The worst part about Paris is the flight. Never fly Air France economy class. Never fly into or out of Orly (though Charles De Gaulle is only marginally better). In fact, if possible, just take the train from somewhere else in Europe. You will enjoy your journee so much more. The good news is, though, once you manage to escape the most uncomfortable flight in history, it will definitely be all uphill from there.
Some things to note about Paris, especially regarding eating and drinking, that always seem strange to me:
Restaurants in Paris operate around their lives, not yours. Lunch hours are a tight window from 12:00p to 2:30p and are held very strictly–do not expect to show up at 2:35p and be seated for lunch. Similarly, many of the restaurants you want to eat at will be closed on the days you want to eat at them (i.e. the weekends). There are of course some good restaurants in Paris which have deigned to be open on Saturday and/or Sunday, but be sure to make reservations well ahead of time so you don’t miss out.
Paris has great natural wine. In Paris, “natural wine” just means “good wine that happened to be made in a sustainable and earth-friendly way”, as opposed to “natural wine” in America, which just seems to mean “wine that smells like animal waste and tastes like hot garbage”. Find a wine bar in Paris and it’s a good bet it will be a “natural wine” bar, but that is actually a good thing in this case.
This is not directly related to coffee, food or booze, but it can sometimes be tough to get around Paris (especially if you are from New York) because Google Maps makes all distances in Paris look more walkable than they really are. On top of that, you–being well acquainted with the worst transit authority in history, the MTA–probably have an inherent distrust of taking the subway to go on a trip that covers what seems like short distance and/or requires one or more transfers. Never fear; the Paris Metro is very safe and efficient and trains run almost one after another so that you would rarely wait more than three or four minutes for the next one. Plus rides are cheap–1.50 EUR per ride if you buy 10 tickets at a time. Hence, taking the subway one or two stops is probably actually the most efficient way to get from point A to point B.
Parisian restaurants always seem to want to get your food order first, and then take your drink order. I suppose this actually makes more sense than the way things are done in America because you will probably want to pair your wine (or beer or cocktail) with your food, rather than the other way around, but it always throws me off. Especially since I am always concerned the food will come before the booze (which does happen on occasion and drives me nuts). It is quite possible however that I am the only weird that really cares about this and it won’t matter to you either way.
I think everyone already knows this about Paris (and France, and Europe in general), but it gets me every time: the servers at most restaurants feel almost no incentive to sell you anything. Beyond the initial order of food and drink they will not look at your empty wine glass and ask if you want more wine. In fact they will probably not ask you if you want anything else at all. If you do happen to want something else (say, more water, or wine, or to pay the bill) you will need to flag them down and ask for it. This is perhaps the thing that I have the hardest time with because I feel rude asking someone to basically do their job. It is a cultural difference that I will never understand but as they say, c’est la vie.
One more thing I would be remiss not to mention is how much we enjoyed our Airbnb Experiences in Paris. We took a “Magic French Liquors” mixology class with
François and a “Learn to Bake French Croissants” class with Flo and Olivier. Airbnb makes it easy to sign up for these offbeat and interesting experiences and we really enjoyed both of our experiences. I would highly recommend them to anyone else looking for something fun to do in between all the eating and drinking ; )
Ok, that should be enough to get you started. Now on with the show:
Don’t miss
La Maison du Savon de Marseille – Beauty Supplies – 4th Arrondissement
It may seem weird for a beauty supply store to be the very first place listed in the blog, but this might be Bryn’s favorite spot in Paris. We measure the time between trips to Paris in bars of this store’s wonderful soap. When we start to run low (only two or three bars left), then it is time to start looking for flights to Paris. There are so many wonderful scents to choose from and each one makes taking a shower like a taking a short, wet little trip back to Paris. There is a second location near the Arc de Triomphe.
Soap heaven 
La Maison du Savon de Marseille
Cafe Mericourt – Cafe – 11th Arrondissement
The rare coffee shop that serves great food and great coffee instead of just one or the other. Everyone is very friendly and the flat white is one of the best I’ve had in Paris. Food wise, the shakshuka is off the hook. Like seriously it’s the standard to which I compare all other shakshukas. The only problem is Cafe Mericourt is tiny, so you should definitely plan to be there on the early side because it will fill up fast. We’ll definitely be back every time we’re in Paris.
Waiting for tables outside Cafe Mericourt 
What everyone is waiting for: shakshuka!
Golden Promise – Bar – 2nd Arrondissement
The bar called Golden Promise is actually a fine whiskey bar downstairs from a Japanese restaurant, but the real attraction here is the “other room” (which doesn’t have a real name as far as I can tell–you can just tell the bartender you’re looking for the other room) where basically every whiskey in existence (I assume based on the length of the list) is available by the ounce. Some (most) are very rare and therefore very expensive, but there are definitely gems in the 15€-30€ range worth seeking out, like Johnnie Walker Black Label from the sixties or a really interesting Berry Bros and Rudd Peated Springbank whiskey from 1992. It won’t be cheap but it will be an experience you won’t forget if you are truly a whiskey lover.
