Hello - I am planning a first trip to Paris and I would appreciate some help choosing restaurants for our stay. We are only in town for 3 nights and and I am only seeking recommendations for two of those evenings as we are more than likely taking a Seine dinner cruise for one of the evenings (I know its touristy but I though it would be nice for our first trip). Of the two remaining evenings, I wanted to try a “traditional” French restaurant while the second night I wanted to try a more modern one. Ideas for traditional are as follows: Josephine Chez Dumonet, Bistrot Paul Bert, Chez Janou and Au Pied de Cochon. For the modern cuisine I am considering: Frenchie, Septime, Ze Kitchen Galerie and Boutary. From reading this board, Granite, Montee and Pages also look very interesting. One key consideration - I need restaurants that offer choices as opposed to a set menu due to choosey eater ( I believe that would preclude Montee or Septime). Any ideas or recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Perhaps knowing where you will be staying and your own style/ age group could help to narrow down your rather predictable first-timer short list. Are you only interested in the food on the plate or do décor and vibe also matter ?
In Paris, the shorter the menu the better the food generally holds true. For picky, unadventurous eaters, it will be a problem at more modern restaurants where menus are typically short. Give us some examples of what “choosey” actually means to Mr or Ms Choosey, please.
Daniel - Thank you for the reply. Your questions are fair and I apologize for not being more detailed with my inquiry. We will be staying near the Palais Garnier though we are willing to travel. I am not sure I have an answer for our “style” though my wife and I are middle aged. If by style you mean whether we are quiet/reserved or lively, we would lean more to the latter. As for vibe and decor versus the food on the plate, the food always matters the most but the vibe and decor are always a plus (more so for the traditional French meal as opposed to the modern one where the food on the plate is most important). With regard to the menu and its length, while I can appreciate your statement about shorter equaling better quality, we have dined at many Michelin starred restaurants that offer several choices for starters and mains without impacting quality and would hope that the same is available in Paris’ top restaurants. As for the picky eater, for the sake of brevity it would be better to report what this person will eat: chicken, beef, pork, most seafood and shellfish. I recognize that this can be limiting, but we have normally not had any issue at most top rated restaurants as they regularly have one of these items on their menu. I am hopeful the above helps in narrowing the best restaurant recommendations and thank you again for your assistance.
BTW, I hope having a predictable first-timer short list is not a bad thing. Also, if I had my druthers for a traditional French restaurant, I would be looking for escargot, onion soup, oysters, steak tartare, steak frites, beef bourguignon, sole meuniere and profiteroles in a classic decor (i.e. Le Grand Colbert). I know that may be too much to ask for but I still wanted you to know what I had in mind.
With just a 3-day skimming-the-surface first-time visit to Paris, it’s probably inevitable that the well-trodden tourist rut is your fate. As a local, my Paris is totally different but I will try to put myself in your shoes. Hopefully, other tourists will chime in.
The choices in the very commercial Opéra quartier are limited and so, for the most part, long walks or a commute for good meals. The restaurant in the landmark Café de la Paix on the place de l’Opéra could be a good and convenient candidate because of the long menu and very elegant, very parisian décor… as a Parisian, it wouldn’t be on my short list because it is seriously overpriced and, like all restaurants with an overwhelming tourist clientele lacks that quintessential parisian vibe/ joy/ buzz but probably a fine touristique experience.
Seeking out dishes which many tourists consider to be typically French is understandable. But it does confine you to restaurants that are largely touristy because such dishes are no longer preferred by Parisians unless very well-priced and not counterfeited. (Assembly-line food from some food factory in the provinces is quite common). We rarely eat, for instance, French onion soup, except in cold weather as a snack or hangover preventative and never (at least for me) as part of a meal (it ruins the tastebuds and appetite for what comes later). As a born and raised Parisian I have had boeuf bourguignon twice in my life and don’t really like it because of the stringy beef chunks and much prefer a “daube”/stew of much tastier and easier to digest joue de boeuf/ beef cheeks at, for instance, the time-warp Chez Denise in Les Halles.
If you are seeking out boeuf bourguignon, I guess Joséphine Chez Dumonet is the best choice. I happen to not like it as a restaurant at all (just too geriatric and touristy for me) but their boeuf bourguignon is one of the best versions in Paris judging from tourist reviews. For coq au vin, which I for one don’t find very exciting, the best bet is Auberge Bressane in the 7th… the poulet au vin jaune is what I would order if in the (rare) mood for something chicken-y… and a long but very scenic taxi ride from the Opéra.
