noisettes and the crémeux au chocolat.

Bistrot Caché – This was another local recommendation from our tour guide through Marais. It’s a tucked away little spot that seems really popular with locals and even had a cat guest star! I particularly enjoyed the salmon here.

Boutique yam’Tcha – Another local recommendation! This is a secondary restaurant from the owner of the Michelin-starred yam’Tcha restaurant. The focus here is definitely bao and every type we tried was delicious. They also serve amazing tea and congee. I’d recommend trying to get here right at opening because a line was starting to form when we left!

Cafe Kitsune – Not far from the Louvre, this cafe serves a great brunch. Their chai and matche lattes were particularly good (both hot and cold!). I believe I got a shakshuka, which may have been a special, and wasn’t that enthralled with it to be honest. Their french toast and avocado toast were awesome, though.

Poget & De Witte – After one failed attempt to go to a wine tasting at a nearby wine bar, we were disappointed and unsure where to go next. Enter this amazing oyster bar! Literally some of the best oysters I have ever had in my entire life. And, of course, they have an good selection of white wines and champagne to pair them with.

Les Deux Magots – You’ve likely seen this one recommended elsewhere. It’s a SUPER touristy destination and pretty pricey for a dinner. Reservations are definitely needed. Honestly, I hated the atmosphere. They really pack people in so if you can I’d try to sit outside or in their closed in patio area instead of in the main room. The food, however, was very good. We really enjoyed the escargot here.

Drinks & Other Exciting Finds!

The Oakenshield Tavern – I have to give this place top billing because it was so much fun and the bartender was incredibly helpful and kind. This is a local board game bar! We went here for some drinks and to play a board game before dinner. They had a great beer selection as well as some really cool signature cocktails. We were the first to arrive (Americans, am I right?!) so we were lucky enough to get some time with the bartender and he introduced us to a new game called Century: Golem Edition. Of course the instructions were entirely in French so he was kind enough to walk us through the mechanics of the game before leaving us to our own devices. We loved this place so much we came back AFTER dinner to play more games and have more (see: too many) drinks.

Cave Vino Sapiens – Yet another place we went to more than once! We stopped in here to try some wines and potentially buy a few bottles. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. This is a wine bar so don’t expect to do a tasting, but instead order a few glasses off of the limited menu of open bottles for the day.

Sir Winston – We stopped here before dinner at Le Procope because it was close to our hotel (which was close to the Arc de Triomphe) and our friends had been there for drinks before and enjoyed it. They do also serve food but we just grabbed cocktails. They have a very diverse and interesting cocktail menu and everything my group tried was delicious!

L’Eclair – This spot isn’t too far from the Eiffel Tower and also serves food, but we again just stopped for a couple drinks to kill time before a dinner. The bartenders here were SO nice and friendly and the atmosphere was fun. Also, of course, our drinks were great! I got the Pimm’s Is Not Dead.

Tiger – Yet another stop before a dinner – we were always too early places for dinnertime! This bar focused on gin cocktails and had a very cool vibe.

Le Café Plume – Finally, I’m throwing this one in here because I loved the theme of it! The drinks were also good, but I was mostly excited about the bookish theme and vibe. We stopped off here to escape the rain and also had a really good cheese and charcuterie plate.