There are many things people complain about while living here, but a lack of food and drink choices is not one of them. A lot of my friends and family are visiting Paris during winter break, and have asked for some recommendations for places to eat or visit while they are here. Because of that, I have created a pretty comprehensive list of my favorite spots from the past semester, that I thought I’d share on this blog!
These are just my personal favorites and frequented haunts, so of course I am omitting tons of other great options in other parts of Paris. For example, I didn’t include anything from the 1er/2ème/8ème arrondissements, since they’re home to the likes of the Champs-Elysses and the Louvre. In my opinion, it’s a bit like trying to go to Fifth Ave or Times Square for an “authentic” NYC experience.
3 ème /4 ème (Marais):
The area spanning between the 3ème and 4ème is called the Marais (pictured above), which is a very historic district of equal importance to both the Jewish and the LGBT community. Because of its placement in the middle of Paris, it has become a very trendy area and is one of my favorite places to stroll around on the weekend.
For food, head to Breizh Café for some authentic Breton galettes (savory crêpes), filled with ingredients sourced from all over France, and combined in eclectic combinations of flavors. I also loved eating at a restaurant called Derrière, which is actually an old house where you eat meals in different rooms. It has a cozy atmosphere you’d expect out of an antique home, complete with an outdoor eating area, and a secret smoking room upstairs.
Wilde & the Moon is a great place to go if you are missing pressed juices and smoothies from the States, and both the Broken Armchair and Café Loustic are places equally suitable for an impressive cup of coffee, and to study for your next exam.
5ème (The Latin Quarter):
The Latin Quarter is known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and classic Parisian bistros. But if you ever tire of bistro dining, stop by Loulou’s Friendly Diner for some classic brunch dishes you’d find in a health café back home, such as avocado toast and acai bowls. And if you’re in the mood for Chinese food, Mirama serves up very authentic Cantonese dishes, such as their Michelin-starred wonton noodle soup.
Doing homework at a café in Paris is frequently frowned upon, as eating your pastries and drinking your coffee is meant to be either a social experience, or a time to people watch. Instead, I usually go to a place called Nuage, which is what’s known as a “coworking café”. You pay 5 EUR an hour for a quiet workspace and unlimited internet, beverages, and snacks.
6ème (St. Germain des Pres):
This is the arrondissement I live in, and it’s a quaint mixture of boutiques, art galleries, and cafés— basically, an American’s romantic and nostalgic notions of Paris. Many people will direct you to cafés such as Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, where writers such as Fitzgerald and Hemingway used to visit. Avoid at all costs, unless you want tourists taking your picture or to pay for overpriced apple tarts.
Kodawari is home to the most delicious bowl of ramen I’ve ever tasted in my life, but you have to start lining up before the place opens for dinner if you want a chance at a table. Cosi is a sandwich shop that is world-famous for their ciabatta bread, and it’s something you really have to taste to understand the hype about.
You cannot go wrong with any bars in this area, as they’re all filled with young professionals and students. Le Caméléon is a great jazz bar, Le Mazet is a pub filled with lots of sports and other Anglophiles, and the Prescription Cocktail Club serves up really innovative drinks and a sophisticated atmosphere. Maison Sauvage is a great place for small plates that turns into a bar at night, and is decorated with plants all along the exterior of the building. Very cool place to check out, but just a warning…my French has been made fun of by the waiters at every visit. Hey, welcome to Paris!
7ème :
Sciences Po is located in this neighborhood, which is known for its swanky residents and surrounding couture stores. Walk only a few minutes from school, and you’ll already have passed high-end stores such as YSL, Céline, and Balenciaga. Apego is a café close to campus, and is a great place for some standard grab-and-go café fare, free wifi, and a student discount if you show your SciPo ID.
Marcel is my favorite place for a hearty brunch, and is situated right next to Le Bon Marché, the first-ever modern department store that opened in 1838. FAUST is a great place for both food, casual cocktails, or clubbing, depending on the time of day/night. It’s situated right along the Seine and underneath the Pont Alexandre III bridge, which makes for a really cool venue. And if you’re in the mood for pastries, La Pâtisserie des Rêves has the best (but sweetest) brioche bread I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
10ème (Canal St. Martin) :
The canal was once a seedy area of Paris, but has now been heavily gentrified. It’s a lovely place to have a water-side picnic, to stroll across the high-arched bridges, or sit at a terraced café. This is a favorite place for hipsters to get their coffee, with one of my favorites being La Chouette, where you can simultaneously get your bike fixed and a cup of joe brewed. Sette is a small but popular pizza place located a bit of a walk away from the Canal area. It is home to a great truffle and burrata pizza that I will miss with all of my heart once I return to Boston.
Le Comptoir Général is what I consider the coolest and most understated bar in all of Paris. Fair warning, its entrance is very nondescript and hard to find, as it’s one of “those places”. Lavomatic is a speakeasy bar which can be accessed by crawling through a washing machine, and although it serves up cool cocktails, it’s very small so big groups should be avoided.
11ème (Bastille):
The 11ème is home to the famous Bastille monument, and is where a lot of people like to go for bars. Le Baron Rouge is a traditional French wine bar with delicious cheese and charcuterie pairings, where locals even bring empty wine bottles to fill directly from the barrels. You can’t go wrong with any bar on Rue de Lappe for a night out.
East Mama is an authentic, yet trendy Italian restaurant in this neighborhood, and a place frequented by Beyoncé when she visits Paris. This is another place you have to line up around 30 minutes before the place opens for dinner, or else you will have to wait a few hours for a table. For Asian food, check out Paris-Hanoi, which is a little Vietnamese canteen with great noodle dishes. And the bakery La Bague de Kenza deserves a mention, especially if you love North African and Middle Eastern goodies such as baklava and fresh mint tea.
12ème/13ème :
Although there’s not too much going on on either side of the river in these neighborhoods, it’s one of the favorite places of mine to go out. There’s a multi-leveled building called the Cité de la Mode et du Design on the 13ème side of the bank, which at night time hosts the likes of several open-air clubs such as Communion and Wanderlust. On the opposite bank of the 12ème is a club called Concrete, which sits on an open-air barge along the river, and whose 36-hour techno parties are definitely worth a visit.
16ème :
Like the 12ème and 13ème, this area is pretty residential and pales in comparison to the more central arrondissements for food and nightlife. But Palais de Tokyo, which is one of the biggest contemporary art centers in Europe, is definitely worth a visit. It is a massive industrial space (reminiscent of Berlin) with edgy exhibitions, a restaurant and bar with beautiful interiors, and a very extensive art bookshop. At night on the weekends, the bottom floor opens up into a club called YOYO, which often hosts throwback 90’s hip-hop nights. You know, the kind of music your 27-year old sister listens to when she’s feeling nostalgic.
These are just a few of my favorite places to check-out while in Paris, and a good starting point if you’re interested in going out or trying new restaurants in different neighborhoods. And if all else fails, using a combination of Instagram, TripAdvisor, and Facebook events is a great place to look for ideas!