Oysters and fruits de mer are, in effect, the real iconic food of Paris. We love our oysters and are very picky. For near the Opéra, the Grand Café Capucines on boulevard Capucines has excellent platters of oysters and shellfish even if the rest of the menu is rather hit-and-miss. If you prefer your oysters with a view, Reine Mer on the 8th floor of the nearby Printemps du Goût building in the Printemps department store building is perfect. There is also a pretty up-to-date map… just google “Paris oyster map” for the huge choice of where to get oysters.
Because it doen’t really offer such tourist favourites as boeuf bouguignon and coq au vin that Julia Child made so famous to Americans, Bistrot Paul Bert is not exactly unmissable for foreign tourists. Lots of excellent cutesy bistro-type alternatives that could be more satisfying and certainly more convenient for you e.g Chez Monsieur near La Madeleine (easy walk from l’Opéra), Chez Denise in Les Halles (20 to 25-min walk or hop in a taxi or #21 bus), Chez Georges near the baroque Place des Victoires in the 2nd (20-min walk), Le Mesturet on rue Richelieu in the 2nd (less than a km walk), Au Petite Riche on rue Le Peletier (900-metre walk), Le Griffonnier (lunch only) on rue Saussaies in the 8th near the Palais de l’Elysée (French equivalent of the White House)(15 to 20-min walk), Juvéniles on rue Richelieu (15-min walk), L’Oseille on rue St Augustin in a boring part of the 2nd (7 to 10 min walk), Le Bon Georges on rue Saint-Georges on the fringes of the trendy SoPi/Sud Pigalle quartier (15 min walk), and dozens and dozens more.
Given your need for choice, I strongly recommend Origines on rue Ponthieu in the otherwise horrid Champs Elysées area as your modern French option. https://www.origines-restaurant.com/
If you want to experience the full vibe of a Paris restaurant, it’s better to eat after 8. At 7pm, for instance, you’ll probably share your time and space with other tourists in a half-empty restaurant… rather boring. The theatre of a bustling restaurant is a big part of the parisan experience.
Daniel - Thank you so much for your detailed response. I completely understand the difficulty in recommending a touristy traditional restaurant as opposed to one frequented by locals. I had considered Cafe de la Paix due to its proximity to our hotel. Would you recommend it over Chez Dumonet? Also, I have noticed in prior threads that you have recommended dining at a Bouillon for traditional French cuisine. Would you recommend say Bouillon Republique instead? My only hesitations were the lack of reservations (which I believe are now offered) and the quality of the food as opposed to that offered at bistros. As for Origines, I had read that you hold the restaurant in high regard and had already looked at the menu. As you note, they offer a la carte selections that would make the restaurant more accessible to my companion and I agree that it looks like a good choice. As for oysters, I am an aficionado and can’t wait to try your famous Fine de Claire variety and I am planning a lunch at either Huitrerie Régis or Seulement Sea. In closing, I recognize that my trip is very short and only gives me an opportunity to skim the surface of your beautiful city though I hope to be back again for a longer stay in the future. Again, thank you for your time and assistance.
Daniel - I have had a chance to Google the restaurants you suggested and Juvéniles looks to be calling my name. While I wouldn’t associate the menu as being “traditional French” and the space looks a little confining, the food looks too good to pass up. So unless you think a Bouillon would be better, I might be booking Juveniles and Origines. Hopefully, I’ve made two good choices. Thanks again.
Just went to Seulement Sea. The vibe was nice, but I recommend the oysters at Huguette (another Parn recommendation) or Regis (where I’ve been several times and am going back tomorrow) over Seulement Sea.
Not that there was anything wrong with the ones at Seulement Sea. But only two choices, where Huguette had many, and two I preferred, including the least expensive ones on the menu.
I am a big fan of using dinner as an excellent excuse to explore different neighborhoods instead of walking the same streets.
Also, use Paris as an excuse to try things that you don’t have in French restaurants where you live. What you list is the typical rather corny version of bistro food. A starter of warm lentil salad at the traditional Ambassade d’Auvergne will be a revelation for you. That is the kind of food you should be exploring. French onion soup ? It’s better in the US. In fact, I can find excellent versions of all those foods you list right where I live, I do not have to travel to Paris for those. But I will not find near me harengs pommes à l’huile which is as trad as you can get in Paris.
The whole dinner cruise would make me sad. But I understand. I didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower until my 8th visit to Paris, and then I wondered what all the fuss was about. Meanwhile, a friend told me he would be ashamed to come back from Paris and tell his friends he didn’t go up.
For a modern restaurant with choices that seem to fit your “choosy” eater’s profile, you might consider Jeanne-Aimée. We went there last week, after recommendations here from multiple people (including Parn), and thought the food very good, and an excellent value. Each person chooses four or five courses total from the menu.
