The humble Croque-Monsieur sandwich is an iconic dish of the French bistro. One of my go-to lunch menu items in my home town of Paris, it’s a must-try when you’re visiting France’s capital city.
Bread, béchamel, good quality Comté and Gruyère cheese with some proper ham makes for an epic warm sandwich. Usually served with a side of fries and green salad, it’s a staple on menus across restaurants in France.
Easy to make and equally as easy to mess up, it’s unfortunately not uncommon to stumble upon a terrible Croque-Monsieur (especially in touristy areas). I’ve put together a guide on where to find the most reliable restaurants serving up really good Croque-Monsieurs in Paris.
The Best Croque Monsieur Paris
I’ve eaten a lot of Croque-Monsieurs over the years of living in Paris and I’ve got a pretty good idea on where you can find a good one. These are just my recommendations where I’ve found them to be particularly good. Restaurants are in no particular order.
TRAM
TRAM is a beautiful, airy café/restaurant in the city’s Latin Quarter. With a clean, warm Scandinavian influence, the actual café is a beautiful place to be in.
Open for breakfast and lunch, their Croque-Monsieur is a mainstay on their seasonal menu (and it’s served all day). It’s one of the best in Paris – generously plump, creamy and seasoned with truffle salt. There’s layers of Prince de Paris ham and plenty of good quality comté cheese. It comes with a well dressed green salad but don’t worry, the sandwich is very filling.
Other menu items include inventive seasonal salads, soups and incredible looking desserts. It’s a great spot for a quick lunch if you’re exploring the Latin Quarter!
What to know before you visit
- You can call to reserve a table
- They serve their Croque-Monsieur during breakfast, brunch and lunch
- They’re not open for dinner
Address: 47 Rue de la Montagne Ste Geneviève, 75005
Tel: 01 71 18 36 64
Website: https://www.instagram.com/tram.restaurant/
Brasserie Bellanger
If you’re in the north of the city and are looking for a cheap lunch then Brasserie Belanger is a great option. The vintage-chic brasserie is fairly new but don’t think that the shiny restaurant is just smoke and mirrors. Their food is genuinely good and it’s hard to fault for the price.
Firstly it’s worth noting that they only serve their Croque-Monsieur during weekday lunch times so don’t expect to get one on the weekend. If you are stopping by for lunch then you’ll be impressed. The ingredients are top notch with their bread coming from local baker Thierry Breton. The ham is high end – the kind of stuff you won’t find in supermarkets and you can taste it. Finally they use aged Comté cheese and interestingly, as with the genuine Croque-Monsieur, there’s no béchamel sauce. They also have a very good vegetarian version (pictured).
What to know before you visit
- Open every day
- You can reserve a table online
- They only serve their Croque Monsieur at lunch time during weekdays
- They have a vegetarian version!
Address: 140 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 75010
Tel: 09 54 00 99 65
Website: https://lanouvellegarde.com/fr/brasserie-bellanger/
À L’Épi d’Or
À L’Épi d’Or is a beautiful traditional Parisian bistro located right next to the stunning Bourse de Commerce gallery. The wooden panelled bistro feels so vintage and the original, central zinc bar brings you right back to the belle époque.
On the menu are bistro classics including, of course, the croquet monsieur. There’s even a Croque-Madame option (a Croque-Monsieur but topped with a fried egg). Theirs is awesome – perfectly melty, well seasoned and beautifully creamy. It’s a little bit pricy but you are paying for the ambiance and the location.
Other options on the menu include one of the prettiest beef tartare that I’ve seen and a steak frites with a stroganoff style sauce.
What to know before you visit
- They’re closed on Saturdays and Sundays
- You can reserve a table online
Address: 25 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001
Tel: 01 42 36 38 12
Website: https://jeanfrançoispiege.com/a-lepi-dor
Le Carreau
Le Carreau was my local bistro when I lived around the corner in Le Marais in 2016 and I still love it to this day. It’s got a certain cool vibe that you’ll only find in the north of the Marais and it’s backed up by some seriously good food.
Their version is as classic as they get and is really good. Gratinéed to perfection (the top is lovely and brown) whilst still retaining a bouncy, juicy texture, Le Carreau’s croquet monsieur is perfection. It comes with a portion of superb French fries and a green salad.
One of the better bistros in Le Marais, they also have other French classics on the menu including entrecôte (ribeye) and fries and an awesome hand cut steak tartare.
What to know before visiting
- Open every day in the week for lunch and dinner
- You’ll need to call to reserve
Address: 5 Rue de la Corderie, 75003
Tel: 09 52 33 24 26
Website: https://www.bistrolecarreau.fr
Faste
I have to include one spot in Paris that only serves Croque-Monsieurs. It’s more of a fast-food approach with takeaway or eat in options but note that it’s not a proper restaurant with table service.
Faste offer 11 different versions of the classic Parisian sandwich. They include the classic, a truffled version and an ‘Oriental’ version with Harissa, merguez sausage, aubergine and courgette filling. They’re seriously tasty and use some great bread from the Eric Kayser boulangerie group.
What to know before visiting
- Closed Sundays and Mondays
Address: 52 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010
Tel: 09 74 97 29 62
Website: https://www.faste-restaurant.fr
Want to make one yourself at home? Check out our Croque-Monsieur recipe.