Fragments – Cafe – 3rd Arrondissement
A small but cosy cafe near the Chemin Vert metro stop. Delicious breakfasts–avo toast with perfectly poached eggs, homemade quick breads with inventive flavors like sweet potato or banana tahini–and coffee. The espresso is balanced and sweet and they serve raw milk by default in the cappuccino which gives the drink a little added sweetness and roundness (and definitely not something you’ll see in the US). Perfect English is spoken in case you are not up on your French cafe vocabulary. The only drawback is it’s on the expensive side, but definitely worth at least one breakfast as a vacation treat.
Avo toast and sweet potato bread 
Outside Fragments
Danico – Bar – 10th Arrondissement
A classy bar at the back of the Darocco Italian restaurant. Tell the host you are there for Danico and you can walk back through the restaurant to the bar. The cocktails are really creative–especially with their use of savory and non-alcoholic ingredients–but also delicious (which is not always a given when mixologists get a little too creative). The staff are friendly and speak good English and it’s a great place to have a few drinks after dinner (or while waiting for a table at Darocco, which we have not actually tried).
Au Quai Caviste Vin Nature – Wine Shop – 10th Arrondissement
Fantastic little natural wine shop run by a wonderful man named Alain. The deal–to start–is you get one glass per person and a plate of sausage to share. You pick the color of your wine, Alain picks the rest ; ) Don’t worry though, Alain has great taste. I chose red and he brought me a superb pinot noir from Alsace. I never order the same glass twice but I was ready to order that wine again. Luckily he would not let me (or maybe he just didn’t understand me–his English was passable but definitely not his strongest language) and he let me taste 3 other red wines he had open before letting me choose a Rhone-valley syrah for my next glass. If you see a bottle in the shop and want to drink it there, corkage is a very fair 7€ per bottle. Definitely a great place to start your night in the 10th.
Natural wine and sausage at Au Quai Caviste 
Roasted squash at Freddy’s
Feddy’s – Wine Bar/Restaurant – 6th Arrondissement
Great spot for a slightly later lunch than usual–the kitchen is open until 3:00p (as opposed to the usual 2:30p) and they have a nice mid-day snacks menu in case you can’t make it in time for actual lunch. Small plates are excellent–delicious, creative and beautiful–and pair well with a great selection of wines by the glass and bottle. Go for lunch, afternoon wines or dinner. Just go!
Ambassade de Bourgogne – Wine Shop – 6th Arrondissement
A small wine shop on the right bank with a few tables and a bar to try wines by the glass. As the name implies, the list leans very heavily (if not entirely?) towards Burgundy. Bryn had a very nice Nuits-St-Georges from 2015 and I found a wine from 1999 so there is definitely a good range of choices. In case you can’t decide on just one glass they have a few flights you can try too. Also, you can drink any bottle in the store for a 15€ corkage fee. It’s a bit on the expensive side, especially compared to some of the other wine bars in Paris like Au Quai Caviste (above) and La Cave de Belleville (below) but it is Burgundy after all and in Burgundy you tend to get what you pay for.
Ambassade de Bourgogne 
Steak and Bordeaux at hugo&co
hugo&co – Restaurant – 5th Arrondissement
Here is an example of a great restaurant that is not open on Saturday or Sunday, so make sure you plan on going during the week and make sure you have reservations. It’s small inside but somehow still comfy. The decor and vibe are real cool and the food is super delicious. A small but good selection of cocktails and wines by the glass and bottle pairs well with the menu. If you see the steak on the menu, get it. Served on a bed of smoked hay, it comes with traditional sides (ours were mashed potatoes and French lentils) and the best pan sauce you’ve ever tasted. You definitely won’t regret it.
If you have time/are in the arrondissement
O Chateau – Wine Bar/Restaurant – 1st Arrondissement
They have a big bar with lots of seats but on a Friday evening around 6:00p it filled up pretty quick. 50 wines by the glass basically guarantees you’ll find something you like. We drank a glass of 2015 Volnay, 2000 Mersault and 1995 Haut-Medoc when we were there so there are definitely some good choices. They also have a killer truffle ham and cheese board which sounds kind of weird but was actually amazing, especially with the red and white Burgundy. The other meat and cheese boards looked amazing as well, even though we didn’t get to try them. The only thing keeping it from “Don’t Miss” status is the price; it’s not cheap. Still, I would say it can be a very good call for a glass of wine or two before dinner.
Truffle ham and cheese board at O Chateau 
“Surf’s up” at Blackburn Coffee
Blackburn Coffee – Cafe – 10th Arrondissement
Kind of a sketchy neighborhood, so it’s not too clear why you would “be in the neighborhood” for breakfast, but in case you are be sure to stop in. Solid flat white and perfectly melty, cheesy scrambled eggs. English was pretty hit or miss, so bring your phrasebook : )
Il Brigante – Pizza – 18th Arrondissement
Last time Bryn and I were in Paris we met a young guy at a bar who was from Paris but loved pizza so much he once went all the way to New Haven (!) to try some pizza place that was supposed to be really good. That guy told us this place was the best pizza in Paris. I don’t think we’ve ever eaten pizza anywhere else in Paris so it’s tough to say for sure, but it is a really solid thin crust pizza. And Il Brigante is a good (if tiny) choice for lunch before or after Montmartre/Sacre Couer. English is a bit hit-or-miss but if you don’t speak French you can try Italian.
