Updated October 2026

So you finally arrive in Paris and cannot wait to try all the fabulous food and wine you have heard so much about. But did you make lunch and dinner reservations?

Many of the most sought-after dining venues in Paris require reservations for lunch and dinner, with reservations opening at various intervals in advance, so remembering and navigating the planning can take a fair bit of effort. Not only does it require Jenga-like planning skills to negotiate which days of the week restaurants might be closed, but most of the popular restaurants also require credit card guarantees in case of late cancellations or no-shows. While these restaurants do not charge your card in advance, be serious about your reservations, as you may find yourself paying a hefty fee for canceling less than 24 hours in advance.

The recommendations below are grouped by style, from tasting menus worth planning a trip around, to classic French dining, to a few spots that are something a little different. Each entry includes reservation details, so you’ll know which ones to book well in advance and which ones offer a bit more flexibility.

For the purposes of this list, restaurants noted with € can run around €75 per person for food and beverages, €€ tend to be around €150 per person, and €€€ around €200+ per person.

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Tasting Menus Worth Planning Around

Septime

Address: 80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris, France

Dining Style: Tasting Menu

Closed: Saturday – Sunday

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations open three weeks to the day at 10:00 am local Paris time via their website. As soon as reservations populate, do not waffle regarding reservation time. Even a five-second delay means someone else could snatch up that reservation, and you are out of luck. The lunch and dinner reservations sometimes go live a few minutes apart, so keep refreshing the page just in case.

Notes: If you can get reservations at this one-Michelin-star restaurant, just go, no questions asked. The food is excellent, the service is great, and it is remarkably unpretentious even after all these years.

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Vaisseau

Address: 35 Rue Faidherbe, 75011 Paris, France

Dining Style: Tasting Menu

Closed: Saturday – Sunday

Cost: €€€

Reservations: Reservations are released online in batches, often two months at a time, and disappear quickly, so keep an eye on their website and Instagram for the next release date.

Notes: Chef Adrien Cachot (of French Top Chef fame) holds a Michelin star here, and was named the best restaurant in Paris in 2025. The blind carte blanche tasting menu doesn’t reveal its dishes until after you’ve tasted them, and the cooking is wonderfully unexpected, from offal to surf-and-turf pairings you won’t find anywhere else. Not a traditional French meal by any means, but an unforgettable one.

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Maison (Sota)

Address: 3 Rue Saint-Hubert, 75011 Paris, France

Dining Style: Tasting Menu

Closed: Monday – Tuesday

Cost: €€€

Reservations: Reservations are required and open one month in advance via their website.

Notes: With so many things named Maison in Paris, it is best to throw Sota after to quickly get to their website or Google location. Thursday through Saturday lunches are a more abbreviated tasting, while dinner and Sunday lunch are a multi-hour, fabulous dining experience. The menu is based on classic French ingredients from the highest level of producers, yet with an elevated, thoughtful flair. The wine list is phenomenal and eclectic, so enjoy perusing.

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Classic French Dining

Parcelles

Address: 13 Rue Chapon, 75003 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Saturday – Sunday

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations are essential and open via their website one month in advance for lunch and two weeks in advance for dinner.

Notes: Another must-visit in terms of upscale, top-notch French bistrots. They use quality ingredients on a seasonal rotation (as expected) and do everything very, very, very well, yet another fantastic wine list.

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Bistrot des Tournelles

Address: 6 Rue des Tournelles, 75004 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Open 7 days (dinner only)

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations are essential and can be made via their website. It’s a small room, so book as far ahead as you can.

Notes: You would never guess it only opened in late 2022, with its antique mirrors, tile floors, and old-fashioned cash register. The menu is all the bistro classics done right, from steak au poivre to their famous cheese-filled cordon bleu. The wine list runs to more than 200 references, with a focus on Beaujolais, Burgundy, and the Jura, so there’s plenty to explore.

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L’Ami Jean

Address: 27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Sunday – Monday

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations are essential and can be made months in advance via their website.

Notes: Everything you would imagine from a French bistrot, whether it be loud calls from the kitchen, families and friends meeting for long meals, or locals enjoying glasses of wine out in front of the restaurant. Cramped and full of charm, with elevated takes on traditional French dining.

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Le Bon Georges

Address: 45 Rue Saint-Georges, 75009 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Open 7 days

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner and weekends.

Notes: The classic Paris bistro of your dreams (zinc bar, vintage signs, wooden banquettes, the works), with a kitchen built around carefully sourced French producers and a serious wine list to match. Being open seven days a week for lunch and dinner makes it a great option for the days when so many other spots are closed. For something more intimate, ask about the Chef’s Table, which serves a tasting menu based on the day’s best ingredients.

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Bistrot Paul Bert

Address: 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Sunday – Monday

Cost: €

Reservations: Reservations are a must and open three weeks in advance, by phone only. Best to work with a hotel concierge to secure.

Notes: A very enjoyable, bustling French bistrot with locals and tourists alike. Menu discreetly rotates based on seasonality (not so much as farm to table, but certainly more than many standard bistrots). If you cannot secure a reservation, they now have a hip wine bar next door called La Cave Paul Bert that rotates out local chefs and their own menus (but do not expect those offerings to mimic the bistrot).

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La Renommée

Address: 95 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Open 7 days (dinner only)

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations are a must and can be made online or by phone.

Notes: Tucked behind a stunning listed storefront from 1823, just a short walk from the Louvre, La Renommée serves French classics like pâté en croûte, sole meunière, and whole roast chicken in a gorgeous, moody dining room. Don’t miss the speakeasy-style bar downstairs for a drink before or after dinner.

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Something a Little Different

Cheval d’Or

Address: 21 Rue de la Villette, 75019 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Saturday – Sunday

Cost: €€

Reservations: Reservations are recommended and can be made online.

Notes: A Belleville fixture since 1987 (that red facade hasn’t changed), Cheval d’Or was reborn in 2023 when chef Hanz Gueco and his team took over. It’s now one of the most exciting tables in the city, blending French technique with Chinese flavors, with a fantastic natural wine list. Well worth the trip a little farther out from the center.

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OOBATZ

Address: 4bis Avenue Jean Aicard, 75011 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Saturday – Sunday (dinner only)

Cost: €

Reservations: Reservations are a good idea and can be made online. Early seatings around 6:00 pm tend to be the easiest to get.

Notes: Possibly the best pizza in Paris, and ranked among the best pizzas in the world in 2026. The thin, crispy crust is made with a sourdough fermented for 36 hours, and the menu is just six pizzas (including a chef’s choice wildcard). A great casual night off from all the bistro meals.

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Breizh Café

Address: 1 Rue de l’Odéon, 75006 Paris, France (and others)

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Open 7 days

Cost: €

Reservations: Walk-ins are often possible, but booking online is smart on weekends.

Notes: A wonderful sit-down crêperie with multiple outlets across the city, serving buckwheat galettes and crêpes made with excellent Breton ingredients, alongside organic Breton ciders. I most recently went to the Odéon location, which is roomy, with a big terrace when the weather is nice. A great option for a more relaxed meal between all the bistro dinners.

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Les Enfants du Marché

Address: Marché des Enfants Rouges, 39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France

Dining Style: À la Carte

Closed: Temporarily closed

Cost: €

Reservations: Walk-in only.

Notes: A counter-seating favorite inside the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais, with an ever-changing chalkboard menu of creative, seasonal small plates and a fantastic natural wine list. Sadly, a fire destroyed the market in the early morning of October 12, 2026, so Les Enfants du Marché is currently closed, with no word yet on when it will reopen.

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