Emily In France Exclusive 🇫🇷 My 10 Favorite Bistros in Paris
It should be easier to find a great bistro in Paris.
I write a lot about how hard it is to find great bistros in Paris… It’s kind of the soapbox I refuse to get off of. I even wrote an entire diatribe about it for Life & Thyme, but in short: The Paris bistro of yore was an inexpensive spot to dig into delicious homey comfort food. As it is, these days, most Parisian bistros are neither inexpensive nor delicious, serving ho-hum iterations of classic French fare (often dishes they don’t even make in-house) that you could easily make better at home. If you want cheap, street food and small plates are currently where it’s at, in Paris; if you want classic French food, there are some phenomenal spots with a price tag to match. But in terms of restaurants serving old-school French fare that’s easy on the wallet? Few and far between.
Luckily, you’ve got me.
Before I launch into the list, however, a few words of clarification. There used to be a big difference among categories of restaurant in Paris, from the bistro to the brasserie, the bouillon to the wine bar. (A subject I delved into in great detail with expert Allison Zinder on my podcast, Navigating the French.) These days, you’re just as likely to find “bistro food” – things like beef bourguignon and steak tartare and escargots – in a restaurant calling itself a café as you are in a bistro. And many places categorized as “bistros” – places like Cuisine or Cheval d’Or – serve delicious food that nevertheless doesn’t quite adhere to what I truly believe folks are looking for when they ask me for my favorite bistros.
For my purposes, a bistro is a place where you won’t bleed yourself dry on a night out, where offerings include at least a few items from a range of staples including but not limited to egg-mayonnaise, French onion soup, steak tartare, steak-frites, veal blanquette, roast chicken, sole meuniere, chocolate mousse, chocolate soufflé, and/or crème brûlée. A great bistro should be a place marked by conviviality: You might not have loads of elbow room, but you might also make friends with the people at the table neighboring yours. Service should be prompt, the menu may or may not be on a chalkboard, and wine should be available by the pitcher.
With that in mind, welcome to my personal list of the best bistros in Paris. (Ranking is totally subjective and may change depending on my mood and also on the last place I had the pleasure of eating.)
10. Aux Bons Crus (11th)
I’m starting things off with a curveball, for Aux Bons Crus is not a bistro. It’s technically a routier, although if we’re quibbling, it’s not really that either. Routiers are traditionally roadside restaurants where truck drivers stop to dig into legendarily delicious and inexpensive fare. Aux Bons Crus is in Paris’ trendy 11th arrondissement on a quiet street I’m not even sure a truck could get down, much less park on. That said, it offers almost exactly the sort of experience I think most people are thinking of when they ask for a bistro: hearty dishes, gingham tablecloths, reasonable prices, and wines by the pitcher. Pâté en croûte, leek-mimosa, and frisée with bacon feature on the list of starters, while mains include hearty country classics like stuffed cabbage, andouillette with mustard sauce, and coq au vin, as well as more familiar bistro offerings like steak au poivre, omelette, and croque monsieur.
9. Le Cinq Mars (7th)
This is a newer discovery I was surprised by, so I have yet to review it in full. In the meantime, let me just say that this 7th arrondissement spot actually deserves the attention it’s been getting. Starters include egg-mayo, a simple salad of mesclun greens, or celery-remoulade but also veer into more creative territory with gazpacho or bass carpaccio with straciatella and bottarga. They’re famous for their runny omelet, but there’s also sausage with mashed potatoes, steak au povire, and hand-cut steak tartare (not my favorite one in Paris, but totally decent.) The wine list skews well-made natural, and desserts here are bomb, with a phenomenal (and copious) chocolate mousse as well as a Mont-Blanc – my chestnutty fave. The lighting is too low, and the prices are too high, but it’s still worth a visit.
8. Café des Musées (3rd)
This restaurant has changed hands many, many times over the years, with some iterations proving far more successful than others. But in the past few years, I’m pleased to report, it’s been nothing but a win, particularly if you order the slow-cooked beef bourguignon (and start with the escargots served in mushroom caps to soak up all that delicious garlic butter). With the stereotypical red leather banquettes and a homey ambiance, this bistro is a real winner in the heart of the Marais.
