You knew it was only a matter of time, didn’t you? In our posts we’ve covered numerous cities and palaces throughout Europe, multiple Nate-stories, and house sitting adventures, but have yet to write a post focused exclusively on the Joy’s favorite pastime – eating. That is, not until now.
Ladies and gentleman, allow me to present to you the ‘definitive’ guide to Parisian cuisine (at least according to the Joy’s).
The Five Categories of Food Failure
Before we get into the yumminess we’ve found in Paris, I’d like to take you back to last August for a moment. At that time we were newbies to Paris. We spent almost an entire day trying to get our passes for the Metro. A bird pooped on my backpack. To a waiter’s shock, I managed to flip a snail over my shoulder and onto the person walking on the sidewalk behind me. In other words, we weren’t doing cartwheels around Paris; it was one learning experience after another. Nowhere did we feel failure more consistently than in our efforts to obtain good food.
Nate cleaning off bird poop
Let me explain the categories of food failure that one runs into in Paris:
- Category #1: The Afternoon Fail – If a restaurant is open for lunch at all, expect that it will be taking guests from roughly noon to 1:30. And good restaurants typically don’t open for dinner until 7:30 or so. That leaves 6 hours in the nebulous ‘where do I eat’ zone. And our natural rhythm, the one that works quite well in the States, is to have a light breakfast, a light lunch, and a big (but early) dinner. So we found ourselves constantly looking for a big meal at 5 pm. If I could speak to the 2016 version of myself I would explain what a hopeless situation this is.
- Category #2: The August Fail – In general, August is the month of holiday in France. Business stops, restaurants and shops close, and everyone goes away (usually to the south of France) to enjoy the beach and spend time with their family. Great for them, bad for someone seeking out a restaurant. Especially being outside of the tourist zone, the majority of the restaurants we tried to go to last August were closed for the month. And don’t expect Google to help out much here. If Google Maps even shows the opening hours, it certainly won’t account for the August shutdown.
- Category #3: The ‘Let’s just go find something’ Fail – It’s a seductive idea to simply take the Metro to a neighborhood and walk around until you find something that looks good. For obvious reasons the first two ideas that I covered can make this difficult. But beyond that, this method led to a number of subpar meals in 2016, usually a result of walking around so long without finding what we wanted that we just gave up and selected the first thing that was open.
- Category #4: The Brasserie Fail – You can find a brasserie, which is a standard French restaurant open most hours of each day, on nearly every street corner in Paris. At first we thought that that every one of these must be amazing. We quickly discovered otherwise. Unless you have a legitimate reason to believe it is amazing, assume that the brasserie on the street corner isn’t amazing at all (think Denny’s diners).
- Category #5: The Time Crunch Fail – Because our trip is so long and we have a naturally slow pace to our travel, we actually didn’t experience this fail too often. But it’s important to mention because it is critical to understanding dining in France. First, lunch is the big meal (and sometimes the only real meal) of the day. Second, don’t expect it to go quickly, especially not by American standards. Each part of the process is an experience, and (try as we did last year) it’s very difficult (and even sometimes rude) to skip parts of the process or try to speed it up. A true French lunch, especially on weekends, can have several courses and last from two to four hours. These courses include an aperitif to start, the menu du jour (which all restaurants have some version of – essentially a recommended, usually relatively cheap, meal that includes an appetizer, main course, and dessert), and some espresso at the end. Of course French waiters are more than happy to pair a French wine with some or all of these courses for you.
And remember, you could account for all five of those categories, and still miss the cardinal rule: if it’s Sunday in Europe, whatever you are trying to do is probably closed.
On our trip last year, we experienced so much failure when trying to find food that it became a running joke.
One more thing about the failures before I move on to our successes. The categories of failure I’ve described above actually make us more (not less) in love with Paris and French culture in general. There is a rhythm to life here that’s not ‘on demand’, and the expectation of a complete shutdown for August is a refreshing change from our 24/7/365 culture.
a delicious example of the first course
August 2017: Less Fails and More Yummies
While we’ve certainly still been bitten by the failure bug from time to time, this year we’ve had much more success than last. We’ve simply started to employ more refined and consistent practices, such as 1) checking reviews on Google to see what people are saying about the restaurant (not just how many stars it receives but what they are actually saying), 2) calling the restaurant to see if it is actually open and reserving a table, and 3) always having a back-up plan in case we run into an unexpected fail.
These practices have yielded superior results; whereas last year we had the impression it was very difficult to find good food in Paris, this year we understand that was only because we had no idea what we were doing! We’re still usually the first ones in the restaurant for lunch and dinner. Who knows, perhaps by next year we will be dining like real Parisians!
This doesn’t mean that we haven’t had failures this year. It took us 2 weeks to find an open fromagerie (cheese shop), and we’ve had a few times where we forgot one of the five categories below and paid dearly for it.
what a restaurant typically looks like when we are hungry
And if all else fails, we have discovered that there is nothing better or easier than simply grabbing a baguette, an assortment of cheese, some wine (you can find great wine for 5 euros), and meeting up with friends for a proper French picnic!
