Restaurants in Paris – French Gastronomy

Here are five amazing things you can do in Restaurants in Paris

1.) Put your trust in the Tour D’Argent’s Reputation

It is one of the oldest restaurants in Europe and it offers a unique panoramic view of the Seine and of the Notre Dame cathedral on the Ile de la Cité (discover all the secrets about it in a Notre Dame and heart of Paris Walking Tour). The prices may be steep, but the experience is worth it. Its specialty is the “pressed duck” and it has always been one of the top rated restaurants of the Guide Michelin. However, it is so renowned that you have to book months in advance!

2.) Travel back in time at Le Procope

This is one of the oldest restaurants in Paris; it is more than 300 years old! It is actually a “café-restaurant”, where it is said that Diderot wrote the Encyclopedia articles and Benjamin Franklin wrote a part of the USA’s Constitution. You will surely enjoy your meal surrounded by very old bookshelves full of prestigious and original books and manuscripts, immersed in the intellectual atmosphere of the Enlightenment.

3.) Eat low budget French cuisine

Once again, the Guide Michelin will be of great help. Indeed, you can find many “bistros” and restaurants in town that aren’t so well-known but offer a great cuisine. For instance, the restaurant Polidor in the sixth arrondissement of Paris: traditional French cuisine at very affordable prices. The wine cart is also a criterion of quality. Same for Le Blavet in the fifteenth arrondissement: traditional French cuisine for everybody.

4.) Discover flavors from all over France and… The world

One of the main aspects of French cuisine is that it has an incredible variety depending on the country’s geographical regions. Mediterranean flavors of the South, Fondue and Raclette in the Alps, etc.

Paris is not all about French Cuisine. Of course you won’t get bored of it but the city is also “gastronomically cosmopolitan”: Chinese restaurants are very common as well as Japanese ones (the most famous is the Matsuri) and Indian or Thai cuisine for spicy tastes are available in every district. Of course Italian, Lebanese and Syrian restaurants can also be found all over the city.

5.) Watch your meal while it is being prepared by Joel Robuchon

Fine French cuisine (2 stars in the Guide Michelin) will have no secrets for you anymore. The “Atelier de Joël Robuchon” offers you the possibility to watch the cooks while preparing your food. It is expensive but it definitely is a unique experience. Robuchon has also opened many restaurants all around the world like in Tokyo or London.

Highlights

Desserts, main dishes, types of wines… you will always find something to eat/ drink that suits you well.

Some restaurants are like museums, great reminders of how Paris used to look like. Heading to such kind of restaurants, you won’t only have a great meal but also meet Parisian in their natural habitats and experience Paris from the inside.

Some restaurants will also enable you to have a great view of Paris. Find the ones which suit you the most and then enjoy the meal and the atmosphere!

Enjoy a meal on the Tour Eiffel:
Enjoy a meal on the Tour Eiffel and make the most of the spectacular view of the whole city of Paris. Either at the 58 Tour Eiffel (first floor) or at the Jules Verne (second floor), eating will be an experience that you won’t forget. On the top floor, there is also a “Bar à champagne” so that you can taste the best Champagnes and celebrate your success and accomplishments while marveling at the 360° panorama of Paris.

How to get there:
Metro: Line 6, Station Bir Hakeim. Line 9 Trocadero Station
Rer C: Station Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel
Bus: Lines 82, 42, 87, 69

Café de l’Homme:
On the Place du Trocadero, this café-restaurant offers you the most amazing view of the Tour Eiffel and of the Trocadero’s garden and fountains in a trendy but relaxed atmosphere. It is even more enjoyable and pleasant in the evening when Paris turns on its lights and the Tour Eiffel sparkles like the stars.

How to get there:
Metro: Line 9, Station Trocadero. Line 6, station Passy

Right Bank – Landmarks Walking Tour
At the core of The Grand Palais, on the right bank (see the right bank – landmarks walking tour) the Mini Palais is a quiet yet prestigious restaurant. You will be eating near the finest art exhibitions in Paris and the sundeck faces the Winston Churchill Avenue and the Petit Palais.

How to get there:
Metro: Lines 1, 13, Station Champs Elysées Clémenceau. Line 1, 9, Station Franklin Roosevelt.
Bus: lines 83, 93, 63, 28

Opening Hours

Restaurants generally open between noon and 14:00 for lunch and then for dinner between 19:30 – 23:00

Insider’s tips:

• If you want to feel part of the proud as if you had always lived in Paris, you have to know a few things about wine tasting… Have a look at this video >>
• As for La Tour D’Argent, some restaurants are so famous you should book in advance in order not to be disappointed.
• Restaurants, 13% tip is included – leave an extra 1 – 5€ if you want but it is not necessary.

Facts about Restaurants in Paris

The first restaurants opened in Paris at the end of the XVIth century. La Tour d’Argent opened in 1582 and is said to have invented “la fourchette” (the fork).

But it is with the beginning of the French Revolution that this phenomenon spread. Indeed, when the nobles fled from France, their personal cooks and assistant cooks lost their jobs. Consequently, more and more of them became “restaurateurs”, restaurant owners who provided for the peasants who were victims of rural depopulation.

Since then, many types of restaurants have appeared: the gastronomical restaurants, the “brasseries” and “bistros”, the fast food restaurants, etc.