Where to eat and drink in Paris
While there was a lot we wanted to see and do in Paris, eating and drinking was top of our list. As soon as we hopped off the Eurostar, we were on the lookout for a traditional Parisian wine bar to head to. And staying in the historic quarter or Le Marais, we didn’t have to look for long. Paris is one of the few places (alongside Mexico, Sicily, and Australia) where all three meals have been highlights of the day...
These were our favourite places to eat and drink in Paris.
Les Enfants du Marche
In Marche des Enfants Rouge, Les Enfants du Marche is a restaurant that looks unassuming. You sit in bar-style seats along the counter, or at high tables just outside of the main market awning, and the menu is fairly small. But everything on it will be some of the best food you eat in Paris.
We ordered mussels, which I don’t normally eat but the gorgonzola sauce with fresh, crispy baguettes will be a flavour I remember for decades to come. The cod croquettes and tomato salad with anchovies were other highlights. Plus, the waiters were so friendly – forget what you’ve heard about Parisian service-people being rude (especially if you’re an English speaker). We didn’t find that to be true anywhere, but especially not in Les Enfants du Marche.
Homer
Homer claims that its lobster roll is the best in the world. I’m not sure if that’s true, but it’s definitely good. We ordered a lobster roll with lemon butter, a crab roll, and a tuna melt. They were all delicious, and the lobster roll was definitely a highlight. But be warned – the €6 chips are actually crisps!
Mamiche
We stayed in Hotel Amoi, a five minute walk from Mamiche bakery. On our first morning, we arrived at about 9am and ordered croissants, jambon-beurre, and petit nicoise rolls. They were all so delicious that we came back to order the same again (and more) the next day – a Saturday – only to find that there was a 20 minute queue around the block. But don’t let that put you off. The pastries at Mamiche are definitely worth the wait.
Dumbo
Dumbo has to be one of the most-talked about burger spots in Paris. They’re known for their mini menu of one beef burger, one veggie burger, and fries. If you don’t eat meat, I’m not sure I’d recommend it. The beef smash burger looked pretty good, and the veggie alternative was basically the same but made with a Beyond Meat (or similar) patty. It looks like it should be bursting with cheese, mustard, pickle, and ketchup flavours but it falls short and doesn’t taste of that much at all. Thinking about it, I’m not sure this should really be on my list of ‘favourite’ places to eat and drink in Paris..!
The Cambridge Public House
We arrived for burgers at Dumbo before they were open, so we reluctantly went into this English-style ‘public house’ for a drink to pass the time. For obvious reasons, we try to avoid British pubs while travelling abroad. But it turns out that this one is actually on the Top 50 Bars in the World list, and was packed with Parisians. Their cocktail specials were delicious, and I’m glad we went against our instincts and stopped here pre-dinner.
La Cidrerie du Canal
In our journey along the Canal St Martin, Le Cidrerie du Canal was our favourite stop. We ordered cider flights with four tasters each, including French, Belgian, English, and Scottish pours. The vibe was great, with lots of post-work Parisians meeting for a Friday evening drink, and the pricing was reasonable – a trend with Parisian bars.
Les Parigots République
Not only does this bar in Le Marais have a fun and authentically French feel to it, there’s also a fat house cat who comes and sits at your table with you. Wherever someone has ordered food, the cat will appear. We had a great night drinking beers and watching the cat make its way around the tables. And it’s open until 2am, making it a great spot for late-night drinks after a night out in the city.
Paris by Mouth
We went on the Paris by Mouth tour, which is one of seemingly hundreds of food tours that can be found around Paris. We joined the Le Marais tour which started at 10:30am and ended at about 2-2:30pm. The group consisted of six people, and our guide took us to famous bakeries, ice cream shops, and fromageries picking up treats that we enjoyed with a selection of wine in a local wine bar.
All the food was delicious, but the cheeses from Laurent Dubois fromagerie were so good that we went back the next day and spent €44 on different cheeses to take home! Paris by Mouth cost around €100-130 per person, which seemed like a standard price for a Paris food tour based on our research. We learned about some of the history in the area as well as Parisian food culture, and it was a great way to spend a morning in the city.
Find out more about how we spent three days in Paris here.