Picnic with our friends Sam and Amber!
The Joy Foodie Scale
So let’s get on with it, shall we, to the restaurant reviews? Note that this list is skewed a bit towards the northeast of Paris, as we are staying in the 19th Arrondissement (in the upper right hand corner of the image below). Make no mistake, though, there are numerous reasons to make a trip to the 19th (and northeast Paris in general), not the least of which are the culinary delights that await. And after two full months there, we’ve really only began to experience the breadth of great food in our area.
the layout of Paris
Each restaurant below is reviewed on three factors (quality, ambiance, and the ‘je ne sais quoi’ factor – meaning the intangible, undefinable quality) along with a description of what really made an impression on us. All of the restaurants that are reviewed are good and worth going in, but I’ve separated them into two essential categories: “Must Go” and “Not a Bad Choice”. Here we go!
MUST GO
Location: In the 20th, near where Jim Morrison is buried (in Cimetière du Père Lachaise)
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 10/10
Overall score: 30/30
This is an absolute must-visit in Paris. The interior is amazing, the staff is friendly, and the food is out of this world. Basically order anything on the menu and I’m pretty sure you will be ‘wowed’. We went for lunch, but we’d also like to go back for live music at some point, which they have on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. This is a hip, happening area that is great for a fun night out.
cool interior of Mama Shelter
Location: Close to Parc des Buttes Chaumont, in the 19th
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 10/10
Overall score: 30/30
We had such an incredible, phenomenal lunch here. And the best thing? The “Menu du jour”, at 20 euros, was everything we dreamed it might be. This place is a ‘must go’ if you find yourself in the 19th; wow, what an experience!
typical menu du jour
Location: In the Marais district (3rd Arrondissement)
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 10/10
Overall score: 30/30
Ok…this is a little unfair as this is not a restaurant. But I’m reviewing it anyway because 1) it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want, 2) it’s an absolute must-experience place in Paris, and 3) it actually has both drink and food (charcuterie, cheese) so I think it qualifies!
The store itself has three levels, and as you walk down you enter a cave-like area that feels like you’ve gone back in time a few hundred years. That is, until you start dealing with the wine machines (pictured below). The store owner has 80 French wines that you can taste, including cheap bottles (10 Euros or so) all the way up to 100 Euro bottles. You simply put your card in (pre-filled with 30 Euros) and select a pour (small – a taste, medium – half glass, or large – full glass) and try out the wine to your heart’s content. If I were French, I would say this place is ‘très dangereux’. We recommend you spend a rainy or hot afternoon here enjoying what French wine has to offer.
the most amazing wine store we’ve ever been to
Location: Near the Opera Garnier, in the 9th
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 10/10
Overall score: 30/30
This restaurant holds a special place in our hearts, as we first found it in the oppressive Parisian August heat, and it provided us with a respite. It has a super cute, cozy interior, and amazingly high quality food. When you go there, you simply must order the boudin croustillant, our absolute fav. If you are in Paris for more than 2 days, you must dine there. The food quality and unique goods for purchase are a real treat.
one of our favorite spots!
La Vieux Bistrot
Location: In the Latin Quarter (in the 5th)
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 9/10
Overall score: 28/30
This is in a trendy, tourist-laden spot in the Latin Quarter. But don’t be fooled; this is not touristy. The owners were fabulous. The beef bourguignon was something special. This may seem unfair, but I’m docking a couple of points because all of the people around us were speaking English (and were quite rude!).
somewhere in the Latin Quarter…
Location: Near the Jardin de Luxembourg, in the 6th
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 9/10
Overall score: 28/30
This was one of our rare finds from last year, and is the infamous location of the snail incident. Everything about this place was pitch perfect, from the waiter who laughed at me and quickly showed me how to properly use the utensils provided (versus getting mad at me) when I couldn’t figure out how to eat the snail, to the cool interior and quaint street outside, to the piano player. Awesome experience! If you are looking for a quiet, romantic lunch – this is the place to go!
home of the famous snail episode
Location: In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the 6th
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 8/10
Overall Score: 26/30
This place almost represented a food fail for us, as 1) we meant to go to the sister restaurant next door (L’Avant Comptoir) and 2) I got nervous because we actually had to be somewhere afterwards and tried to rush the ordering process by ordering before we really understood the choices. Fortunately, everything was delicious. It was a little more frenetic than we like, and we had to wait in an hour long line, but the food and its proximity to downtown locations made it well worth it.
view into the beautiful St. Germaine area from this restaurant
Location: Close to Parc des Buttes Chaumont, in the 19th
Quality: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 8/10
Overall score: 26/30
We first found this place by accident (almost another food fail) last August. It was again a respite from the intense heat of last August, and the Indian-inspired French cuisine did not disappoint. Everything stood out, but the gazpacho and pate really sparkled. I’ve docked a point because this year the gazpacho was not quite as good…oh well, still a spectacular little find!