Cassiopee Cafe – Coffee Shop – 18th Arrondissement
An oasis of good coffee in an out-of-the-way part of town. The coffee is solid if not spectacular, but it is freshly roasted in house (right in the back patio of the shop!) a couple times a week and there is obviously a lot of love put into the coffee and the shop.
Roasting a la minute at Cassiopee Cafe 
Le Syndicat
Le Syndicat – Bar – 10th Arrondissment
A speakeasy-style bar with a unique style that is basically hidden in plain sight on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis and only uses French ingredients to make their drinks. Service is friendly, English is well-spoken and while all of the drinks are definitely creative, only most of the drinks are delicious. On the whole though it is a cool experience and a nice place to have some creative drinks in a funky space.
Au Petit Tonneau – Bistro – 7th Arrondissement
Friendly, cozy ambiance with simple but beautifully prepared dishes. Definitely go for the wild mushroom saute of the day. Also, it wouldn’t be France without at least one plate of escargots; the snails are particularly good here. English (and Spanish as it turns out) is spoken well so no need to worry about understanding the menu. A fine if not particularly exciting lunch option located in between the Eiffel Tower and Musee d’Orsay.
La Cave de Belleville – Wine Bar – 19th Arrondissement
Another cool wine bar/wine shop in the same mold as Au Quai Caviste and Ambassade de Bourgogne (both above). Great little selection of natural wines by the glass and a huge selection of wines by the bottle (and craft beer!) to go with some killer cheese and meat boards. It’s also a pretty big space so there should be room for you and a few friends. The only challenge for us was the language barrier; the only guy who spoke English kept getting pulled in a bunch of different directions and it was tough to get his attention for another glass of wine. Overall though a good place to start the evening with some friends, a nice bottle and some delicious charcuterie.
Charcuterie at La Cave de Belleville 
Game meats and old Beaujolais at Le Clown Bar
Le Clown Bar – Restaurant – 11th Arrondissement
I had high hopes for Clown Bar even though the chef that made it famous had moved on. To be honest, the food was not as exciting as I had expected. It was still very good but ultimately some dishes felt like they were trying too hard (like the fish fried in a black (squid ink?) batter. It was good because deep fried fish is delicious, but I really couldn’t understand why it was just some black pieces of fried fish on a plate. Bryn’s pigeon was definitely the star of the show–a balanced, composed, interesting dish that was perfectly cooked. Plus they have a pretty good selection of natural wines by the bottle so your confusion over some of the food will be easily forgotten ; ) I would go back for the wine and some of that pigeon, but I can’t say I would go out of my way to make it back, especially if I am on a short stay in Paris.
Don’t bother
La Bourse et La Vie – Bistro – 2nd Arrondissement
Don’t get me wrong here, this was a very solid–though not mind-blowing–central option. The food is very good and very classic French bistro food. There is also a small but good selection of wines by the glass, but it is a very expensive meal–especially for lunch, which is when we went. You will definitely have a good meal if you choose to go but personally I would not go back with my own money; I just don’t think it is worth the price.
Saturne – Restaurant – 2nd Arrondissement
Maybe we were there on an off night. (I know Valentine’s dinner is a disaster in the states but is it also a thing where restaurants mail it in in Europe too?) Either way, it just felt like the kitchen was trying too hard. Some of the food was good, but other bits were head-scratching and some–like our amuse bouche of oyster and green pea foam–were downright despicable. Also the wine pairings were very hit-and-miss, with no real stars to speak of. I think for the money I would have expected to have a more delicious, well-curated and better-executed experience; I can’t really recommend it based on our experience.
Ellsworth – Restaurant – 1st Arrondissement
I have to admit I’m a bit torn about Ellsworth. On the one hand, it’s small (“cramped” doesn’t really do it justice) and full of tourists. The vaunted fried chicken was moist but ultimately nothing to write home about, and the other dishes we tried were also fine but not ground-breaking. The service was also very disjointed (though maybe they were just having a bad night since they seemed to be aware of the fact that the service was not great).
On the other hand, they do have a very good–if small–selection of natural wines by the glass and by the bottle, so maybe sitting at the bar for a drink and a snack would be the move here. I would not go back for the whole dinner thing though.
Cafe Spoune – Cafe – 11th Arrondissement
I only tried the coffee, so maybe this is a bit harsh, but the coffee was only ok. Double-shot of espresso with milk (like basically a 6-oz) was quite bitter (though it did get the job done). I might come back to try the filter coffee and some for the food items but for sure there is a better flat white in the area (see especially Fragments and Cafe Mericourt, above).
Marché aux Oiseaux – Market – 4th Arrondissement
Umm, I’m really not sure what this is all about, but it’s pretty weird. I don’t know why anyone would want to buy a bird from a random outdoor market on a Sunday morning on Ile de la Cite but somehow this place is still going strong. Bryn insisted we check it out for nostalgia’s sake; I insist you do not waste your time.
