A food writer who has lived in France since she was 19 has pulled together her definitive shortlist of Paris restaurants for Condé Nast Traveller UK — 31 places spanning old-school bistros, Lebanese sandwich shops, contemporary Mexican fine dining and a few very good reasons to cross the river for lunch.
The guide is refreshingly un-snobby. Alongside Michelin-calibre cooking there's shawarma and falafel, and the writer's opening argument is that Paris feeds you well in any season, but autumn and winter suit it best — beef bourguignon and French onion soup simply hit harder after a cold walk, and long, lazy meals feel justified on drizzly afternoons.
A few standouts from the list. Chez Denise, near Les Halles, has been feeding the market's former porters since the area was still Paris's beef district, and portions of slow-cooked beef cheeks, steak tartare and calvados-simmered tripe are still sized for labourers — go with a group and expect to chat with your neighbours. Au Boeuf Couronné in the 19th arrondissement is the last survivor of the old slaughterhouse-quarter steakhouses, pouring seven cuts of 20-day dry-aged beef under red velvet banquettes and portraits of prize cattle.
For something newer, Cypsèle on the Île Saint-Louis is the writer's favourite new opening of the year: chef Marcin Król's twice-daily changing menu meets polished front-of-house from sommelier Quentin Loisel, and the no-choice weekday lunch at €85 is flagged as a genuine bargain for that level of cooking. On the same contemporary end, Kubri in the 11th does Lebanese mezze with serious technique — think hummus topped with pine nuts toasted in wagyu fat — while Tarantula, also in the 11th, applies fine-dining control to northern Mexican food, including a Roscoff onion in white chile sauce that's become the dish to order.
Cheaper eats get their due too. Le Cèdre, on rue Mouffetard since 1993, turns out some of the city's best falafel and a chicken shawarma heavy on garlic sauce, with more vegetarian options than most Lebanese spots. Le Cornichon near Belleville plays with elevated versions of French childhood food — tempura fish sticks, potato-leek soup poured tableside — plus beef-fat fries at dinner.
For big occasions, Didon in Saint-Germain grills whole lamb shoulders and 40-day tomahawks with international accents like chimichurri and miso zabaglione, with every wine available by the glass and a wallet-friendly weekday lunch menu. And on the Left Bank, Marsan par Hélène Darroze — who holds three stars for her London restaurant at The Connaught — serves a chef's-table tasting menu rooted in her native southwest, from sea urchin with caviar and cauliflower to Pyrenean lamb.
The practical takeaway: book the prix fixe lunches at the fine-dining names, share dishes at the old bistros, and don't skip the 11th arrondissement if you care about what's new. Full credit to the original reporting by Condé Nast Traveller UK.
