A really nice café with great coffee. If you can snag a seat, it’s also a great place to get work done.

5 Rue Villedo, 75001 Paris

All the food is made from what they grow on their farm, you can eat well for 8-15€. Pizzas, soups, salads, quiches, baked goods, and misc. plats du jour. Not much room to sit, so plan someplace to go and enjoy your meal. Got a lot of take-out from here when I worked at Meero.

6 rue Saint Marc, 75002 Paris

My friend Kai's favorite bo bun (Vietnamese noodle + salad + spring roll bowl) in Paris. INSANELY busy at lunchtime, but often worth it.

No reservations but cheap, delicious traditional French brasserie food. Lunchtime is insane because of all the offices in the area, but I’ve always eaten spectacularly here. Open 11:30-midnight.

7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75002 Paris

Bibimbap / Korean snacks, great for lunchtime take-away. Colorful, healthy, delicious. (Metro line 7 Poissonnière)

85 rue d Hauteville, 75010 Paris

Cheap, yummy empanadas. There are several locations with different names, incl. Casero around the corner from my old place in the 17th. I usually get 3-4 to go and eat them all day and/or reheat with eggs for breakfast the next day.

15 Rue Boinod, 75018 Paris

A dog-friendly and queer-friendly café close by to where I live. Their bissap, sandwiches, coffees, and black sesame flan are great. They also allow coworking!

28 rue Affre, 75018 Paris

Tajines and "bricks" (fried dough with delicious fillings) that are cheap and SO good. I've never had the same thing twice there.

20 rue Myrha, 75018 Paris

One of my favorite Udon spots in rue Saint Anne

41 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris

Rice balls stuffed with all the goodies you'd expect, and at reasonable prices for the financial district.

27 rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris

Very good udon and tempura, the 15 euro lunch special is generous and tasty.

39 rue Sainte Anne, 75001 Paris France

I usually go to the location near the Louvre in the 1e but they are all good. My default ramen choice if we're going out "for ramen."

74-76 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001 Paris

Radical queer dyke bar, one of the few chill and not super-commercial queer spots in the Marais.

176 rue Saint Martin, 75003 Paris

Great cocktails, plus delicious deviled eggs and other bar snacks (and oysters!)

1 Rue Commines, 75003 Paris

Sichuan-style spicy beef noodle soup. Actually extremely spicy! They let you choose from spice level 0-5 and I—an extremely hardy and spice-tolerant person—usually tap out at 3 (4 if I'm sick). Most French people choose 0 or 1. Highlights: fish or beef in "court bouillon et piment," dan dan noodles, dumplings, and garlic broccoli. Takes reservations (recommended) and relatively inexpensive. Some places are cash only.

9 rue Rodier, 75018 Paris

A great espresso bar with good coffee, a calm vibe (lots of people getting work done) and no more than a 15 minute walk from a lot of the best-known tourist attractions in Paris.

52 rue de l’Hô­tel-de-Ville, 75004 Paris

Israeli food, great lunchtime fare. Pitas, kebabs, amazing desserts. Some great veggie options. Usually packed, but totally worth it; grab a sandwich to go and then walk and eat it by the river.

22 rue des Ecouffes, 75004 Paris

Not food, but a fun and cheap cocktail bar. It looks a little divey, but they have at least a hundred options and I have never had something I didn’t enjoy. Lots of rum.

6 Rue Royer-Collard, 75005 Paris

An American diner plonked down in the middle of Paris. I used to go here for comfort food constantly as a student. Waitstaff speak English and French fluently, they have milkshakes and pancakes and all the good stuff. They have 2 locations, but I like the one in the 5e more.

17, rue des Ecoles, 75005 Paris

Sichuanese noodle soup, yummy! All the noodles are handmade and everything is delicious.

94 rue Saint-Denis, 75001 Paris

I know I said never eat Mexican food in France and, to be honest, if you’re from California or anywhere in the south with good Mexican food, this will disappoint. For me, though, it’s a bastion of “almost as good as the real thing!” for when I’m desperately homesick. (Metro line 2: Pigalle). They have a second location near the Canal St. Martin, as well.