7. Astier (11th)
Astier used to be home to one of my favorite cheese courses in Paris: a wicker basket full of the stuff plonked down on the table as a bottomless treat. But just because it isn’t anymore (a fallen soldier of the great let’s-not-talk-about-it) doesn’t mean I don’t still recommend this restaurant wholeheartedly. The dining room is decorated with copper pots and gleaming, French-made knives, and waitstaff still offer table-side service of such specialties as the famous baba au rhum. Astier is a master of game meats specifically (I’ve been twice-conquered by its rabbit dishes) and the potatoes that accompany the steak au poivre frankly outshine the meat.
6. Le Relais de l’Entrecôte (8th)
An oldie but a goodie, Le Relais de l'Entrecôte has been a staple of mine for as long as I've lived in Paris. There's just one thing on the menu: the eponymous entrecôte steak, served with house-made French fries and a sauce so good it is rumored to have inspired industrious Parisians to go dumpster diving in an attempt to suss out the recipe. The experience here is charmingly old-school, with uniformed waitresses asking just two questions when they reach your table: "Wine?" and "How would you like it cooked?" (The correct answers are "yes" and "rare.") You'll start with a frisée salad bedecked with walnut halves, and to finish, you can peruse the dessert bar to choose from among classics like apple tart or crème brûlée. There are no reservations allowed here, so join the queue – I promise, it never takes as long as it looks.
5. Le Maquis (18th)
Le Maquis is everything I hope for from a modern bistro – with one caveat. Dinner is a prix fixe of shared plates; it's at lunch that Paul Boudier and Albert Touton (both previously of le Chateaubriand) pull out their favorite bistro recipes for a short-and-sweet chalkboard menu of two appetizers, two mains, and two desserts. They're usually riffs on classics, like this leek vinaigrette topped with fresh mint leaves and a snowfall of dried feta.
4. Le Camondo (8th)
Chef Fanny Herpin is a master of bistro classics ranging from slow-cooked lamb (the header image) to house-made pâté en croûte. The menu at her 8th arrondissement restaurant located within the Musée Nissim Camondo is a bit pricier than some others on this list, and the atrium-like dining room isn't as cozy as most other bistros I'm recommending, but her food is so phenomenal I would be remiss not to put this spot on my list.
3. Bouillon Pigalle (18th) and Bouillon République (3rd)
I'm breaking the rules twice with #3 on this list, firstly by choosing two restaurants and secondly because neither is technically a bistro. Both Bouillon Pigalle and Bouillon République belong to the category of bouillon, a working class restaurant known for even lower prices and faster service than the bistro. Until recently, both were also known for long lines out the door due to a no-reservations policy, but they both now accept online bookings. They also both serve continuously from noon to midnight (a boon for visitors who like to eat early dinners or late lunches). Owned by the same restaurant group, they serve similar menus, including the egg-mayo that is the most-ordered dish on Deliveroo in all of France. Pigalle serves French onion soup with Comté and beef bourguignon; République tops their soup with Cantal and swaps bourguignon for northern carbonnade, a similar beef stew simmered not in wine but in beer. Both are fantastic.
2. Les Arlots (10th)
Say "saucisse-purée" to any Parisian in the know, and they'll point you to Les Arlots – and for good reason. This shoebox of a bistro not far from Gare du Nord is known for never taking this classic off the menu: a combo of a rich, perfectly seasoned sausage, a mound of luscious mashed potato, and a pool of savory, house-made gravy. It is the only stalwart on the chalkboard menu, which otherwise evolves with the seasons, featuring a host of options ranging from house-made pâté to steak-frites. A natural wine list and genial service make this exactly what I personally am looking for whenever I want a bistro meal.
1. Café des Ministères (7th)
My review of Café des Ministères is forthcoming for Paris by Mouth, which you should definitely already be subscribed to, if you aren't already. This little restaurant recently took a host of high honors including a prize for its laudable stuffed cabbage as well as a spot on the list of 1,000 best restaurants, with a special nod to its authenticity. I can vouch for both: The service here is genial, the food copious and well-made, and the room cozy. It's a must for any carnivores visiting Paris.
So there you have it!
Did I miss any spots you love? Are there any I featured that you disagreed with? Let me know!
A bientôt !
Emily