The night we went there was only one fish course (smoked trout), and one meat course (chicken), and multiple appetizers to choose from. You can see the menu yourself:
If it’s still on the menu, I highly recommend getting the Piment Doux - a very creative sweet pepper gazpacho-like dish.
Andy - Thank you for the suggestion. Who knew it would be so difficult to find restaurants with choices?
Steve - Thank you for your advice regarding Seulement Sea. To be honest, Regis was our first choice anyway. As far as going the tourist route and taking the dinner cruise, I can understand the “sadness”. However, just like I understand family and friends who come to town wanting to see Times Square and the Empire State Building, I am happy to oblige them while also making sure that they get the best bagel and slice of pizza. At the end of the day, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with being a tourist especially during a first visit.
Looks like I am going to have move my dates around as I just noticed that Origines is closed on Saturday. I am a little confused by this as Saturday is normally considered the busiest night for restaurants in NYC. I see that many high end restaurants in Paris are also closed on that day of the week. Can someone enlighten me about this most interesting business choice? Thank you.
Many restaurants follow a Mon-Fri schedule.
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Lots of Parisians leave the city over the weekend and you don’t really have the equivalent of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd that comes into NYC on Saturday night.
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The labor shortage has meant that many restaurants have had to curtail hours.
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Unlike NYC, maximization of revenues is not always the driving force in Paris (thank god!).
I agree and also disagree with onzieme.
First, Paris is not a work work work city. Enjoying life is more important. Most of us work 35 hours a week by law, flexi-time in most offices means we can stay up much later a night, and consequently the weekend is less important. Indeed the chattering classes often go out for a meal 2 to 3 times during the work week. Second (and here disagreeing slightly with onz), urban snobbery (not unknown in NYC as well) mutes Saturday night fever because there are so many suburbanites coming into certain parts of Paris then. (In contrast to American suburbs, Parisian suburbs, especially those north and east of Paris, tend to be relatively poor and deprived… most are not looking for other than a chain resto or fast food meal when they come to Paris). Third, family time is very important. We have a great system of almost free child care from the age of 18 months to 5 years (and then after-school programmes in primary and secondary schools but only Mon-to-Fri. Weekends are for child care/ family time at home. Even in the restaurant industry. Fourth, Paris restaurants tend to be quite small by American standards and tables can be just as easily filled on a Monday night as a Saturday night because there are always a lot of hungry tourists as well as locals eating out. Indeed, I have most trouble getting a table at Origines on Monday nights.
I know what you mean ‘business choice.’ Only in Paris can you find ice cream shops that close for the month of August.
I will simply point out that high end restaurants closing for the weekend happened even before the 35-hour work week.
There’s nothing wrong with any of it. I will point out that my favorite view of Paris is from the rooftop of Sacre Coeur with the Eiffel Tower IN the view and the Byzantine architecture of the basilica at arms length. It’s quite the thrill, but it does mean going up steps.
Building on some of Parn’s comments, I think that NYC is undergoing some change in this regard as well. Now that Brooklyn (& much of Queens) is trendy with restaurants and not, themselves, considered “suburbs” of Manhattan, I’ve noticed a major change in restaurant patterns. While I dont know if much of Manhattan has been affected, restaurants in Brooklyn are much more crowded and staying open later during the week. Although staff shortages are hurting them, those that can be open on previously closed weekdays are finding crowds of “work from home” &/or other non 9-5 workers (theater, service industries) eager to dine on Tues & Wed evenings & staying later then before. Our hardest seats at our local bar/restaurant have recently been on Wed.
As an aside, first let me agree with Steve on one of my favorite views of Paris to date &, secondly, let me hope that this plethora of “Steves” isnt confusing anyone. 
Not sure why Huîtrerie Régis is so popular with Americans. Can anyone enlighten me ? Just what exactly is the appeal ? Guidebook cred ? Even under its previous ownership when it seemed to me rather joyless and just offered one-source oysters, I was stunned by how much love it got from foreign tourists. Admittedly, much better now and far more enjoyable with new owners but still not as big a choice of oysters as nearby Huguette or any of the large brasseries. And for @bgut1 staying just off the place de l’Opéra, huge oyster menus just minutes away at Café de la Paix and Grand Café Capucines.
Me, I love to compare and contrast et alors the longer the oyster menu the better. Fortunately there are loads of oyster places in Paris where I can compare and contrast very easily.
Name recognition is a huge impetus. Ask anyone running for office.
In restaurant choice, it offers a measure of reliability. At home, it provides confirmation. And there is, of course, the real estate maxim, “Location, location, location.”
But let’s not make Regis the poster child for tourist popularity. There are legions of possibly over-rated purveyors out there. That’s why we’re here. To set the record straight by recommending our faves.
