The Bastille area has some incredible restaurants to discover and our list has the top spots that you need to check out. More adventurous and more diverse than many of the central areas of the city, there’s a whole host of great restaurants to be found way off the tourist trap. Read on to discover our favourite dining spots in Bastille.
Tip: Want to learn more about the area and discover what to see and do? Check out our complete guide to the Bastille area. We’ve also got a guide on the best bars in Bastille.
Where to Eat in Bastille
This list of restaurants in the Bastille area are tried and tested. I think they’re consistently good and there’s a good range of prices and cuisines. Restaurants are listed in no particular order and this roundup is updated regularly!
Chez Janou
On the outskirts of Le Marais (and a 10 minute walk from Place de la Bastille) is a fantastic little bistro serving up classics from the South of France. The picturesque restaurant is nestled in street corner of beautiful Parisian building.
Chez Janou is incredibly popular with locals and tourists and for good reason. Inside you’ll find a charming mix of old Parisian bar and Niçoise bistro with the walls adorned with posters with a distinctly southern motif.
The food is Provençal themed and genuinely really well done. Their entrees are a taste of the Riviera on a plate. Avocado tartare with grapefruit and crayfish tails is remarkably refreshing. Perhaps my favourite is their garlicky grilled mussels – delicious.
Over to the mains, there’s a remarkably well cooked duck breast (which is notoriously hard to cook and rest to perfection) which comes with a plum sauce and duck fat potatoes. One of my favorite dishes is their shrimp, flambéed with Pastis that comes with a delicious aniseed rice (which is an authentic Provençal rice preparation).
What to know before visiting
- Open every day in the week for lunch and dinner
- It can get very busy during weekends in the summer – expect to queue regardless of the time
- You can reserve but turn up on time or your table will be given away (even if you’re 5 minutes late)
Address: 2 rue Roger Verlomme, 75003
Tel: 01 42 72 28 41
Website: https://www.chezjanou.com/
Iovines
If you’re in the mood for pizza then Iovines is where you’ll find the best Neapolitan pies in the area. A stone throw away from the Place de la Bastille, it’s one pizzeria that is certainly different from the surrounding tourist traps.
Here you’ll find really good, cold fermented dough that’s remarkably easy on the stomach. The fermentation combined with a high hydration dough means you get an incredibly crunchy crust and a soft, tender interior.
Classics like a Margherita are made with quality ingredients and you can tell. My favorite pie is their Diavola Forte pizza which has beautiful chunks of spicy Calabrian salami. Their wine’s are also worth a mention – they have some high quality Italian wines that won’t break the bank.
What to know before you visit
- Open daily for lunch and dinner
- You can reserve for each location online
- Vegetarian friendly
- Try their Pecorino white wine from Abruzzo!
Address: 9 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75011
Website: https://iovines.com
Grand Brasserie Bastille
The Grand Brasserie is a fantastic modern interpretation of a traditional Parisian brasserie. You won’t find finicky, deconstructed versions of classics (with a ‘twist’) here – it’s all about the classics, done well with modern presentation and cookery. There’s also a not-so-traditional wine selection with plenty of awesome bottles of natural wine on the menu.
The prices are on the higher side but the cookery and standard of ingredients are really high – much more so than the average bistro in the city. There’s classic starters such as terrine but it’s all home made and it’s (liver, apple and calvados) incredible. Finally there’s a fantastic and often forgotten dish of crispy pig’s head terrine served with a delicious sauce Gribiche – wow.
Their beef selection is top notch and their beef fillet with the obligatory peppercorn sauce is really tender. Veal sweetbreads, pan fried and basted with butter is certainly worth a mention and a dish that’s not easily available.
What to know before you visit
- Open daily for lunch and dinner
- You can reserve online
Address: 6 Rue de la Bastille, 75004
Tel: 09 75 80 99 72
Website: https://www.grandebrasserie.fr
Chez Pradel
Chez Pradel is a rather inconspicuous but remarkably good little neighbourhood bistro. Walk past it and you’ll think it’s just another café yet they’ve been going strong for over 100 years. It’s also one of the best value spots for very good French classics in the area and is certainly one of my favourites.
Fillet steak is cooked to perfection and served with a lovely, home made reduced demi-glace and only costs €25. Their fish of the day changes depending on what comes in from their suppliers. It’s usually cod or pollock and is always perfectly cooked.
With weekday lunch menus only costing €19 for 3 courses it’s perfect for a quick, well cooked lunch in between exploring the local area.
What to know before you visit
- Food served non-stop from 12-10:30pm
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesday
- You’ll need to call to book (advised)
Address: 3 Rue du Pasteur Wagner, 75011
Tel: 01 43 55 09 59
Website: https://chezpradel.eatbu.com/?lang=en
Bao Express
Bao Express is a fantastic Chinese Cantine style restaurant in the Bastille area. With an American diner feel, it’s a beautiful space to be in and unlike many restaurants in the city, they serve food until late.
Expect plenty of fantastic Chinese dim-sum classics and single tale-out style dishes. Expect dumplings, spring rolls, shrimp toast and fried, sweet and sour chicken. The highlight for me has to be their pillowy soft baos with chicken or char siu pork filling.
It’s really well done, consistent and great value. Definitely worth a try if you want a change from Paris bistro food.
What to know before you visit
- Open for everyday for lunch
- Food served until 11pm on weekends
- You can reserve online
Address: 10 R. Bréguet, 75011
Website: https://www.baofamily.co/bao-express
Bofinger
Just opposite the Grand Brasserie you’ll find Bofinger – a grand old bistro in Bastille. The belle époque bistro is as classic as it gets and the dining space is stunning. Crisp white tablecloths and smartly dressed waiters really give you an impression of its historical past.
There’s plenty of seafood on the menu at Bofinger and locals love it. You’ll see huge platters of oysters, cooked lobster and langoustines come out of the kitchen towards diners.
It’s also a restaurant where you can taste really good Alsacian classics such as choucroute – a traditional dish from the Alsace region of France. Sauerkraut is served with pork belly, different sausages and a braised pork shank. It’s really traditional, hearty French food.
What to know before you visit
- Open 12-3pm for lunch and 6:30-11pm for dinner every day
- You can book online
Address: 5-7 Rue de la Bastille, 75004
Tel: 01 42 72 87 82
Website: https://www.bofingerparis.com
Septime
One of the most famous restaurants in Paris, Septime is a must do if you’re a fan of fine dining. The Scandinavian inspired, modernist cuisine restaurant is incredible and their ever changing tasting menus are superbly executed. It is popular and you won’t be able to get a table on a whim. You’ll need to reserve 3 weeks ahead of time, on the day.
The decor is particularly of the area with industrial accents throughout although sporadic low lighting adds a lovely bit of warmth to the dining space.
The menus change frequently and revolve around seasonal, local produce. Just like in many high-end Scandinavian restaurants, you’ll find plenty of fermentation on show. Despite plenty of nods to their Nordic colleagues, there is a lot classic French cookery on show.
Finally I think their wine pairing is a must-do. You’ll be served generous amounts of incredible, small-producer wines with the majority being natural.
What to know before you visit
- Closed on weekends
- You need to reserve online 3 weeks before the date of your choice. Reservations open at 10am French time each day. Make sure to reserve as soon as the clock hits 10!
- There’s no dress code
Address: 80 Rue de Charonne, 75011
Website: https://www.septime-charonne.fr/en/
