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$ | Eiffel Tower |
Don't expect to be mobbed by tourists at this bright café two minutes from the Champs de Mars. Locals love it for the sidewalk terrace and garden seating in the back—not to mention the good coffee, tea, and stellar brunch. Even if you don't snag a seat outside, the charming interior is a cheerful spot to tuck into a heaping plate of eggs Benedict, smoked salmon tartine, or avocado toast. There are also fresh fruit smoothies and home-baked pastries. Its all-day hours (seven days a week) makes it the perfect place for a well-priced lunch or teatime. Reservations are always a good idea, especially on weekends.
47 av. de Suffren, Paris, Île-de-France, France
Known For
- Superb brunch or lunch served seven days a week
- Reservations a good idea on weekends
- Minutes from the Eiffel Tower
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$ | Grands Boulevards |
Pastry chef extraordinaire Cedric Grolet made his name at Le Meurice, the palace hotel just down the street, with his exquisite sculpted fruits—glorious trompe-l'oeil versions of the real thing made with various chocolates filled with creamy fruit or nut ganache. At this cafe near the Opéra, you can sample the master's sublime cookies and breakfast pastries along with other gourmet delights.
35 av. de l'Opéra, Paris, Île-de-France, 75002, France
Known For
- Some of the most masterfully designed sweets in Paris
- Gourmet tea and coffee
- Perfect breakfast pastries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$ | Marais Quarter |
If you're serious about what's in your coffee cup, head straight to this streamlined café near the Place des Vosges, where you'll find only the best from roasters around Paris. A short but spot-on menu features avocado toast with a poached egg, cinnamon buns, and homemade cakes and cookies. The weekend brunch is very popular; arrive early or prepare to wait a little.
76 rue des Tournelles, Paris, Île-de-France, 75003, France
Known For
- Great coffee
- Popular brunch
- Good homemade desserts
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$ | Marais Quarter |
This was Paris's first coffee bar, founded by former Guatemalan ambassador to France turned coffee ambassador, Gloria Montenegro. With three spacious rooms, all coffee preparations under the sun, and a daily special brew chosen from among dozens of varieties of meticulously sourced beans from plantations around the globe, this is a Paris institution.
52 rue de l'Hotel de Ville, Paris, Île-de-France, 74004, France
Known For
- Rigorously sourced, hard-to-find beans
- Excellent coffee of the day
- All roasting done in-house
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$$ | Montparnasse |
This world-renowned, cavernous spot with Art Deco murals practically defines the term brasserie. It's been popular since Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were regulars, and today it attracts a mix of bourgeois families, tourists, and lone diners treating themselves to a dozen oysters. Recent additions to the classic brasserie menu are a tart of caramelized apple and pan-fried foie gras, beef fillet flambéed with cognac, and profiteroles made with Valrhona chocolate.
102 bd. du Montparnasse, Paris, Île-de-France, 75014, France
Known For
- Classic brasserie menu
- Lively atmosphere
- Historic setting
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$$$ | Champs-Élysées |
With 100-plus locations worldwide, the largest branch of the Ladurée tea salon empire is worth the splurge, thanks to the sumptuous pastries, which steal the show. In addition to more than a dozen flavors of macarons, it has assorted cakes, ice cream, pastries, and beautifully boxed treats ideal for gift-giving. Reserve a table in the elegant wood-paneled rooms upstairs or the glassed-in storefront, or grab a bite in the secluded Art Nouveau bar in the back. Though pricey, the menu promises generous salads and flavorful plats du jour.
75 av. des Champs-Élysées, Paris, Île-de-France, 75008, France
Known For
- Pricey lunch menu
- Beautiful and elegant decor
- World-famous macarons
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$ | Grands Boulevards |
A head-turning variety of luscious pastries, classic French breakfast sweets and breads, ice cream, chocolates, and homemade jams will tempt every sweet tooth at this charming bakery and tearoom. Tucked into the historic covered Passage Jouffroy, Le Valentin is a picturesque spot for breakfast, lunch, or teatime—or buy a box of irresistible French-Alsatian sweets to enjoy on the go.
