Top 10 favorite wine restaurants in Paris in 2023

The Parisian food scene has never been so exciting. It took a lot of work with thousands of restaurants to reduce it to only 10 of the best food and wine spots Paris has to offer. This answers the question, “Where can visitors get the best food in Paris?”

We partnered with Context Travel to share the best tips before visiting Paris in this 1 h 30 minutes webinar led by a local food & wine expert, so you get the top Parisian food and wine experience  Local living in Paris: Your Guide through Markets, Bistros, and boulangeries

The restaurants we loved the most in 2022-2023 share the same attributes: high-quality food, coziness, a solid wine list, and dedicated, relaxed service. They all have different price ranges and moods.

We highly suggest you book your visit ahead. Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world, and restaurants are small, additionally, it is not “culturally” standard for a French restaurant to turn tables.

We highly suggest checking out a wine bar for an “apero” and an authentic French wine tasting before heading out to dinner. We wrote some suggestions in the Pro tip section of each restaurant. We hope you enjoy these places as much as we do.

We also share the best regional French wines in a secret 17th cellar in the heart of Paris, where we pair artisanal French cheeses & charcuterie with some premium wines: Taste Premium French Wines in a 17th Cellar

We met chef Toutain at the Cordon Bleu culinary school where we had the opportunity to work for a while, then, we visited his sleek Scandinavian-style 2-star Michelin restaurant in the elegant 7th neighborhood of Paris with minimalist interiors featuring blue-grey walls, height ceilings, and large glass windows.

David Toutain’s environmentally friendly approach to seasonal cooking is remarkable. He works with independent sustainable local producers and orders food based on the number of confirmed reservations.

The menu involves a deep respect for fresh ingredients and a fondness for humble root vegetables. There’s no a la carte menu, so sit back, relax and let the show begin.

We were astonished by Sommelier Fabien Vullion’s selection of matured wines by the glass, quite rare in Paris! With impeccable accessibility to wine by the glass, enjoy some of the most amazing wine and food pairings Paris has to offer.

Pro Tip: For those celebrating something special, treat yourself with a glass of Champagne & caviar at Boutique Petrossian at 18 Bd de la Tour-Maubourg, 75007 Paris, France, before heading out for dinner.

Located right in the heart of Rue Hauteville (Paris 10th arrondissement), Eels is a spacious, quiet, and comfortable restaurant with an open kitchen, high ceilings, and brick walls. Their team is young, dynamic, and talented, and the service is charming and professional.

The restaurant’s name is for his signature dish, not to be missed–a composition of smoked eel with licorice root, apples, and hazelnuts. On the wine side, the wine list is composed of 250 references and constantly evolving, so be prepared to taste premium French wines.

Chef Adrien Ferrand cooks superbly witty, inventive, and assured cooking. He is fond of herbs and Asian seasonings combined in a smooth, profoundly contemporary French dishes that display his creativity.

Pro Tip: Stop by Déviant around the corner at 39 R. des Petites Écuries, 75010 Paris, France, for an aperitif in this beautiful, petite, minimalist black and white bar with an impressive low-intervention wine list and delicious snacks.

Le Louis Vins is a pure Parisian néo-rétro restaurant with a woody decor and charming frescoes and terrasse, settled in the historical Latin Quarter of Paris, combining modernity with the tradition of a lovely old Bistrot.

The chef works with exceptional quality produce and knows how to integrate the generosity of a traditional bistrot with haute cuisine. Here you can delight yourself with homemade charcuteries, and beautiful pieces of meat served with precision.

We usually pay attention to the quality of the bread (from boulangerie Poujauran), salt, and pepper served in restaurants to determine their attention to details. It might sound fussy, but if restaurants take care of these simple items, whatever comes after is undoubtedly delicious and carefully made.

The wine list is extensive and filled with classics, so for an unforgettable French food and wine experience, let yourself be guided by the sommelier instead of spending hours trying to decipher the intricate French wine denominations. You will undoubtedly find something to your taste, from satisfying little wine to the most prominent labels, from fresh wines to matured ones.

This place has a fantastic selection of gins from all over the world and a variety of French alcohol from independent producers.

Pro Tip:  Visit the Arab World Institute’s 9th floor and delight yourself with a champagne glass and astonishing views of the Ile Saint Louis (the beginning of Paris hundreds of years ago)

Located in the up-and-coming 11th arrondissement in Paris, Le Chateaubriand is a laid-back, hip Paris institution. Chef Inaki Aizpitarte led this restaurant to become a pillar in the neighborhood and part of the world’s 50 best for several years.

The cuisine is high-end, fresh, and unique. Chef Aizpitarte is known for his provocative flavor pairings. The tasting menu is beautifully paired with low-intervention wines from each region’s best and most committed winegrowers. A visit here is bound to result in one of the best Paris food and wine experiences the city has to offer.

No menus are available, but changes are daily and seasonal.

Pro Tip:  Stop by Le Dauphin wine bar next door for an aperitif. One of the best Gin & Tonics we have ever tasted using artisanal ingredients. The independent grower-producer Champagne served by the glass is exquisite & rare.

A classic French neighborhood restaurant with an unpretentious atmosphere in the heart of Paris, off the beaten path, this restaurant is a real gem worth a visit. Longtime Parisian neighbors and temporary residents mostly visit it for a taste of authentic French cuisine.

