Paris. The city of love, fashion, art history, and good food! Paris is a city that holds near and dear to my heart for many reasons. I lived there for 6 months when I studied abroad in college back in 2016 and I have had the privilege to be able to visit about once a year since.

I could go on and on about all of the amazing things in Paris, but today I want to focus on food. Luckily in Paris, it is easy to find good food on practically every street.

*Full disclaimer* I speak very minimal French. I have become familiar with enough French to order basic things off of menus (which I will include in this post) but I have been able to visit these restaurants multiple times with only English and mediocre French.

Restaurants I love:

1. Artisan Boulanger (Boulanger Dheilly)

Specialty: Macaroons

This bakery is a must for me every time I am in Paris. Their macaroons are incredible! I prefer them over the famous Ladurée. The macaroons here are larger, cheaper, and have equally as much variety in flavors. Plus a few flavors are served as massive macaroons. You can also buy fresh bread, pastries, quiche, and sandwiches here. Something to note is that this shop is relatively small. There are no tables or seats but there are a few counters where you can stand and eat if you don’t want take away (to go).

Fun fact: If you have ever seen the Disney movie Ratatouille, the real life extermination store is next door.

2. Les Philosophes

Les Philosophes was one of the first restaurants that I went to when I moved to Paris. We went out as a group and had the best time. If you are looking to get French onion soup, it is a necessity when eating here. Steak (boeuf) and potatoes (frites) or the baked chicken (poulette) are also fabulous. They have great desserts too. Classic French desserts aka must eats are crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, and profiteroles.

This restaurant isn’t cheap but it is not horribly expensive. It is what I would save for a nicer night out. They have an option where you can order a 3 course meal for a set price. I have done that every time and walked away completely stuffed.

3. L’as du Fallafel

L’as du Fallafel is the best Jewish restaurant in the city. I have had multiple people say they have the best falafel in the world and these people have extensively traveled the middle east. There is usually a line here so plan ahead. The nice thing is that you can order a section of the menu from the window outside. It moves quickly and its still the same great quality. There is a small inside seating selection with a larger menu but the wait can get kind of long. You can fill up here for pretty cheap and located in a great area of town.

*Note that for religious reasons they are closed on Saturday.

3. Schwartz’s Deli

Specialties: Burger and deli sandwiches

When I travel, I usually try to try new foods and local cuisines that I am not usually exposed to. But I am American, sometimes you just need some good old fashion comfort food. Schwartz’s gave me the best burger I have EVER had overseas and would still be ranked up high to the burgers I’ve had back home too. They have options besides burgers too, many deli sandwiches that people often compare to a NYC level of quality. So if you are looking for some high quality American comfort food, Schwartz’s is an absolute must!

3. J’Peux Pas J’ai Poney

This is arguably my favorite spot in Paris! I have had so many fun nights here. J’Peux Pas J’ai Poney is a restaurant and game bar. They have video game (Wii and Mario Cart are my favorites). There is also a plethora of card and board games to choose from. I can attest that there is something special about a Friday night getting drunk with your friends and playing UNO! What is also fun is that the entire menu is movie and video game themed. The food and drinks are great but the atmosphere is even greater! It is owned by a local and always filled with locals though everyone there speaks some to fantastic English. When you go, ask for the owner, Stephane (pronounced Stef-on) and tell him that Charlotte From Chicago sent you ;)

Balling on a Budget

 I want to include some tips for people that may be balling on a budget while traveling. Restaurants can be pretty pricey in Paris. Thankfully there are a lot of options to still enjoy great food without starving yourself or breaking the bank. It is very common to find small bakeries where you can find snacks, bread, and sandwiches. You can buy a whole baguette for 1-2 euros. Croissants and quiche are often found in these bakeries and great for take away (ordering to-go). If you have a slight sweet tooth I would recommend ordering a pain au chocolat which is essentially a croissant but with chocolate inside.

Another overlooked gem is the kebab shops. They are great late night drunk munchies but also pretty cheap and convenient for traveling on a budget. Many kebab shops also make crepes. My favorite spring time activity would be to go to the kebab shop down the street, get a ham, egg, and cheese (jambon, ouef, formage) crepe take away then eat it in a park. You can find kebab shops all over the city and it should be illegal to visit paris and not have a kebab or crepe!

Bonus food:

There are 3 bonus foods that I want to talk about. The first is my favorite sandwich, a croque monsieur. It is essentially a ham and cheese sandwich but with extra cheese on top and its so good. It’s a great on the go food or light lunch when enjoyed sitting down with a side salad. If you want something a little fancier, a croque madame is a croque monsieur with a fried egg on top.

Next is not something I love, but something everyone should try… escargot. Now I know snails just sound terrible and freaky but prepared in garlic and butter make them tolerable and to many, enjoyable. After years of always shutting it down, I finally tried it. Again, I didn’t hate it but I would never order it on my own. I’ll eat it if its there but I know many people who are in love with it. I believe it is something everyone needs to try at least once.

Now get ready because I have saved the best for last. One magic word… Raclette! Raclette is technically a swiss cuisine but very prevalent in the French Alps as well. If you love cheese, this is the dish for you. Raclette is a type of cheese that is heated under a lamp and then scrapped over meat, potatoes, or veggies. I cannot put words to how much I love raclette. It is better than fondue by far and if you pair it with a nice glass of wine… to die for!

Bon appetit!