30–32 Passage Jouffroy, Paris, Île-de-France, 75002, France
Known For
- Set in an 1845 covered passage
- Charming place to sit for breakfast, lunch, or dessert
- French-Alsatian specialties
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$$ | St-Germain-des-Prés |
This lively and popular brasserie is open from 8 am to 2 am every day, serving a copious morning breakfast, brunch on weekends, and an excellent full menu of everything from warm goat cheese salad to magret de canard from noon until 1 am. In keeping with the area's literary past and its name (Les Editeurs means "the publishers"), the book-lined space hosts monthly discussions with best-selling contemporary authors.
4 carrefour de l'Odeon, Paris, Île-de-France, 75006, France
Known For
- Cool literary vibe
- Lively atmosphere
- Quality brasserie dishes
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$ | Oberkampf |
One of the city's best examples of the casual gourmet cafés popping up around Paris, Mokonuts is run by a talented husband-and-wife team who create delicious dishes and pastries that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. Prepare for crowds at breakfast and teatime, when you can choose from chunky multigrain cookies, sweet or savory muffins, tarts, and other sweet goodies. At lunch, locals elbow their way in for a variety of gourmet salads, sandwiches, and hot dishes. Accompany your meal with excellent coffee, a selection of teas, or a freshly made juice, like the refreshing orange-blossom lemonade. Dinner (€70) is served only by reservation for at least eight.
5 rue Saint-Bernard, Paris, Île-de-France, 75011, France
Known For
- Excellent coffee
- Late hours for a café (open until 6 pm)
- Small space, so it gets crowded fast
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Montmartre |
Run by three friendly young women, the snug, breakfast-and-lunch-only Soul Kitchen unites a pleasantly homey decor and welcoming atmosphere with the kind of Anglo-French all-organic comfort food that soothes body and soul. Choose from Gruyère mac and cheese, chèvre and leek tarts, soul-warming soups, and a pastry counter laden with treats like homemade scones, cheesecake, tiramisu, and rich mousse au chocolat. The ladies also know their beverages: good, well-priced wines by the glass, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, and some serious coffee.
33 rue Lamarck, Paris, Île-de-France, 75018, France
Known For
- Charming atmosphere
- Delicious coffee and fresh juices
- Range of homemade dishes and desserts made fresh daily
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner, Reservations not accepted
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$ | Eiffel Tower |
A five-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, Terre de Café is a boon to coffee lovers. It also serves gluten-free pastries, healthy fruit smoothies, and gourmet brunch options.
67 av. de la Bourdonnais, Paris, Île-de-France, 75007, France
Known For
- Fresh and healthy salads and sandwiches
- Delicious homemade pastries
- Great coffee
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$ | Champs-Élysées |
The closest thing the pastry world has to a rock star, Pierre Hermé and his wildly imaginative flavor pairings (think raspberry, rose, and lychee; chestnut and black wheat; or jasmine and fraise des bois) are renewed every season and are never humdrum. At 86 Champs, Hermé has teamed up with fragrance and cosmetics giant L'Occitane for a colorful carousel ride of a café, with a half-moon pastry-and-chocolates counter and bar, where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or a quick bite. Indoor seating can be cramped; in warm weather try for a seat on the popular sidewalk terrace. Like many places on the Champs-Élysées, the dishes here are very pricey, and the service can be glacial and indifferent.
86 av. des Champs-Élysées, Paris, Île-de-France, 75008, France
Known For
- Imaginative and delicious (but expensive) pastries
- Good coffee
- Nice terrace with Arc de Triomphe views
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$ | Marais Quarter |
This cozy bar is always packed, and tables often spill out onto the sidewalk. Come for a hearty meal, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.
