A Shortlist of Great Restaurants in Paris

The Hit List:

Café de l'Industrie
[Bastille, Place des Vosges]

Au Général Lafayette
[Grands Magasins]

L'Auberge de Nicolas Flamel
[Les Halles, Beaubourg]

Café des Musées
[Le Marais, Place des Vosges]

Bistrot de l'Oulette
[Place des Vosges, Le Marais, Bastille]

Au Bougnat
[Notre Dame, Ile de la Cité]

Taverne de l'Arbre Sec
[Le Louvre, Châtelet]

Les Fous d'en Face
[Châtelet, BHV, Le Marais]

Le Bouillon Chartier
[Musée Grevin]

Firmin le Barbier
[Tour Eiffel, Musée du Quai Branly]

Brasserie Lipp
[Eglise Saint-Germain, Musée Maillol]

Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay
[Musée d'Orsay]

BAM - Bar a Manger
[Châtelet, Le Louvre, Beaubourg]

A la Biche au Bois
[Gare de Lyon, Bastille]

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Café de l'Industrie

Au Général Lafayette

52 Rue La Fayette [map]
75009 Paris
Subway: Le Peletier
Close to: Grands Magasins (Galeries Lafayette, Le Printemps)
Telephone: 01 47 70 59 08
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch;
   €€€€ - dinner
Kids Friendly

Open every day from 10am to 3am.
This art-deco bistrot is not for the budget-conscious, but definitely a great place to crash when everything else is closed.
Serves traditional bistrot food - including Croque Monsieur taken to an art form.

L'Auberge de Nicolas Flamel

51 Rue de Montmorency [map]
75003 Paris
Subway: Arts et Métiers
Close to: Les Halles, Beaubourg, Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée des Arts et Metiers
Telephone: 01 42 71 77 78
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch;
   €€€€ - dinner
Web Site: http://www.auberge-nicolas-flamel.fr

Fantastic setting in one of the oldest house in Paris. Sophisticated French cuisine.
A great place to have some foie gras, or a delightful ratatouille.
This is on the higher end on our spectrum, but still very affordable, and of outstanding value.
Very attentive service.
Lunch is an absolute bargain.
Reservations recommended.

Café des Musées

49 Rue Turenne [map]
75003 Paris
Subway: Bastille
Close to: Le Marais, Place des Vosges, Musée Picasso, Bastille
Telephone: 01 42 72 96 17
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch;
   €€€ - dinner
Kids Friendly

Authentic café with a great focus on food and wine.
Try the homemade patés; and go for an honest entrecote steak with 'frites maison'.
Great selection of wines.
Very friendly and attentive staff - although they can sometimes get slammed.

Bistrot de l'Oulette

38 Rue Tournelles [map]
75004 Paris
Subway: Bastille
Close to: Place des Vosges, Le Marais, Musée Picasso, Bastille
Telephone: 01 42 71 43 33
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch;
   €€€€ - dinner
Web Site: http://www.l-oulette.com

Traditional bistrot food from the South-West of France.
The daily specials made by the chef-owner are a sure bet.
A great place to have a cassoulet.

Les Fous d'en Face

3 Rue du Bourg Tibourg [map]
75004 Paris
Subway: Châtelet
Close to: Châtelet, BHV, Hotel de Ville, Le Marais, Mariage Freres, Ile Saint Louis, Berthillon
Telephone: 01 48 87 03 75
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch;
   €€€€ - dinner and week-ends
Kids Friendly

Quirky cool, great food, great value for lunch.
Outstanding selection of wines.
Reservations recommended. Open Sundays.

Le Bouillon Chartier

7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre [map]
75009 Paris
Subway: Grands Boulevards
Close to: Musée Grevin
Telephone: 01 47 70 86 29
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch and dinner
Web Site: http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/
Kids Friendly

An institution.
Chartier was opened in 1896 with a novel concept: offering an honest meal at an unbeatable price.
The spirit keeps on living.
Vast selection of entrees and wines.
Not the most delicate food; a service focused on efficiency; but one of the greatest value in an authentic Art Deco setting.

