I I have been living in Paris' 9th Arrd since November 2021; and, since then, I've been savoring restaurants, cafe's, bars, boats, hotels, wine-tastings, pic-nics all along the way! Most of everything I have truly adored and recommend, so to keep it all straight here's this list!
General tips
The Metro and bus system is your friend. With it, almost nothing in Paris should be farther than 30minutes. I’ve heard Paris has the densest public transportation system in the world (yet to fact-check this, though).
Tickets are €2.10 one-way so if you’re around for a few days it may be worth buying a pack of tickets in advance as it offers a discount. Go to a larger, main station for your first purchases as it’s more likely there will be someone helpful at the window in case you have problems or questions about the ticketing machines
Restaurants
1
Le Clown Bar
$$$$affordable
French restaurant
Bistro
Note likely to need a reservation; Small, quite artsy restaurant inside with a short-contemporary menu: think modern-French bistro cuisine without hesitation to challenge guests; one example is a veal brain in clear-dashi broth - a great dish with the texture of how I imagine eating a cloud, but bit of a challenge for a first-timers
2
Bouillon République
$$$$cheap
Restaurant
Stop for French cuisine classics at a reasonable price. These are particularly great stops to try a French classic you may not be sure you'll like: eg Frog legs. They make a good rendition of each, but quite cheaply, so no sunk-cost if you don't like it
There are several locations throughout Paris, all equally reputable and equally popular. They do not accept reservations and can amass a foreboding queue out-front, so I suggest going off-peak lunch & dinner times.
3
BB Blanche
Restaurant
Barbecue restaurant
Beautiful outdoor brunch spot!
There’s no menu during brunch, just a choice of main course, and a set of courses including pasteries, smoothies, cheese, etc all arrive quick-fire to fully crowd the table in front of you. All the dishes are light and healthy with a focus on local ingredients. A great way to spend a sunny morning!
Due note, service is notoriously slow here so make sure to book a substantial block of time to sit and enjoy. If you’re in a rush between events, this won’t work
4
Pink Mamma
$$$$affordable
Italian restaurant
An instagram hotspot!
All of the Big Mamma restaurants are beautiful and instagram-worthy, but this is probably their best. The food stands a little in the shadow of the surroundings that will always be hard to live up to, but it's worth a visit nonetheless. Make sure to reserve in advance!
5
Le Refuge des Fondus
$$$$affordable
French restaurant
Tough to decide whether to classify this place in the "restaurant" or "bar" lists... it's a party-time restaurant! The place is small, with only two long-tables on either side of the main room. As the spacing is tight, it's easy to get to know the people around you - honestly, it would take a greater effort not to...
The fondue set-menu is is €29. You'll have a choice between a cheese fondue (Savoyarde) or beef fondue (Bourguignonne), and then as many (baby) bottles of wine you would like!
6
Le Relais de L’Entrecôte
$$$$affordable
Restaurant
For €27 Le Relais de L’Entrecôte, a local favorite recently made-famous by Instagram offers a walnut salad followed by two servings of entrcôte and fries, topped with their delicious “secret sauce”. There are often loooooong lines here especially for weekend-night dinners. Best advice to go around 13:30pm for lunch on a weekday to be seated immediately
7
Eggs&Co.
$$$$affordable
Restaurant
From the web: Brunch & lunch dishes like eggs benedict, pancakes & omelets, served in a cozy, wood-beamed setting.
8
Les Antiquaires
$$$$affordable
French restaurant
Great seafood stop in an antique brasserie
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These are stops, yes for food, but just as much for the wine-list and/or cocktails. Generally great pauses for groups looking to order food to share and have a few glasses (bottles) between them!
1
L'Avant Comptoir du Marché
$$$$affordable
Bar
Restaurant
On a warm and sunnry day, there isns't a better place to sit outside with tapas and a bottle of wine - their wine list, by the way, is incredibly dense !
This cute former-shoemaker-shop post has a cute selection of wines and a small but tasty selection of dishes to share
Restaurants, Asian
1
Nodaïwa
$$$$affordable
Unagi restaurant
Japanese restaurant
A surprisingly authentic and unassuming Japanese restaurant in the heart of the 2nd Arrd. The speciality here is eel. The tasting menus, ranging from €30-105 creatively showcase how versitile an ingredient eel can be!
If you decide to go, reserve on Fork.com first; sometimes they have deals on their set-menus available through this website
2
Udon Kisin
$$$$affordable
Japanese restaurant
Unparalleled Udon! Go early for lunch or dinner since they don't accept reservations and quite the line can develop
3
Le goût de Taïwan 台灣味
Taiwanese restaurant
A small four-five table restaurant that seems family run
4
Gyoza Bar
$$$$affordable
Japanese restaurant
Inside the beautiful Passage des Panoramas; Note: most restaurants in the Passage close between 2pm and 7pm. The Gyoza bar will also often run out of their best dumplings well before they close at 2, so be sure to be early
5
Kodawari Ramen (Yokochō)
$$$$affordable
Ramen restaurant
Japanese restaurant
They have two locations in Paris and both are worth visiting! The location in Rive Droite is modelled to look like a Japanese fish market (soundtrack of fishermen negotiating sales over the hawking of seagulls included) and the other location is modelled to be a Tokio street.
Both are quite popular and neither take reservations. Best is to download the "Skeepit" app and put yourself in line well-before you intend to arrive and dine.
6
Le Restaurant OKUDA
Restaurant
A great splurge-choice for a Kaiseki menu prepared in front of you. This is a six-seat restaurant. Best to book in advance
7
Shiro
French restaurant
Fusion restaurant
Haute French restaurant
Fun lunch stop in Saint Germani de Pres. the Bento option offers a way to taste many small dishes (9 dishes including 1 dessert) for the total price of €35
Cafe's
1
BKNK | Book Nook | Paris Coffee Shop
Coffee shop
2
AZUR CAFE
$$$$affordable
Brunch restaurant
From the web: Comfy, upbeat restaurant preparing Mediterranean-inspired bites with vegan options.
3
Printemps Haussmann
Department store
Beauty supply store
8th floor of the men’s department store has a series of cafes and restaurants all with balconys that offer a panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Opera and Tour de Montparnasse
Bars
1
Le Comptoir Général
$$$$affordable
Restaurant
Fitted to look the part of a colonial-era outpost store in French Northern Africa, the atmosphere is fun, light, and (almost) beachy. Great cocktails!
2
The Bombardier
$$$$affordable
Bar
Featured in the background in "Emily in Paris" and located right in front of the steps where the movie "Midnight in Paris" begins, this welcoming pub is a great stop anytime of day or week. The barstaff speak english and french.
3
Bugsy's Bar & Restaurant
$$$$affordable
Pub
Good food - maybe a notch elevated from what would be just considered bar-food; great Aperol Spritzs
4
Le 1905
Cocktail bar
Bar
Cute speakeasy in the Marais! Can be a little confusing to find at times, so read the google maps instructions carefully
Other things
1
Shakespeare and Company
Book store
Cute bookstore and cafe with English books available. Their sticker/stamp is quite iconic and available on request with most purchases
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