5 Rue Dupérre, 75009 Paris

Korean BBQ. Delicious.

11 boulevard Arago, 75013 Paris

Seriously the best Ethiopian food I have ever had. They have like seven tables, so book ahead. The guy who runs it (Alex) and his two sisters cook and run front of house. It’s about a 4 minute walk from metro Volontaires and it’s SO GOOD.

19 rue Copreaux, 75015 Paris

This place’s subtitle is “Coffee Dealer” which is hilarious. Anyway it’s a great cafe for working, people watching, snacking, drinking coffee, etc., and it's on the corner of Square de Batignolles which is one of my favorite parks.

82 Place du D. Felix Lobligeois, 75017 Paris

The best galettes (savory crêpes) in Paris, and a great cider selection. Takes reservations at all their locations in Paris. Their dessert crêpes are also delicious.

93 Rue des Martyrs, 75018 Paris

Indian restaurant just around the corner, with outdoor seating in summer.

4 rue de Suez, 75018 Paris

Vietnamese & Thai food for a yummy lunch. Bonus terrace if it’s nice out, and prices are very reasonable!

68 rue Lamarck, 75018 Paris

OK I know I said never eat Mexican food in Paris but my friend introduced me to this place and I am now a convert.

227 Rue la Fayette, 75010 Paris

Restaurant with a focus on serving yummy food to people with dietary intolerances (gluten, lactose, etc). Clearly-labeled allergens on just about everything. Serves sweet potato waffles, fried chicken, avocado toast, and other yummy fare.

27 rue de Clignancourt, 75018 Paris

Hot chocolate to die for (although it’s closer to drinking chocolate). Their pastries are also wonderful; I recommend eating breakfast there. You’ll probably need to reserve or else queue for ages, as this has blown up since I used to go as a student in 2009.

226 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris

English tea house; great tea selection and pretty good scones.

16 rue des Minimes, 75003 Paris

Very good ice cream in every flavor ever. It’s super expensive and served all over Paris, but the original shop is on Île Saint-Louis

29-31 rue saint Louis en l'île, 75004 Paris

Bar à cocktails with restaurant seating and food: 70's-style velour and chrome basement dining room meets pre-Colombian art, and a jaccuzzi is there.

24 place de Vosges, 75004 Paris

A salon de thé near Montparnasse with exquisite and inventive pastries and a yummy, light, and reasonable lunch or brunch prix fixe, takes reservations.

They have shops in a few other places in the city, but I like the one in the 6th best. This is the place to buy your macarons in Paris.

21 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris

a great café to kill time in, and they have amazing weekend brunch. Delicious dutch babies, breakfast burritos, and other options. Regular menu is OK, but it’s best for brunch. Closed Monday (Metro stop: line 13 Varenne, line 8 École Militaire)

22 Av. de Tourville, 75007 Paris

Cute little restaurant and bar, where the wait staff always wears a kilt no matter how cold the winter weather. Great for a quick working lunch or a drink after work. (Metro stop: 1, 8 or 12 Concorde; 8, 12 or 14 Madeleine)

9 Rue Boissy d'Anglas, 75008 Paris

Korean BBQ and Korean-style fried chicken around the corner from my old place.

My other favorite bo bun in Paris. In the past I have been known to order delivery from here once a week.

54 Rue du Mont Cenis, 75018 Paris

Neighborhood pizzeria, VERY yummy. Wish I lived closer.

14 rue des Moines, 75017 Paris

Sister tea room (cheaper and sells souvenirs) to Yam'Tcha

4 rue Sauval, 75001 Paris

A French restaurant with a quiet atmosphere, smart service and excellent wine list. Great for group dinner at a slightly nicer-than-usual place. Averaged €32-40/person for 3 courses last time I was there (2018?) if you use the LaFourchette booking discount.

18 Rue Duphot, 75001 Paris

Just around the corner from the restaurant of the same name, has nice natural wines and opens at 6.