Firmin le Barbier

20 Rue Monttessuy [map]
75007 Paris
Subway: Alma - Marceau
Close to: Tour Eiffel, Musée du Quai Branly (primitive arts), Bateaux Parisiens, Vedettes de Paris,
Telephone: 01 45 51 21 55
Price Range:
   €€€€ - lunch and dinner
Web Site: http://www.firminlebarbier.fr

If you want to feel like you're dining in the home of a distinguished French gentleman, this is the place.
Firmin used to be a surgeon before he opened the restaurant and he speaks very good English.
The food is divine. Save room for desert - and go for the simple dishes - like flambéed peaches.
This is what you call an "intimate" place - just a few tables, so definitely call for reservations.

Brasserie Lipp

151 Boulevard Saint-Germain [map]
75006 Paris
Subway: Mabillon
Close to: Eglise Saint-Germain, Musée Maillol, Musée d'Orsay (15 mins walk)
Telephone: 01 45 48 53 91
Price Range:
   €€€€ - lunch
   €€€€ - dinner

Very famous place but not as cliché as Les Deux Margots across the street.
Stunning historical interior deco, the place was founded in 1880; and saw Hemingway, Camus, and Proust as regulars.
Have an elegant beer and watch all the beautiful people.
The place is not exactly a bargain; but you can find some great items on the menu: Hareng Bismark (pickled Baltic herring), Choucroute (sauerkraut with sausages, pork and ham), Pied de Porc Farci Grillé (grilled pigs trotters), and Millefeuille are long-time specialties.

Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay

1 Rue Bellechasse (or quai Anatole France) [map]
75007 Paris
Subway: Musée d'Orsay or Solferino
Close to: Musée d'Orsay
Telephone: 01 45 49 42 33
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch
   €€€€ - dinner (Thursdays only)

Eating here is a real treat. It will make you feel like royalty, quite literally, without breaking the bank.

A la Biche au Bois

45 Avenue Ledru-Rollin [map]
75012 Paris
Subway: Gare de Lyon, Bastille
Close to: La Promenade Plantée, Gare de Lyon, Bastille
Telephone: 01 43 43 34 38
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch
   €€€ - dinner
Closed Saturday and Sunday.

You'll have to go a little out of the way -but not by much- to find one of the best value in Paris.
La Biche Au Bois packs rustic French food, is budget-friendly, and mostly a locals' haunt.
Try their perfect oeuf mayonnaise as appetizer, then move on to their coq au vin or wild venison stew, and don't miss the Ile Flottante!
Reservations highly recommended.

Au Bougnat

26 Rue Chanoinesse [map]
75004 Paris
Subway: Cité
Close to: Notre Dame, Ile de la Cité, Sainte Chapelle, Ile Saint Louis
Telephone: 01 43 54 50 74
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch
   €€€€ - dinner
Web Site: http://aubougnat.com/

A classic menu that changes regularly and is always very well executed; only 2 steps away from Notre Dame.
Service is efficient and friendly.
Lamd and pork dishes are always a favorite; adventurous can try frog legs!
Reservations are highly recommended.

Taverne de l'Arbre Sec

109 Rue Saint-Honoré [map]
75001 Paris
Subway: Louvre-Rivoli, Les Halles
Close to: Le Louvre, Châtelet
Telephone: 01 40 41 10 36
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch
   €€€ - dinner
Kids Friendly

It's the combination of good food, attentive service, and great location that makes this place a real gem.
This is probably the best place to have a great meal before or after visiting the Louvre.
The terrace setting, on a quiet carrefour, make it ideal in the summer.
While it doesn't feature anything truly original, the menu is varied and allows you to have a quick healthy snack or a hearty meal.

BAM - Bar a Manger

13 Rue des Lavandières Sainte-Opportune [map]
75001 Paris
Subway: Châtelet
Close to: Châtelet, Le Louvre, Beaubourg
Telephone: 01 42 21 01 72
Price Range:
   €€ - lunch
   €€€€ - dinner

Hip restaurant on a quiet street close to all the action.
The menu features traditional French food with a twist.
The staff is efficient and friendly.