Paris - Eating And Drinking France complete tourist information

Eating and drinking are among Paris's chief delights, as they are in the country as a whole. The capital offers a tremendous variety of cuisines: as well as regional French cooking, notably from the southwest, you can sample Senegalese, Caribbean, Thai, eastern European and North African cuisine, among others. There's also a huge diversity of eating and drinking establishments: luxurious restaurants in the traditional style or elbow-to-elbow bench-and-trestle-table jobs; spacious brasseries and cafés where you can watch the world go by while nibbling on a baguette sandwich; or dark, cavernous beer cellars and tiny wine bars with sawdust on the floor offering wines by the glass from every region of France. You can take coffee and cakes in a chintzy salon de thé , in a bookshop or gallery, or even in the confines of a mosque. Bars can be medieval vaults, minimalist or postmodern design units, London-style pubs or period pieces in styles ranging from the Swinging Sixties to the Naughty Nineties.

It's true that the old-time cheap neighbourhood cafés and bistros are a dying breed, while fast-food chains haveburgeoned at an alarming speed. Quality is also in decline at the lower end of the restaurant market, particularly in tourist hotspots. Yet, however much Parisians bemoan the changing times, you'll find you're still spoiled for choice, even on a modest budget. There are numerous fixed-price menus ( prix fixe ) for under ¬12.20, particularly at lunchtime, providing staple dishes; for ¬22.87 you'll have the choice of more interesting dishes; and for ¬30.49, you should be getting some gourmet satisfaction.

The big boulevard cafés and brasseries are always more expensive than those a little further removed, and addresses in the smarter or more touristy arrondissements set prices soaring. A snack or drink on the Champs-Élysées, place St-Germain-des-Prés or rue de Rivoli, for instance, will be double or triple the price of Belleville, Batignolles or the southern 14e. Many bars have happy hours , but prices can double after 10pm, and any clearly trendy, glitzy or stylish place is bound to be expensive.

We list the different eating and drinking establishments by area. They are divided into restaurants , including some brasseries, and bars and cafés , incorporating snack bars, ice-cream parlours and salons de thé .

The Islands
Bars and Cafés

Berthillon 31 rue St-Louis-en-l'Île, 4e. Mº Pont-Marie. Wed-Sun 10am-8pm.
Long queues for these excellent ice creams and sorbets (¬3.35 a triple), with a big choice of unusual fruity flavours, such as rhubarb. There are also outlets at Lady Jane and Le Flore-en-l'Île , both on quaid'Orléans, as well as at four other island sites.

The Tuileries, Champs-Élysées and around
Cafés and bars

Angélina 226 rue de Rivoli, 1er. Mº Tuileries. Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat & Sun 9am-7.30pm; closed Tues in July & Aug.
A long-established gilded cage, where the well-coiffed sip the best hot chocolate in town and scoff exquisite pastries.

Barry's 9 rue Duras, 8e. Mº Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau. Mon-Sat 11am-3pm.
Salads, snacks and sandwiches for under ¬4.57 in a tiny street behind the Élysée Palace.

Café Marly Cour Napoléon du Louvre, 93 rue de Rivoli, 1er. Mº Palais-Royal-Musée-du-Louvre.
Daily till 2am. Inside the Louvre, with tables beneath the colonnadeoverlooking the Pyramid in summer; chic, very classy and very expensive.

Le Fouquet's 99 av des Champs-Élysées, 8e. Mº George-V. Daily till 1.30am.
Le Fouquet's is such a well-established watering hole for stars of the stage and screen, politicians, newspaper editors and advertising barons, that it's now been classified as a "Monument Historique". You pay dearly to sit in the deep leather armchairs, and as for the restaurant don't expect to pay less than ¬45.73.

Musée Jacquemart-André 158 bd Haussmann, 8e tel 01.45.62.11.59. Mº St-Philippe-du-Roule & Mº Miromesnil. Daily 11am-6pm.
A sumptuously appointed salon de thé in a nineteenth-century palazzo, with salads at ¬8.84-12.96, a lunch formule at ¬13.11 and a popular weekend brunch for ¬19.82; museum ticket not needed.

Le Rubis 10 rue du Marché-St-Honoré, 1er. Mº Pyramides. Mon-Fri 7am-10pm, Sat 8am-4pm; closed mid-Aug.
One of the oldest wine bars, with a reputation for excellent wines, snacks and plats du jour . Very small and very crowded. Glasses of wine from ¬0.84.

