Our staff loves Paris. It’s one of the team’s most frequented destinations for the art, the views, and the music. But, of course, there’s nothing Bon Appétit staffers love more about this city than its food. The Paris restaurant scene is endlessly rich, and on every visit, it only seems to evolve. Beyond the requisite viennoiseries, the city is home to clever Korean cooking, dishes that trace the Jewish diaspora, and, yes, plenty of unforgettable bistros. With so many to choose from, here are 17 restaurants that our staff adore in the City of Light.
Tèkes
4 bis Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002
At Tèkes, vegetables are in charge. The restaurant, which opened in the city’s 2nd arrondissement in early 2022, comes from the team behind Mediterranean-Israeli standouts like Shabour in Paris and Machneyuda in Jerusalem. The open kitchen puts a focus on the charcoal grill, resulting in bright, shareable dishes that draw on the flavors of a range of Jewish culinary traditions. There’s a big bowl of fattoush salad with labneh, burnt cabbage dressed in a za’atar chimichurri, and a vegetarian take on creamy chicken liver. The restaurant has an impressive wine list that spans the Mediterranean, as well as a plant-based cocktail and juice bar. The earthy, wood-washed space is filled with design touches like mesh shelves stocked with fresh market produce and terracotta earthenware. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger for a natural light-soaked lunch or a long, leisurely dinner. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
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Oobatz
4bis Av. Jean Aicard, 75011
If you’re looking for a sign to take a break from bistros, this is it. Oozbatz was born as a pizza pop-up at Le Rigamarole (a Japanese-inspired tasting menu space), where its slow-fermented sourdough crust developed such a devoted fanbase that finding a brick-and-mortar home became all but necessary. The restaurant opened earlier this year with a tight but exciting menu (think pies topped with white asparagus and preserved lemon or teeny tiny meatballs with red onion and chives) and a cool, blonde wood dining room that feels like a breath of fresh air. Order the number six for a “surprise du chef” pizza, which last month was adorned with dollops of duck ragu nestled alongside pockets of melty cheese. Steak au poivre can wait; tonight, you’re getting pizza in Paris. —Kendra Vaculin, test kitchen editor
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Elmer
30 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, 75003
When my family landed in Paris last summer, the first day seemed to stretch for a week as adrenaline slowly lost the fight to jet lag. Knowing we would be eating dinner at Elmer cushioned the thud. The modern-but-not-austere bistro is on a quiet street in the northern end of the Marais, just off the Canal Saint-Martin. The dishes are light, precise, and feel completely original. Compositions of crudo tightly nestled in wafer-thin pastry shells, a savory seasonal fruit salad plated geometrically like a tart; perfectly shingled slivers of faux-filet steak, alongside creamy eggplant slices. The desserts are glorious, too. The vanilla hazelnut praline tart for two pieced together the frayed ends of our tired nerves and set our internal clocks ticking towards the right time zone. —Chris Morocco, food director
