Eating in Paris

I have been meaning to get this post up for SO LONG! This is the one thing I feel like I really nailed while in Paris and I'm excited to share it with you!

Eating in Paris. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Maybe you will go pick up some of those Laduree Macarons that you have seen countless instagram pictures of as soon as you get off the plane. Maybe you will grab a cafe at a sidewalk cafe. But what about when it comes to eating actual food? Paris is not a piece of cake for food dining let me tell you. It took me a few weeks to get it right and thank god for my food bible that helped me along the way. Eating in Paris takes a certain amount of research if you want to hit the good spots (especially if you don't have a million dollars to spend at Le Cinq). My uncle and I had a chat about this when he visited: you are standing at a corner and there are two cafes on either side of the street - they both look about the same, there are lots of people in both of them- but one is the worst meal you will ever have, and one is the best. Makes it a little harder, doesn't it? Personally, I am not a huge fan of traditional French cuisine. I will pass on foie gras and any other kind of meat concoction any day. So maybe this isn't helpful but I am sticking to what I know.

Poilaine: Poilaine is famous for their bread, their shortbread cookies, and their apple tarts. Hidden on rue Cherche Midi in the 6th arrondissement just steps away from Le Bon Marche, it's a must for me. The storefront is gorgeous - a bread lovers' heaven. Pick up a pain au chocolat for now and an apple tart for later and you're on your way!
Address: 8 Rue du Cherche-Midi 75006, Paris, France
What to order: Chocolate Croissant (this was my favorite pain au chocolate in the city - they use really high quality chocolate and it melts in your mouth!), Apple Tart, Shortbread Cookies, Bread

Little Breizh: Described as being "hidden in plain sight" amongst tourist traps in the Latin Quarter, Little Breizh is truly a delight. Many creperies are just so-so but this one is just right, and at the right price as well! Go for lunch and for under 10 euros you can have a savory and sweet crepe with a glass of cider. Bonus: the people who work there are VERY friendly (not something you find very often in Paris). 
Address: 11 Rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006 Paris, France
What to order: Make sure to get the chocolate crepe for dessert- they make their own chocolate sauce and I was really tempted to lick my plate

Bob's Kitchen: This little gem, hidden on a side street a few blocks up from the Pompidou Center, is a product of a New York transplant in Paris who decided to bring healthy, delicious, vegetarian meals to Paris. Since my housemom was the queen of overcooking vegetables, this was the place I would come to get a break from my sandwich-a-day diet. I brought all my friends and everyone absolutely loved it. The picture should help you find it, since it's really hidden (with no sign in sight). 
Address: 74 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris, France
What to order:  The veggie bowl- with any sauce but the peanut sate was realllllyyy good. Also, the veggie smoothie makes you feel like a million bucks. This was also the only place that had normal tasting bagels and cream cheese. 

The Sunken Chip:  I know what you're thinking - fish & chips in Paris!?! These were the best fish and chips (with mushy peas) I have ever had in my life - even compared to those in England! Seriously, go and you will not be disappointed. Plus, the name is perfect.
Address: 39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France (they also have a food truck) 
What to Order: Fish & Chips - DUH! Here's a photo if I haven't convinced you enough yet...

YUM!

L'as Du Fallafel: There are plenty of Falafel places in Paris but everyone knows this is the best one. Sit inside or grab one to go - and don't let the line intimidate you, it moves fast and is so worth it! This place is really busy on Sundays when most of Paris shuts down, the Marais closes the streets to pedestrians and all the shops are open - go during an "off" time and you can take a seat inside :). Closed on Saturdays and any Jewish Holidays (!!!!!)

Address: 32-34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France

What to Order: Falafel. If you sit inside you get more condiments - including an amazing green chile sauce. This is a great place to fill up for under 10 euros, especially on a Sunday!

Cosi: This is what I like to call Parisian Panera Bread. Supposedly, it's where Panera got it's idea from. They make their own flatbread, the ingredients are so fresh, and you can get a sandwich/salad, dessert, and a drink for under 15 euros! They also have free wifi and free water, and toilets (trust me you will understand when you're there). This was one of my favorite hideouts on rainy days and if you are really struggling with your french, their menu is in english as well and most (if not all) of the cashiers speak english - but I encourage you to practice your French!!
Address: 54 Rue de la Seine 75006, Paris
What to Order: Anything! It's all great :)

Eric Kayser: There are plenty of boulangeries that serve up great sandwiches all over Paris. You may have heard of this bread master before, he also owns Maison Kayser in NYC. These were my favorite, and he has multiple locations all over the city so you can easily find him in many of the neighborhoods. 

Address: 10 rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France (my most frequented location - others)
What to order: Anything but make sure to try a financier from here. They're hard to describe - it's kind of like a muffin but made with almond meal and they melt in your mouth. I loved the raspberry and pistachio ones and have been trying to find a recipe that compares ever since I got home. 

Holybelly: This place will always elude me because I only got the chance to eat there once (they closed for the last few weeks I was there for their winter holiday *tear*). It's a brunch/lunch place near the Canal St Martin (also near the Sunken Chip and Bob's Juice Bar) that is simply delicious. It does get really crowded so go early and prepare to wait. 
Address: 19 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris, France
What to order: Anything. I got the pancakes and they were amazing!

Other Paris Food Tips:

A lot of places have what the French call a "Le Menu or la formule", meaning a fixed price menu, for lunch and sometimes dinner. It usually includes a main dish, drink, and dessert. It is France, so sometimes they have more than one course. These can be a great value especially for lunch.

If you don't speak a lot, or any French, brush up on some food vocabulary. I feel that a lot of words for food in French are not that hard to decipher but there are a few like "epinard - spinach" that can be a little tricky. For me, I memorized the ones that I don't like, like champignon, which means mushroom. That way I wouldn't order anything that had mushrooms in it!

If you are doing restaurant research, download Google Maps on your iPhone (not sure if this works for other phones). Anytime I found a restaurant that I wanted to try, I would star it on my Google Maps (which can approximate your location as long as you've connected to wifi in Paris at least once). This was a MAJOR plus everywhere I traveled because as long as I had connected to wifi where I was, I was able to use google maps without data or wifi and then I had the restaurants I wanted to try saved, so if I was near one - no problem! 

If you are starving and you are at a crossroads with a few cafe's - look at what people are ordering!! Are people just sitting on the patio with a cafe and a cigarette, or are they ordering food? If most people are ordering food at the cafe it's usually a good sign, I think. Otherwise you may want to go somewhere else. (This was learnt from experience and one of the worst meals of my life)


Paris by mouth is a great tool to find restaurants in certain arrondissements - it's not super user friendly but hopefully they'll improve that in the future

My food bible: 

I was really dedicated to finding the best places to eat in Paris and this book was my nightly read. I highly recommend it - grab it from your library before you go or take a copy along with you :)

Stay tuned for my favorite post ever; my list of places to grab desserts in Paris.