Restaurants

aux Amis du Beaujolais 28 rue d'Artois, 8e tel 01.45.63.92.21. Mº George-V & Mº St-Philippe-du-Roule. Mon-Sat noon-3pm & 6.30-9pm; closed middle two weeks of July. If you can fathom the hand-written menu, you'll find good traditional french stews and sautéed steaks, washed down with Beaujolais. Evening menu at ¬18.29.

Le Dauphin 167 rue St-Honoré, 1er tel 01.42.60.40.11. Mº Palais-Royal-Musée-du-Louvre. Daily: Nov-May noon-2.30pm & 7-10.30pm; June-Oct till 12.30am.
A genuine bistro, with a menu at ¬21.34 and seafood platter during oyster season for ¬25.46. Country cooking includes pig's cheeks, lapereau (young rabbit) à la grand-mère and magret de canard .

Dragons Élysées 11 rue de Berri, 8e tel 01.42.89.85.10. Mº George-V. Daily 11am-3pm & 7-11pm.
The restaurant's Chinese-Thai cuisine encompasses dim sum, curried seafood and baked mussels, but the overriding attraction is the extraordinary decor. The floor is made of glass tiles, beneath which pools of water gurgle and exotic fish dart back and forth. ¬12.20 lunch menu, ¬33.34 for menu royal , à la carte ¬38.11.

Foujita 41 rue St-Roch, 1er tel 01.42.61.42.93. Mº Tuileries & Mº Pyramides. Mon-Sat noon-2.15pm & 7.30-10pm; closed mid-Aug.
One of the cheaper but better Japanese restaurants, as proven by the numbers of Japanese eating here. Quick and crowded; soup, sushis, rice and tea for ¬10.98 at lunchtime; plate of sushis or sushamis for under ¬16.77.

Restorama Le Carrousel du Louvre, 1er. Mº Palais-Royal-Musée-du-Louvre. Daily 9am-9pm.
One vast, underground, fast-food eating hall served by over a dozen different outlets: rôtisseries, hamburgers, pizzas, Tex-Mex, Chinese, Lebanese, Japanese, crêperies, salad bars - easy to eat for under ¬7.62. Access from place du Carrousel or the Louvre Pyramid.

Yvan 1bis rue J-Mermoz, 8e tel 01.43.59.18.40. Mº Franklin-D-Roosevelt. Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm & 7pm-midnight; Sat 7pm-midnight.
Fish specialities and pigeon with polenta attract a stylish clientele. Extremely good food and menus from ¬25.61.

The Grands Boulevards and around
Cafés and bars

L'Arbre à Cannelle 7 passage des Panoramas, 2e. Mº Grands-Boulevards. Mon-Sat till 6.30pm.
Exquisite wooden panelling, frescoes and painted ceilings make this an enchanting spot for puddings, flans and assiettes gourmandes. Prices are ¬9.15-11.43.

Aux Bons Crus 7 rue des Petits-Champs, 1er. Mº Pyramides. Mon 9am-4pm, Tues-Sat 9am-11pm.
A relaxed, workaday place that has been serving good wines and cheese, sausage and ham for over eighty years. Wine from ¬2.29 a glass; plate of cold meats from ¬8.38.

Le Café 62 rue Tiquetonne, 2e. Mº Les Halles & Mº Étienne-Marcel. Daily 10am-2am.
On the junction with rue Étienne-Marcel, a quiet and secluded café, with old maps on the walls and people playing chess. Plats du jour ¬6.86-8.38.

Le Grand Café Capucines 4 bd des Capucines, 9e. Mº Opéra.
A favourite all-nighter with over-the-top belle-époque decor and excellent seafood. Boulevard prices mean ¬3.05 for an espresso.

Juveniles 47 rue de Richelieu, 1er. Mº Palais-Royal-Musée-du-Louvre. Mon-Sat noon-midnight.
A very popular, tiny wine bar run by a Brit. Wine from ¬12.96 a bottle; plats du jour around ¬10.37.

Kitty O'Shea's 10 rue des Capucines, 2e. Mº Opéra. Daily noon-1.30am.
An Irish pub with excellent Guinness and Smithwicks. A favourite haunt of Irish expats. The John Jameson restaurant upstairs serves high-quality, pricey, Gaelic food, including seafood flown in from Galway.

Le Sous-Bock 49 rue St-Honoré, 1er. Mº Châtelet & Mº Les Halles. Mon-Sat 11am-5am, Sun 3pm-5am.
Hundreds of beers - bottled and on tap - at around ¬6.10 a pint, as well as whiskies to sample, plus simple, inexpensive food. Mussels are a speciality (¬9.15-11.43). Frequented by night owls. Prices go up after 7pm.

