At 13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, you will find one of the most historic restaurants in Paris, Café Procope, which has been open since 1686. Follow in the footsteps of Napoleon, Robespierre, Diderot, and Benjamin Franklin in one of the many rooms of this true Parisian gastronomic institution. They still have 4 historical dishes whose recipes have not changed since the French Revolution! The full menu costs around €30 per person and is open from Monday to Sunday, with continuous service.
At 25 rue Mouffetard, you will find an excellent place to eat fondues and raclettes (and typical French food). It is called L'assiette aux fromages and specializes in cheese-based dishes.
If you prefer street food or are in a hurry, behind the Panthéon, you will find a whole district of art, music, and good street food. The Place de la Contrescarpe and the Rue de Mouffetard are full of bars, Japanese, Greek, Lebanese, and French restaurants. It is a more student-friendly area, with affordable prices and a friendly atmosphere (we are talking about pints of beer for 4-6€).
*ATTENTION: Along with liberty, equality, and fraternity, in France, potable water is an inalienable right of the people! When the prices of drinks scare you, you just have to ask for a "carafe d'eau" (carraf doe) and they will bring you a pitcher of drinking water for free!
You said goodbye to the sun in front of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica (as one does), it's getting chilly, and from so much walking your belly has begun to dance its own Can-Can. I recommend that you start down the hill from the Place du Tertre to the small Taverne de Montmartre at 25 Rue Gabrielle (12-14pm and 18-22:30pm). Affordable prices and good French food.
If you can hold on a few more minutes, go down the steps of the Sacré-Coeur (or by the funicular - ticket 2.10€) and take the first street on the right. At number 17 rue des trois frères, there is Le refuge des fondus, a Belle Epoque-style bar where for less than 30€ per person you will fill your belly with melted cheese and wine in a baby bottle! A slightly bizarre experience, like Montmartre.
If you want to eat to go, at 7 rue Joseph de Maistre, you will find a gem of the street food in the neighborhood: La crêperie mon amie (11am-11pm). It is a black kiosk that says "Crêperie" squeezed between two restaurants (if you get distracted you'll miss it). It specializes in savory and sweet crêpes at old Montmartre prices (between 2.5€ and 5.50€).
In the end, if standing in line doesn't discourage you, you can walk to the red-light district of Pigalle. At 20 bis Rue de Douai you will find an old four-storey factory covered in pink tiles and lots of vegetation. You have reached Pink Mamma. Great Italian food at popular prices.
*If you want a post-dinner drink, go down to the basement and go through the cold cuts freezer. You will find a black door with a sign that reads "No Entry". It is forbidden to enter, but you will do it anyway, and in a warm and dark atmosphere like a brothel from the 19th century you will end the evening with signature cocktails and good music. Open from 12-14:30pm and 6-11pm.
Eating in the historic center (because it is more touristy) is quite expensive. However, the area near the Louvre and the Palais Royal is a business district, and where there are people working, there are restaurants with more popular prices. If you fancy eating Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean food, you won't be disappointed with the restaurants on rue Sainte-Anne and rue des Petits Champs. My favorite place to eat the best soba in Paris (Japanese soup with buckwheat noodles - €10-12) is Aki at 11bis rue Sainte-Anne. They are open from 11:30 am to 11:00 pm. For good Japanese ramen you've got Kintaro Ramen (24 Rue Saint-Augustin, open till 10:15 pm), and a few meters down the street, traditional Chinese noodles at La Taverne de Zhao (16 Rue Saint-Augustin, open till 11:30 pm).
Are you tired from spending hours on your feet walking around the Louvre and you just want to sit down for a quick lunch?
A few minutes walking distance from the museum you've got and Italian pizzeria called Enza Famiglia (196 Rue Saint-Honoré, closes at 10:30 pm). If you're more into something more French, a nice terrace from which you can watch the passers-by, Les Nemours at 2 Place Colette is the perfect place for you. Open from 7:00 am to 12:00 am.
ATTENTION: strategic tourist location + French food = very Parisian price.
For something less expensive and less touristy, a few meters away you can still enjoy sitting down at the colorful terrace of Café Saint-Honoré (194 Rue Saint-Honoré, kitchen closes at midnight), and if you want the best onion soup in Paris, then Café Plume is the place for you! (164 Rue Saint-Honoré, closes at midnight)
Finally, a few blocks further up the road, near the Tuileries Gardens is Place des Jacobins, full of restaurants and sunny terraces. I recommend Charly's Buns and the Razowski!
