Paris, France

Paris Travel Guide Part III: Where to Eat

30 Aug 2017

Though I've been delayed in writing it, the third instalment of my Paris Travel Guide is one that I was particularly keen to write. Paris is a city known for its food and, with a vast choice of restaurants, deciding where to eat can be a laborious task which consumes your evening. When I was interning in Paris, I had a tendency to stay relatively close to work or my hotel for dinner because the often-late finishes meant I didn't have a desire to spend ages discovering new restaurants but instead just wanted to eat ASAP. When I visited this summer, however, I did a little research beforehand on Instagram (@topparisresto is a great place to start) and Pinterest to scout out potential lunch and dinner options. Some days did result in us wandering the streets for a while to find somewhere that looked good or different (a lot of restaurants in Paris have very similar menus) before settling for anywhere nearby, but the prior research saved us a lot of time and I wanted to share some of the best spots we discovered during our trip.  


C A R E T T E
4 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016
Carette is a tourist's favourite in Paris and definitely the most overpriced place we went to for food, probably due to the prime location minutes from a great view of the Eiffel Tower. The menu is typically Parisian and features a range of sandwiches, pastries, salads and more. As someone with a huge sweet tooth, I had crepes for lunch with a side of Chantilly cream and my sister had a salad. It isn't cheap, we are talking a jaw-dropping €10 for an iced coffee and €20+ for a salad, but the portions are big and when in Paris I think it's acceptable to be a little indulgent.

B R A U N  N O T E S 
31-33 Rue de Mogador, 75009
Braun Notes, a small independent cafe situated nearby to Galeries Lafayette, was one of my Instagram finds and definitely one of my favourite lunch spots we visited. My sister and I were initially drawn in by the acai bowls served in coconuts which we saw photos of online, but unfortunately, they only serve those on weekends so we missed out. However, they do a great lunchtime deal of a sandwich or salad with a drink and dessert which I believe was around €12. The food and drinks were homemade, healthy and delicious. I would definitely return again, though perhaps not at peak time as it seems to be a favourite for those on their lunch break and can quickly get crowded.

L E  P A R A D I S  D U  F R U I T
1 Rue des Tournelles, 75004
Le Paradis Du Fruit was an amazing discovery we came across when searching where to lunch in Le Marais upon finding out our initial choice (Ob-La-Di on Rue de Saintonge) was closed. The menu here is extensive, affordable and healthy with light dishes that are perfect for lunch. You can even design your own meal made up of foods of your choosing from a long list of options, my sister and I both chose to do this and I had grilled prawns with quinoa and a goats cheese and pecan flatbread. The choice of drinks is also great, we had an iced passion fruit, lime and sparkling water concoction which was perfectly refreshing for the hot day.

C A F E  R U C
159 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001
Cafe Ruc is a restaurant I discovered during my first ever visit to Paris and have continued to return to ever since. I took my sister here on our first night as we didn't want to venture too far after a day of travelling and the food was amazing, as always. The menu has all of the quintessentially French dishes you could want plus a little more variety too. My favourite meal is probably the steak and they do a super-strong Pornstar Martini too. It's on the pricier side but not extortionate for dinner in Paris and is 100% worth it in my opinion. 

D A R O C O
6 Rue Vivienne, 75002
Daroco is a hidden gem of an Italian restaurant in the second arrondissement where we went for our last dinner in Paris and it was definitely my favourite meal by far. Not everybody would necessarily crave Italian food when in France but I would 100% recommend going, though make sure you book in advance. From the interiors (think mirrored ceiling and green marble, aka an Instagram waiting to happen) to the service to the menu, everything was faultless and spot on. We had a courgette and ricotta starter, I had an amazing pizza for my main and we shared the best chocolate mousse I've ever had for dessert. 

A N G E L I N A 
226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
Angelina is another top tourist destination, indicated by the seemingly never-ending queues which can often be seen outside, but I had to mention it briefly. I've never stayed for afternoon tea or lunch here but instead always skip the queues by taking treats away with me from the shop. All of the cakes I've tried have been incredible and their famed hot chocolate is also not to be missed if you're a total chocoholic. Their salted caramel truffles are to die for as well, but will (painfully) set you back by €15. Often, you can find Angelina products to take home for a slightly cheaper price in Monoprix. 

A M O R I N O
4 Rue Vavin, 75006
A well-known international gelato chain, Amorino is another popular choice which can be found in multiple cities worldwide. However, I thought it was worth including as if you're looking for an ice cream when in Paris this the place to go, especially as there are various stores dotted around the city. Not only are there many unique flavours to choose from but you can pick as many as you want and they come shaped like a beautiful flower, topped off with a macaron in the middle. Go to the store in Saint-Germain-des-Pres and you can enjoy it in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

To conclude this post I thought I would share my top three tips for eating in Paris which are 1) do your research beforehand to get more informed and create a daily budget, 2) allow yourself time in the evenings to explore so you don't settle for any old restaurant and 3) have breakfast at your hotel if it's included in the price because it makes things cheaper and easier. I hope you have enjoyed my Paris Travel Guide series, make sure you've caught up on all three parts and be sure to leave me any of your own recommendations.


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