Best Restaurants in Paris... Eating out is a part of the French way of life.   Don’t have a holiday in France without having a meal in a French restaurant.  Although there are many unusual French foods (frogs legs, snails, tête de veau etc.) you will find many foods that are a true delight!  And Paris boasts some of the best restaurants to choose from (as well as some awful ones aimed squarely at tourists which are worth avoiding!).
Which restaurant?  Try to find a restaurant that is targeted at French diners (French menus are a good clue!).  Don’t expect to find a fantastic restaurant adjacent to the major tourist attractions - here we would recommend something safe and straightforward such as pizza, crêpes etc..
Which time?  It’s often cheaper to eat at lunchtime and during the week.  Sunday lunch is always busy and it pays to book ahead.  In the evenings, don’t arrive too early - 7.30PM is often the earliest you can get served.
Which menu?  Don’t go for à la carte options.  Usually they have the same options as the menu prix fixe and they cost a lot more!  Avoid Menu Touristique like the plague!
Which wine?  Wine can be quite expensive if you go for named bottles.  But carafes of house white or red wine have usually been exquisitely selected by the restauranteur and are excellent value.  Refer to our wine section for more advice on wines in France.

Café Scene

The café scene is very much a part of Paris and can be enjoyed year round, even sipping coffee outside in winter, thanks to the sophisticated heating systems in many of the awnings outside the cafés. The waiters who race back and forth, balancing trays while keeping tabs on everyone are great fun to watch. But it is observing Parisian life that is the best sport of all. Once, a very elderly, very chic, very Parisian lady (dripping with jewellery) along with her white lap dog sat next to us at Les Deux Magots (that famous literary haunt on the Boulevard St Germain) and sipped coffee while reading the stocks and shares page of her newspaper. Who was she……..we will never know, but it was fun imagining! Do take time out to ……..just sit. And if you want to find the best cafés that Paris has to offer get your hands on a little book called ‘Café Life Paris’ by Christine and Dennis Graf.