Restaurants

Chartier 7 rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, 9e tel 01.47.70.86.29. Mº Grands-Boulevards. Daily 11.30am-3pm & 6-10pm.
Dark-stained woodwork, brass hat-racks, mirrors, waiters in long aprons - the original decor of a late-nineteenth-century soup kitchen. Though crowded and rushed, it's worth a visit, and the food's not bad at all. Under ¬15.24.

Dilan 13 rue Mandar, 2e tel 01.42.21.14.88. Mº Les Halles & Mº Sentier. Mon-Sat noon-2pm & 7.30-11.30pm.
An excellent-value Kurdish restaurant, offering beautiful starters, stuffed aubergines ( babaqunuc ), fish with yoghurt and courgettes ( kanarya ). Midday menu ¬9.76.

Le Gros Minet 1 rue des Prouvaires, 1er tel 01.42.33.02.62. Mº Châtelet & Mº Les Halles. Mon & Sat 7.30-11.30pm, Tues-Fri noon-2pm & 7.30-11.30pm. Relaxed, small and charming restaurant, specializing in duck dishes.

Higuma 32bis rue Ste-Anne, 1er tel 01.47.03.38.59.Mº Pyramides.
Daily 11.30am-10pm. Authentic Japanese canteen with cheap filling ramen dishes and a variety of set menus starting at ¬9.60.

L'Incroyable 26 rue de Richelieu, 1er tel 01.42.96.24.64. Mº Palais-Royal-Musée-du-Louvre. Tues-Fri lunchtime & 6.30-9pm, Mon & Sat lunchtime only.
Hidden away down a tiny passage, this a very pleasant restaurant serving decent traditional French meals dishes for ¬12.96 lunch; ¬17.53 eves.

Au Pied de Cochon 6 rue Coquillière, 1er tel 01.42.36.11.75. Mº Châtelet & Mº Les Halles. Daily 24hr.
For extravagant middle-of-the-night pork chops and oysters. Seafood platter ¬23.63. Carte up to ¬45.73.

La Robe et le Palais 13 rue des Lavandières Ste-Opportune, 1er tel 01.45.08.07.41. Mº Châtelet. Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm & 7.15-10.30pm.
Refined, unpretentious cuisine and an excellent wine list served up in a small, busy space. Good lunch menu for ¬12.04.

La Tour de Montlhéry (Chez Denise) 5 rue des Prouvaires, 1er tel 01.42.36.21.82. Mº Louvre-Rivoli & Mº Châtelet. Mon-Fri till midnight, Sat lunchtime only.
An old-style Les Halles bistro serving substantial food; always crowded and smoky; carte from ¬30.49.

Vaudeville 29 rue Vivienne, 2e tel 01.40.20.04.62. Mº Bourse. Daily 7am-2am.
A lively, late-night brasserie, often with a queue to get a table. Good food, attractive marble-and-mosaic interior. À la carte from ¬22.87, menu at ¬21.04.

La Victoire Suprême du Coeur 41 rue des Bourdonnais, 1er tel 01.40.41.93.95. Mº Louvre-Rivoli & Mº Châtelet. Mon-Sat noon-10pm.
Vegetarian restaurant of the Sri Chimnoy variety - the Indian guru's photos and drawings cover the walls. The menu offers a wide range of tasty salads, quiches and plats du jour (¬7.47); all very wholesome.