Location: In the Marais district (3rd Arrondissement)
Quality: 10/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 9/10
Overall Score: 26/30
This isn’t necessarily a restaurant you need to sit down in; instead, get some food to go and take it down to the Seine for a picnic. It’s a Jewish restaurant, and it is fabulous. Make sure to get a side of some veggies as well as the main course; we have no idea what they do to the cauliflower, but it the most scrumptious of its kind we have ever tasted. We will definitely be back!
NOT A BAD CHOICE
Location: In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower
Quality: 8/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 8/10
Overall score: 25/30
We had a proper French lunch here, complete with a glass of wine that paired with each course. The chef and his wife, the lead waiter, own the restaurant together. We had a lovely time getting to know her, and they do a fabulous job. Unfortunately we wanted to like this place more than we actually did. The food was very good, but one or two steps below stellar, and we expected more given the high price.
view from outside the restaurant
Location: Close to Parc des Buttes Chaumont, in the 19th
Quality: 9/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 9/10
Overall score: 25/30
This is our classic lunch spot when we don’t want to go too far, and it wins the award for ‘most visits’. The staff is great, and every time we go there we order the same amazing, and very un-French, meal – Bo-Bun Salad. In fact, I’m getting kind of hungry…
our classic lunch
Location: Close to Parc des Buttes Chaumont, in the 19th
Quality: 9/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 9/10
Overall score: 25/30
This is our only Moroccan restaurant on the list, and quite possibly the most unique combination of flavors I have ever experienced. It has a really cool interior, but I’m docking a point on ambiance because they placed us right next to the door in the most awkward place possible. Pretty much anything on the menu will delight! We haven’t experienced such a great pairing of cooked fruit with savory spices all in one meal. In fact, we ended up ordering an entree (appetizer) for dessert and caused such a kerfuffle with the waiter that it almost didn’t work: “You want THAT for DESSERT?”, clearly thinking we didn’t understand the menu.
Location: Close to our apartment in the 19th
Quality: 9/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 9/10
Overall score: 25/30
This one really surprised us because it doesn’t look like anything special. The Asian menu did not disappoint, and Stephane and Adeline guided us to some spectacular dishes. It is a great little spot in our neighborhood! And sadly, it has been closed most of our stay here.
meeting up with Stephane and Adeline
Location: In an alley just off the main tourist area in Montmatre (18th Arrondisement)
Quality: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 7/10
Overall score: 24/30
I wouldn’t call this a can’t miss spot, but it is a solid choice in Montmartre if you are in the area and looking for quality food among the many bad, touristy restaurants. The French onion soup is amazing (Terra is on a quest to find the best in Paris, and this definitely stacks up to the best so far)! It also has a nice outdoor deck where you can enjoy people watching as you dine. With Sacre Coeur and its impressive art history, Montmarte is a great neighborhood to explore.
a few streets over from the restaurant in Montmartre
Location: In the heart of the Marais district (3rd Arrondissement)
Quality: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 7/10
Overall score: 24/30
I gave this one the same scores as the previous restaurant because, again, it’s a solid spot in a touristy district (where you can go so wrong). The food is fresh and organic. The fish on the menu du jour was possibly the best fish I’ve had in Paris.
Location: On the Canal Saint-Martin, in the 19th
Quality: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 8/10
Overall score: 24/30
This is a good choice if you want to have a great view of some water on a nice day (the restaurant is at the end of the building on the left in the picture below) or if you miss visiting a US-style brewery. Most of the beers are good (except the IPA’s, but that’s more of an issue between us and IPA’s in general). Last year we had our absolute favorite pizza there, but it lost a few points this year when we discovered that it was taken off the menu. (hence the docking of points) But alas, the tacos were phenomenal. A worthwhile place to go if you’re in Paris for a few days, but for a shorter visit I would focus on French food.
view from near the brewery
Location: In the heart of Parc des Buttes Chaumont, only a few minutes from our apartment in the 19th
Quality: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 8/10
Overall score: 24/30
I want to rate this one higher because the setting is so cool. It’s right in the heart of the most beautiful park in all of Paris. It has an electric vibe on most nights (we found where the hip young people hang out!). In our two dinners there, the food hasn’t sparkled, but we did have a fun time listening to music (and sitting in the only open seat basically right in front of the bartender). I think we may need to try it again, and I think it’s quite possible that this could move higher on the list. But don’t show up before 9pm or you will open the place and miss out on the cool vibes!
Location: Where the city started, right next to Notre Dame (4th Arrondissement)
Quality: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Je ne sais quoi factor: 7/10
Overall score: 23/30
It’s not easy to find a place near Notre Dame that doesn’t have a herd of tourists, but this place manages to stay out of the way a bit. It’s got a nice atmosphere, and I’d consider rating it higher if I went back again. I just don’t recalled being ‘wowed’ by the food.
Well, that’s it (for now). This is a post that I’m sure will be continually evolving as we happen upon some more delicious food in Paris. Hopefully it can act as a helpful guide for you in your next trip to Paris!