47 rue de Montpensier Paris, France 75001

Every time I walk past this place it is PACKED. Northern French style cooking. Five-course tasting menu, and the a la carte menu changes constantly depending on what’s fresh.

17 Rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006 Paris

Champagne bar and shop in the heart of Paris, a little pretentious but they have tasting flights, snacks, and cheese platters so if you aren’t going to visit the Champagne region, it can be a nice alternative.

22 rue de Savoie, 75006 Paris

Much meat. Very yum. Don't think of it as a steakhouse, though, more a bbq/burger joint. (The better BBQ is Melt.)

25 rue de Douai, 75009 Paris

Hipster pizza place which happens to make really good pizzas. Their whole schtick is you order, they give you a pink balloon, and then you find a spot on the canal to sit and they come find you with your pizza. Owned by the same group as East Mamma in the 11th.

105 rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris

A self-described “chef incubator” restaurant; “welcoming young chefs to take over the kitchen in order to find and refine their identity, test their ideas, and learn how to manage a team.” Obviously some nights are better than others, but it’s a really cool place in a really cool neighborhood. I bring out of town people here all the time. (Metro stop line 9: Rue de Boulets or line 1, 2, 6, 9 and RER line A: Nation)

10 rue Alexandre Dumas, 75011

A solid, seasonal, tasty French meal. Very anglophone friendly, and make room for their amazing desserts!

18 rue Paul Bert, 75011

Mamma restaurants are by and large well distributed throughout the city, but this is the oldest one. Italian by way of Brooklyn in Paris. Generous portions, high quality ingredients, tasty, fun. Very reasonable! Make sure to get there at 6:45 to get in line, but then you're sure to get a seat; you can also reserve now, which you couldn't before. (Metro stop line 8 Ledru-Rollin)

133 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75011 Paris

A former Yam’Tcha chef opened up Mokonuts, an eat-in or take-away bakery; their breakfast and their lunch is excellent. (Metro stop line 8: Faidherbe-Chaligny)

5 rue Saint Bernard, 75011 Paris

This one was originally recommended by a foodie friend who lives in the area. French food “like mama makes.” (Metro stop: line 13, Brochant)

5 rue des Moines, 75017 Paris

Texas-style bbq (though it's missing some spice) ; the brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and other sides/desserts are also great, but I used to get BBQ sandwiches from here at least monthly when I lived in the 17e.

83 Rue Legendre, 75017 Paris

There are a couple locations. Cozy Basque-inspired food, perfect for a cold winter night. They do *so* many delicious things with potatoes and cheese. Also, a great place to try escargot.

74 Boulevard des Batignolles, 75017 Paris

Very traditional, very very yummy French food. Think "stuff grandma used to make."

45 avenue Ledru Rollin, 75012 Paris

Frequented by thought leaders for as long as Chatelet has been an important artistic part of Paris. Recommended to me by a friend with excellent taste as a good date location, especially dinner.

1 place de Chatelet, 75001

My friend Léa's recommendation: "Expensive cocktails, dim lighting and cozy. Used to be Les Bains Douches which was a hotel and club full of parties and coke."

7 rue du Bourg l'Abbé, 75003 Paris

A beautiful Belle Epoque style dining room, worth stopping in for the decor and old-fashioned charm alone. I am biased, because it was my great-aunt’s favorite place. But if you want to time travel for a little bit, it can be great to do it here. I recommend trying something off their wine list and starters (especially the foie gras) but I wouldn’t necessarily stay for a main course, since the ambiance is the best part.

142 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

Initially recommended to me by colleagues, this is classic French elegance and a great Parisian atmosphere. (Metro stop: 8, 12 or 14 Madeleine)

11 Rue du Chevalier de Saint-George, 75008 Paris

Desserts, esp. macarons. Really beautiful showroom, to boot.

133 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris

An izakaya-style restaurant (obv, it’s in the name) that has some of the only good sushi I’ve ever eaten in Paris.

12 Rue de Caumartin, 75009 Paris