Food is traditional, home-style cooking twinned with a cozy cottage-like atmosphere, and wine is rustic and unpretentious like its establishment, with lots of Beaujolais, Rhone Valley, and lesser-known Champagne houses on the list.

We love the baba au rhum imbibed with a generous quantity of Rhum. It has an authentic feeling; the people who run this place make a difference.

Pro Tip: Stop by the super-friendly Coinstot Vino Wine Bar for a glass of natural wine or Champagne. Sit on the terrasse and mingle with locals.

We love this 1930s warm, cozy, vintage bistro serving authentic French classics like snails & frog legs, among many other traditional recipes. Here you can find an affordable wine list and energetic and ultra-friendly staff. It’s a must-visit on any luxury food and wine tour in Paris.

We love heading to this place when we feel nostalgic about home food and/or to impress visiting friends. The place is filled with charm and vintage wall hangings, including a cool pencil drawing of Ernest Hemingway near the front door.

We suggest, like anytime you want to go somewhere special in Paris, to reserve online; restaurants in Paris are small, and turning tables is not a common practice.

Pro Tip:  Stop by https://www.augustinmarchand.com/  wine shop for an aperitif and delight yourself in two fantastic places on the same street.

Quinsou is a Stylish restaurant in the middle of the Saint Germain des près neighborhood and next door to our beloved school of French gastronomy, FERRANDI, where we started our culinary career more than 15 years ago.

Chef Antonin Bonnet creates distinctive, innovative, French-inspired food dishes that tantalize all senses, allowing the ingredients’ quality to stand out. We were deliciously surprised by the five-tasting menu with the wine pairing for its precision, succulent flavors, and elegant pairings.

Here, you will find one of the food and wine capital’s finest and most well-priced wine lists. The great classics and the talents of tomorrow comingle with an inclination for low-intervention, biodynamic, organic wines. 

We love the casual, young, dynamic side of this 1-star Michelin restaurant. The service is low-key but professional, with exciting fresh produce and creative twists in all food dishes, making it one of the best food and wine spots in Paris.

Pro Tip:  check out the SAUVAGE  wine bar at 55, rue de Cherche-Midi, around the corner for a glass of Champagne before heading to dinner. We highly suggest to come back to this place for diner and taste their delectable small creative plates.

Marco Pelletier, the Canadian sommelier, left everything to follow his passion for wine. He worked as the head of Taillevent and the famous Hotel Bristol. After 18 years working in the industry, he launched his bistrot in 2016, Vantre, or “belly,” a name that meant a place of enjoyment in the Middle Ages.

Marco put in place a wine cellar with no less than 4000 references. In a place like this, we prefer to save time and let the sommelier give us some great recommendations. Remember to let them know how much you wish to spend for the bottle and what style of wines you enjoy so they can match it. This is a must when wine tasting in Paris.

The sparsely decorated room has plenty of shelves showcasing an impressive collection of empty wine bottles. Adding to the appeal of this restaurant is a combination of professionalism and friendliness that imbue everything that the restaurant offers.

Pro Tip:  Start by paying a visit to this tiny, friendly cave à vin  La Liquiderie at 9 Rue des Trois Bornes, 75011 Paris, France, for artisanal beer or a glass of delicious French wine before heading for dinner.

The restaurant is in the 11th arrondissement, with some of the top addresses in Paris across the trendy Marais neighborhood. This place is great for seating at the bar without reservation or for solo wine enthusiasts looking for an amazing wine tasting in Paris.

This simple, cozy wooden-paneled bistrot has been a favorite among French wine lovers for years. It serves classic French cuisine, making it suitable for all the family, and is far more casual than many other places where you could eat out in Paris.

We love coming here for the French-style Sunday brunch to delight ourselves with the chef’s homemade terrines. The handwritten wine list is undoubtedly the highlight of any experience here.

Chef Rodolphe Paquin’s philosophy is to respect the seasons. As a result, you can enjoy a menu that changes in rhythm with the local farmers’ markets. The chef often walks out to chat with clients; his good humor and big smile infuse his dishes. We experienced a friendly service when we visited.

Pro Tip:  Reservations are highly recommended for lunch and dinner, as this place is very dear to Parisians. Visit BAMBINO before or after for vinyl-theme cocktails and wines at 25 Rue Saint-Sébastien, 75011 Paris, France.

Le Saint-Sebastien is a contemporary French restaurant practically writing the wine and food pairing guide. It used to be a simple neighborhood bistrot that has been brilliantly remodeled with a modern cuisine style in a superb setting, speckled tile floor, a Formica bar, and sixties light fixtures.

It is known for its handmade charcuterie, vegetable-driven cooking, more than the other restaurants on this list, and desserts with an intriguing savory twist.

The service is down-to-earth, open, interested in exchanging with guests, has excellent ambiance, and a reasonable price level considering the outstanding quality of the food.

We would love to emphasize the +400 references of wines and the various people coming to our table throughout the night, showcasing professional service yet super friendly and happy to explain everything on the menu.

This place is also perfect for solo travelers sitting at the bar comfortably. Voilà our favorite dining experience in 2022.