Paris has a myriad of restaurants, bars, and specialty shops clustered throughout the city’s twenty arrondissements. In need of a French comic book or two? Visit the row of comic book shops on rue Dante in the 5th Arrondissement. In Paris, restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisine are also found gathered together in concentrated areas. The following streets are where you’ll find authentic Parisian and international food.
>>Read more about a gourmet adventure in France here
Rue des Rosiers
4th Arrondissement In the charming Marais district, rue des Rosiers is the main street of Paris’s historic Jewish Quarter. It is the place to visit for falafel. The debate is fierce as to which restaurant serves the best falafel, but most agree there are two standout options. Try the pita falafel at Mi-Va-Mi, a massive meal of falafel topped with chopped fresh vegetables, sautéed eggplant, and hummus. It may well be the best falafel you will ever sample.
23 rue des Rosiers
Arguably the best Falafel in Paris
Just across the street is L’as du Fallafel, made even more popular by Lenny Kravitz’s endorsement. Sample the falafel special, with hummus, fried eggplant, and a salad. One cannot go wrong with either spot; both offer plenty of kosher and vegetarian dishes, along with schwarma and doner kebabs for the carnivores. Mi-Va-Mi is open Sunday through Thursday, 11:00 AM to midnight and Friday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM. L’as du Fallafel is open Sunday through Thursday, 11:00 AM to midnight and Friday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
34 rue des Rosiers
L’as du Fallafel on the right on the rue des Rosiers
Beyond falafel, the street has a lovely concentration of pastry shops. Head to Korcarz, a kosher bakery and tea salon, for strudel or a loaf of challah. Open Sunday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
29 rue des Rosiers
Sacha Finkelsztajn serves Eastern European baked goods and desserts. Order a slice of poppy seed cake; you’ll be glad you did. Open Wednesday through Monday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
27 rue des Rosiers
Sacha Finkelsztajn at his patisserie La Boutique Juane
Le Loir dans la Théière is perhaps most famous for its massive lemon meringue tart. Open daily, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
3 rue des Rosiers
Rue des Martyrs
9th Arrondissement – Lined with a seemingly infinite number of epicurean shops, Rue des Martyrs is a wonderful food street in the 9th Arrondissement. With a high concentration of fromageries, patisseries, boulangeries, and charcuteries on one street, rue des Martyrs has some of the best food France has to offer. Yet despite all this, most visitors to Paris are totally unaware of this magnificent street.
Rose Bakery, an organic patisserie, is a great spot for a healthy breakfast or lunch. Be sure to enjoy their great selection of breakfast foods, including, baked goods like scones, quiches, and carrot cake. Snag a table towards the back of the bakery and watch the staff hustling in and out of the kitchen. It’s also the perfect destination to pick up a take away meal or stock up on groceries. Choose from seasonal salads, cheeses, organic produce, and pantry items like homemade marmalade, tea, and granola.
Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
46 rue des Martyrs
Arnaud Delmonte is one of the best patisseries, in a city full of extraordinary pastry shops. Pick up award winning baguettes and croissants filled with unusual ingredients. If you’re like me, you’ll want to splurge on anything with chocolate, from delicate cakes to ganache tartlets. Open Wednesday through Monday, 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM.
39 rue des Martyrs
Window Shopping at Arnaud Delmonte
Rue Sainte Anne
1st Arrondissement and 2nd Arrondissement Known best for its offering of Japanese restaurants, rue Sainte Anne extends from the 1st to the 2ndArrondissement. Paris’s Little Tokyo is worth visiting for handmade udon, Asian grocery stores, and Japanese comfort food. But, beyond Asian fare, the street also has a great shop, Epices Roellinger, selling delicious edible goods from Brittany. Stock up on spices, hard to find varities of salt, and whole vanilla beans. In search of a perfect French souvenir? Take home their salted caramels, packaged in charming tins. Closed on Sunday and Monday – Open 10am to 7pm
Tél: 01 42 60 46 88
51 rue Sainte Anne
Entrance to the popular Epices Roellinger
Rue Quincampoix
3rd Arrondissement Perhaps best known for its art galleries, the hidden Rue Quincampoix is worth visiting for its food destinations as well. Start with a trip to La Cave a Bulles . The name translates to “Cave of Bubbles,” an appropriate moniker for a shop that sells only artisan beers from across France and Belgium. In wine obsessed France, beer is certainly underappreciated. Ask the owner for a recommendation or two and he will steer you towards obscure brews from the country’s different regions. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
45 rue Quincampoix
For those in the art-loving crowd, visit l’Art Brut Bistrot. This tiny bistro serves inexpensive drinks and charcuterie plates. Meals are often accompanied by live music. Open daily, 4:00 PM – 2:00 AM.
78 rue Quincampoix
Market Streets
Don’t forget the city’s many market streets. Each arrondissement has at least one open-air market with a different market street to explore every day of the week. Some standouts include rue Mouffetard, Boulevard Raspail, rue Montorgueil, rue Cler, and Avenue du President Wilson.
Written by Morgen Young for EuropeUpClose.com