Don't panic! If you are celiac, vegetarian, or vegan, you will not starve. There are many great places all over the city.
Gluten-free options:
You have the Chambelland bakery-pastry shop at 14 rue Ternaux (Metro Parmentier). Open from Monday to Saturday from 08:30-19:30 and Sunday from 09:00-18:00.
Another option is the bakery-pastry shop Onyriza (they also have lunch menus) at 38 rue du Château d'Eau, very close to Republique. Finally, the famous Kayser bakery in Paris, in its gluten-free version, is open all day at 4 rue de l'échelle (Metro Pyramides).
For lunch, you have the Biosphère Café at 47 rue de Laborde (Metro Saint-Augustin). It specializes in pastries and crepes but also has sandwiches. If you want to sit down to eat, it is best to book as it is usually full! Always with a delicious menu for lunch or dinner, you have the Noglu restaurants at: 16 passage des Panoramas (Metro Richelieu-Drouot), 15 rue Basfroi (Metros Voltaire, Charonne or Ledru Rollin), 69 rue de Grenelle (Metro Rue du Bac). They are all good, beautiful and organic! *Check the opening hours carefully because they vary depending on the location you choose.
For vegans and vegetarians:
If you are one of us, you will be delighted to know that you have many options in Paris. To begin with, most vegetarian restaurants in the city offer several vegan options. However, I will give you a couple of completely vegan options so you have some choices!
My first choice in Paris for vegetarian and vegan food is Maslow (14 Quai de la Mégisserie, closes at 11 pm). It's right next to the Louvre, super interesting seasonal dishes, tapas to share, and a great low-alcohol signature cocktail menu! You can't miss it!
Another good restaurant with a lot of veggie options is Big Love. It is an Italian restaurant (I know, two Italian restaurants in the same Paris guide? I can't help it, pizza makes me very happy!) It is located at 30 Rue Debelleyme (Metros Filles du Calvaire or Saint-Sébastien Froissart), and opens from 12:00-15:30 and from 19:00-23:00.
You also have (literally with a view of Notre-Dame) Le grenier de Notre-Dame at 18 Rue de la Bûcherie. Open from 12:00-14:30 and from 18:00-22:00. And if you want to stay around the Louvre and near the Ile de la Cité, Alchimie is a good, beautiful and quite cheap option. It is not a vegetarian restaurant but it has many vegetarian options for all tastes. You can find it at 18 rue de Bourdonnais (Metros Pont-Neuf, Châtelet or Louvre-Rivoli).
Always nearby, you have a vegetarian restaurant with an oriental flavor called Végébowl. It is located at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin (Metros République or Strasbourg-Saint-Denis) and I recommend booking!
Finally, if you are looking for 100% vegan options and excellent atmosphere and quality, you have: Wild and the Moon at 19 place du Marché Saint-Honoré (Metro Pyramides), Abattoir Végétal at 61 Rue Ramey (Metro Jules Joffrin) and Le Potager de Charlotte at 12 Rue de la Tour d'Auvergne (Metro Poissonnière). Booking is recommended!
Are you a fan of a good cocktails and adventures? Well, you're in luck because Paris is one of the meccas of the speakeasy! These hidden bars were born in the 1920s during Prohibition in the United States. They were clandestine establishments that sold alcoholic beverages in secret places, often in basements or in the back office of businesses. They began to be called "speakeasy" because customers had to speak in a low voice to avoid being heard by the police!
The first one I recommend is the Moonshiner (a fitting name). You will find it (because you will have to look for it) at 5 rue Sedaine behind the door of a pizzeria's refrigerator! Another of my favorites is Le Candelaria, a dark and cozy cave like the belly of a whale. To get there, you will have to go through the bathroom of a Mexican taqueria at 52 rue de Saintonge. Not far from there you will find a small red door, behind it is Little Red Door (60 rue Charlot). Don't try to open it!
Near République, you will find a mini laundry, open the door of a washing machine and enter, you will find yourself in the world of Lavomatic (30 rue René Boulanger). To complete your tour of speakeasy bars, you might want to pop into Serpent à plume (24 place des Vosges) and Mezcaleria (15 boulevard du Temple). Those I'll have you discover for yourself!