Quartier Beaubourg and the Marais
Bars and cafés L'Apparemment Café 18 rue des Coutures-St-Gervais, 3e. Mº St-Sébastien-Froissart. Mon-Fri noon-2am, Sat 4pm-2am, Sun 12.30pm-midnight. Chic, but cosy, café resembling a series of comfortable sitting rooms,...
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Bastille
Bars and cafés Bar des Ferrailleurs 18 rue de Lappe, 11e. Mº Bastille. Daily 5pm-2am. Dark and stylishly sinister bar, with rusting metal decor, an eccentric owner and fun wig-wearing staff. Relaxed, friendly crowd. ...
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Quartier Latin
Cafés and bars Café de la Mosquée 39 rue Geoffroy-St-Hilaire, 5e. Mº Monge. Daily 8am-midnight. You can drink mint tea and eat sweet cakes beside a fountain and assorted fig trees in the courtyard of this Paris mosque - a...
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St-Germain
Cafés and bars Le 10 10 rue de l'Odéon, 6e. Mº Odéon. Daily 6.30pm-2am. The beer here is very cheap, which is why it attracts young people, particularly foreigners. Small dark bar with old posters, a jukebox, and a lot of...
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Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides
Cafés and bars Café du Museé d'Orsay 1 rue Bellechasse, 7e. RER Musée-d'Orsay & Mº Solférino. Tues-Sun 11am-5pm. Superb views over the Seine in the museum's magnificent rooftop café. Snacks and drinks. Quick and...
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Montparnasse and the 14e
Cafés and bars La Closerie des Lilas 171 bd du Montparnasse, 6e. RER Port-Royal. Daily noon-1.30am. The smartest, artiest, classiest Montparnasse café, with excellent cocktails for around ¬9.15 and a resident pianist. The...
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The 15e arrondissement
Cafés and bars au Bon Coin 85 rue Brancion, 15e. Mº Porte-de-Vanves. Daily till 9pm. Located next to the Parc Georges-Brassens this well-established bar with original zinc counter attracts a well-read clientele looking for...
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The 13e arrondissement
Cafés and bars La Folie en Tête 33 rue Butte-aux-Cailles, 13e. Mº Place-d'Italie & Mº Corvisart. Mon-Sat 5pm-2am. A very warm and laid-back address, where you can get cheap beer, sandwiches andmidday plat du jour ...
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Montmartre
Cafés and bars La Petite Charlotte 24 rue des Abbesses, 18e. Mº Abbesses. Tues-Sun till 8pm. Crêpes, pâtisseries and ¬8.84 formule on sunny tables. Le Refuge Cnr rue Lamarck & the steps of...
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Pigalle and south of pigalle
Cafés and bars Le Dépanneur 27 rue Fontaine, 9e tel 01.40.16.40.20. Mº Pigalle. Open 24hr. Relaxed and fashionable all-night bar. aux Deux-Théâtres 18 rue Blanche, cnr rue Pigalle, 9e tel 01.45.26.41.43....
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Eastern Paris
Cafés and bars L'Atmosphère 49 rue Lucien-Sampaix, 10 e. Mº Gare-de-l'Est. Tues-Fri 11am-2am, Sat & Sun 5.30pm-2am. Next to the Canal St-Martin, this is a lively bar with food and occasional live music. The Hôtel...
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Paris for vegetarians
The chances of finding vegetarian main dishes on the menus of regular French restaurants are not good. You could choose a selection of non-meat starters or order an omelette or a salad, but you'll be much better off going to an ethnic restaurant - Middle...
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Late-night Paris
It's not at all unusual for bars and brasseries in Paris to stay open after midnight. Note that the three Drugstores , at 133 av des Champs-Élysées and 1 av Matignon in the 8e, and 149 bd St-Germain in the 6e, stay open till 2am, with bars, restaurants, shops and tabacs .

Student restaurants
Students of any age are eligible to apply for tickets for the university restaurants under the direction of CROUS de Paris. A list of addresses, which includes numerous cafeterias and brasseries, is available from their offices at 39 av Georges-Bernanos, 5e (tel 01.40.51.36.00; Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; RER Port-Royal). The tickets, however, have to be obtained from the particular restaurant of your choice (opening hours generally 11.30am-2pm & 6-8pm). Not all serve both midday and evening meals, and times change with each term. Though the food is less than wonderful, it's certainly filling, and you can't complain for the price . Some are less fussy than others about student credentials, and will sell tickets to anyone for ¬4.30. They will cost you ¬2.09 if you're studying at a French university, ¬3.51 if you can produce an International Student Card.

Restaurants of Paris
As you would expect, there are some really spectacular restaurants in Paris. One of the best is Alain Ducasse at 59 av Raymond Poincaré, 16e (tel 01.47.27.12.27) which has beenawarded three Michelin stars. It's run by the enterprising Alain Ducasse, who has also been awarded three stars for another of his restaurants, Le Louis XV , in Monte Carlo, making him the only chef to have been awarded six Michelin stars. At midday during the week, the menu at his Paris restaurant is around ¬45.73-60.21; prixe fixe menus range from ¬73.17 to ¬228.66; and there's no limit to the amount you can pay for beautiful wines. Ducasse has also recently opened a smaller, less fussy establishment, Spoon, Food & Wine , at 14 rue de Marignan, 8e (tel 01.40.76.34.44), with cheaper, though no less superb cuisine.

The other greats include: Lucas Carton , 9 place de la Madeleine, 8e (tel 01.42.65.22.90), with splendid Art-Nouveau decor, run by chef Alain Senderens; Taillevent , 15 rue Lamennais, 8e (tel 01.45.61.12.90); Les Ambassadeurs , in the Hôtel Crillon , 10 place de la Concorde, 8e (tel 01.44.71.16.16); Ledoyen , 1 av Dutuit, 8e (tel 01.47.42.35.98), headed by a Flemish woman chef, Ghislaine Arabian; and Guy Savoy , 18 rue Troyon, 17e (tel 01.43.80.40.61).