30 rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, Île-de-France, 75004, France
Known For
- Open till 2 am
- Sidewalk seating
- Well-prepared classics like beef tartare and duck confit
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$ | Grands Boulevards |
There's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned Paris brasserie ... except, perhaps, for a good old-fashioned Paris neobrasserie, a lively new genre that takes the best of the classic eatery—lively atmosphere, copious menu options, all-day hours, classic decor—and adds a 21st-century vibe, all at reasonable prices. At Dubillot, you'll find the French classics—oeufs mayonnaise, house-made country pâté, steak tartare, smoked trout, leg of lamb, crispy frites—along with well-priced wines by the bottle or glass. Everything is homemade, and the chef is dedicated to preserving France's gastronomic heritage by sourcing all meats and produce locally. This is tradition brought up to date at its finest—and it's a lot of fun to boot!
222 rue St-Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, 75002, France
Known For
- Brasserie classics with locally sourced ingredients
- Affordable wines
- Fun and lively ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: none
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$$$$ | St-Germain-des-Prés |
This casual-chic eatery within the Hotel Lutetia is the most relaxed of the hotel’s restaurants. The extensive menu has a respectable oyster and shellfish selection, plus classics like escargot, steak tartare, and roast chicken as well as fish and vegetarian options. The sun hits the corner terrace in the afternoon, making it a perfect spot to soak in a little sun while watching busy shoppers crisscross by.
45 bd. Raspail, Paris, Île-de-France, 75006, France
Known For
- Excellent shellfish
- Lively atmosphere
- Gathering spot for upscale locals
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$$ | Marais Quarter |
It may not have the healthiest food in the Marais, and the coffee may not be third wave, but that doesn't keep chic locals from packing into it on a sunny (or even not-so-sunny) day. The people-watching from this choice spot—at the intersection of the à la mode shopping street Rue Charlot and the bustling Rue de Bretagne—is top-notch, and the café's 1950s film noir charm is irresistible.
38 rue de Bretagne, Paris, Île-de-France, France
Known For
- Hearty, delicious French staples and well-priced wines by the glass
- Chic, lively atmosphere
- Open daily from 7 am to 2 am
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$$ | St-Germain-des-Prés |
Picasso, Chagall, Sartre, and de Beauvoir, attracted by the luxury of a heated café, worked and wrote here in the early 20th century. Today you'll find more tourists than intellectuals, and prices are hardly aimed at struggling artists, but the outdoor terrace is popular with Parisians and great for people-watching.
172 bd. St-Germain, Paris, Île-de-France, 75006, France
Known For
- Touristy reputation
- Scenic, central location
- Simple menu
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$$ | St-Germain-des-Prés |
Overlooking the St-Sulpice church, this retro café recalls the Paris of yesteryear, before the proliferation of luxury boutiques and trendy eateries. It is a favorite spot for locals for a coffee, drink, or simple meal.
8 pl. St-Sulpice, Paris, Île-de-France, 75006, France
Known For
- Classic Parisian feel
- Good food
- Excellent location
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$$ | Marais Quarter |
A true neighborhood haunt, this bustling little bistro near the Musée Picasso offers a convivial slice of Parisian life at a good value. Traditional French bistro fare is adapted to a modern audience. The best choices are the old tried-and-trues: hand-cut tartare de boeuf; rare entrecôte served with a side of golden-crisp frites and homemade béarnaise; and the classic Parmentier, with pheasant instead of the usual ground beef.
49 rue de Turenne, Paris, Île-de-France, 75003, France
Known For
- Reliable bistro fare
- Warm and friendly service
- Proximity to Marais museums
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$ | Louvre |
This Japanese-inspired mini-chain of coffeehouses is the place to be seen during Paris Fashion Week. There are four locations in Paris: one at 208 rue de Rivoli, one at 2 place André Malraux with a full restaurant menu, one at 30 rue du Vertbois that also serves as a roastery, and this one—the original and persistent favorite, thanks in large part to the views over the Palais Royal gardens.
51 galerie Montpensier, Paris, Île-de-France, 75001, France
Known For
- Branded apparel and coffee mugs
- Iced matcha lattes perfect for cooling down in summer
- Tasty cakes like shortbread, brownies, and babka including gluten-free options