Le Petit Vendôme
Le Petit Vendôme
Le Petit Vendôme

The 30 best bistros in Paris

Get your fill of steak-frites, soupe à l’oignon and other French classics at one of the very best bistros in Paris

Antoine Besse
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What would Paris be without its bistros? These fun, cosy, affordable restaurants have been at the heart of French dining culture for centuries, serving up steak-frites, pot-au-feu, soupe à l’oignon and more. 

But make no mistake about it; our obsession with all things new and trendy has not curbed Paris’s enthusiasm for proper, old-school dining. The bistros we’ve picked here are both new and old, and stand out from other French restaurants and brasseries thanks to their informal ethos and cuisine. So order a kir, bag a comfy spot on a banquette and settle in for the menu du jour. Here are the best bistros in Paris right now.

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This article was written by the editorial team at Time Out Paris. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Best bistros in Paris

1. Recoin

Who’s running this neighbourhood café, that welcomes us with open arms from the first morning coffee to the last evening calvados? The incredible Florent Ciccoli, a seasoned serial restaurateur. In Recoin’s cosy little space with azure mosaics and blonde wood, pour over a delightful bistro menu with friendly prices, crafted by chef Julie Della Faille: think aged beef rib and Catalan chicory, and pasta with clams. A little corner of paradise. 

2. Pristine

An industrial and bustling space launched by the duo Michelle Primc and Jérémy Grosdidier, where the staff in blue work overalls hustle between the open kitchen and terrazzo tables to serve seasonal, mostly vegetarian and regional dishes to local professionals. In the evening, Pristine transforms into a tapas bar with enticing offerings like leek baba ganoush and charred carrots. 

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  • Bistros
  • SoPi (South Pigalle)
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Les Arlots
Les Arlots

Remarkably given its location in a no man’s land between Gare du Nord and Barbès, Les Arlots has had us in raptures about saucisse-purée (aka sausage and mash) since it opened nearly 10 years ago. Thomas Brachet and Tristan Renoux have since expanded into bistro-bar Billili next door, but the original address remains the must-visit. Here, it’s all about the sausage; try the chou farci or caramelised beef cheek on your second visit.

4. Faubourg Daimant

Think of this tall, white-tiled room as a chic laboratory, where Alice Tuyet and chef Erwan Crier have reinvented the vegan bistro. Faubourg Daimant’s kitchen is inspired by traditional neighbourhood cuisine, with comforting richness, legendary recipes and powerful sauces, but without any meat. Successes keep coming: the already famous crispy croquettes, carrots glazed with BBQ sauce, Provençal stuffed veggies. A plant-based delight. 

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5. Bistrot des Tournelles

Édouard Vermynck (formerly of L'Entrée des Artistes) has transformed the old Gaspard de la Nuit into a nearly century-old-style bistro with framed vintage photos, an antique mirrored sideboard and stunning hand-painted signage on the front. Embracing nostalgic charm, the menu at Bistrot des Tournelles features timeless French classics, well-executed and familiar, like sautéed porcini mushrooms, andouillette with matchstick potatoes and chicken with fluffy mashed potatoes. This is retro cuisine at it’s finest. 

6. Le Maquis

Behind the red Basque storefront, there’s a small room that Simenon would have loved, packed tightly with Baumann chairs, Formica tables, and vermilion moleskine banquettes. From this modest HQ, Paul Boudier and Albert Touton, former members of Chateaubriand, launched a bistronomic offensive that has taken the neighbourhood by storm. Le Maquis’s very reasonably priced lunchtime set menu offers knockout dishes with disarming simplicity, clockwork precision, and clever pairings. The evening gourmet menu is spectacular too. 

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7. L’Orillon Bar

Another local spot taken over by Florent Ciccoli, and yet another clear success. The decor? Layers of old frescoes, mosaic floors, and an old phone booth relic. The dishes? Pure and simple delight crafted by chef Hugo Giudicelli, with the waitress also serving up garlic ham-butter sandwiches. We love you, L’Orillon Bar.

8. L’Arpaon

Reading the menu while seated elbow-to-elbow with your neighbours in the small room (large mirrors, exotic wood, and whitewashed bricks), you can sense L’Arpaon’s two young chefs in their twenties, Yann Botbol and Nathan Sebagh, bustling in the narrow open kitchen, eager to have fun blending influences from Tunis, Tel Aviv, and Paris, from veal tagine vol-au-vent to lightly seared langoustines with amba mayo. It’s cheeky and charming neo-bistro fare.

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9. Le Cadoret

This charming retro spot with its mosaics, moleskine and mouldings rules over the top of Belleville, from morning croissants to after-dinner digestifs. Léa Fleuriot serves up traditional dishes sometimes given a twist with a herb, condiment, or a bit of spice, like the pot-au-feu with beef shoulder lovingly paired with fermented soybean. Meanwhile, her brother Louis-Marie handles the drinks, expertly selecting natural wines and sakes. Le Cadoret? Forever the neighbourhood’s beloved favourite.

10. Le Boréal

Le Boréal is an industrial-chic and tidy spot opened by Charles Neyers, working alongside Philippine Jaillet in the kitchen to offer top-notch bistronomy to the locals of this somewhat off-the-beaten-path part of the 18th arrondissement. Both lunch and dinner feature truly indulgent dishes like a charming coquelet with coco beans or a plump vegetarian Wellington with butternut squash.

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