Mini Palais at the Grand Palais

Art and food. Food and art. Of course the two dance deliciously together in the City of Light. But with this past year’s additions of the Gilles & Boissier-designed eateries inside the contemporary auction house Artcurial and the Mini Palais within the landmark Grand Palais, Paris’ art scenes are crossing over into prime dining destinations. Here are five top-notch spots to sample when you’re as hungry for good food as you are for fine art.

Tokyo Eat at Palais de Tokyo

Tokyo Eat and terrace (Justine Robinett)

This versatile restaurant inside the contemporary art museum is a favorite haunt of Parisian hipsters. That’s because, with its super-sized dining room, UFO-shaped lanterns and colorful mid-century furniture, it’s cool without trying too hard. The food and ambiance are also atypically refreshing. Open non-stop from noon until 1 in the morning, you might opt for a freshly squeezed carrot-ginger juice in the morning, a lunch of inventive coconut and pineapple ravioli, or a standard steak with plump frites at any hour. It’s great for solo dining as well as big crews.

13, avenue du President Wilson, 16eme, 01 47 20 00 29. Open every day except Monday, from noon until 1 a.m.

Mini-Palais at the Grand Palais

Mini Palais and the terrace at the Palais de Tokyo (Justine Robinett)

With a menu created by Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon and overseen by executive chef Stéphane d’Aboville, dining in this elegant, lofty restaurant—designed in neutral colors like an artist’s atelier—goes way beyond your typical museum offerings. It starts with a warm brioche that’s as decadent as a southern popover, and then moves on to just about anything you’re craving. The roast chicken is generous and succulent, the cabillaud is delicately poached in ginger and lemongrass, and the burger is topped with foie gras, bien sur. Get there before autumn descends to take advantage of the magnificent outdoor terrace, with its grand imperial columns, mosaic floors and sheltered views of the Petit Palais.

3, avenue Winston Churchill (enter on the Seine side), 8eme, 01 42 56 42 42. Open daily from noon until midnight.

Café Artcurial

Café Artcurial

Imagine having a solarium in the chichi eighth arrondissement, where a fleet of modelesque waistaff outfitted in black briskly trot around to bring you burrata salads, salmon tartares and desserts from the stellar tea salon Les Deux Abeilles. Voila, welcome to Café Artcurial. Tucked in the back of  the contemporary auction house, Artcurial, the black and white, sun-filled dining area of this buzzy café is a hit with the fashion crowd as much as regular ladies who lunch.

7, rond-point des Champs-Elysées, 8eme, 01 42 99 20 20. Open Monday – Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Café Suedois

Cake from Café Suédois (Justine Robinett)

If you want a break from French flavors, envelope yourself in the calming Scandinavian vibe of the Swedish Institute of Paris. The cultural center’s café, located in the heart of the Marais, offers classic Swedish fare, from freshly baked “kanelbullar,” or cinnamon rolls, to open-face meatball sandwiches on hearty black bread and smoked salmon. When it’s warm outside, a seat in the cobblestone courtyard can’t be beat.

11, rue Payenne, 3eme, 01 44 78 80 11. Open Tuesday – Sunday, 12 – 6 p.m.

Tokyo Eats Bar and Café Suédois (Justine Robinett)

Le Saut de Loup at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs

While there’s ample seating inside Le Saut de Loup’s dining room, eating there would miss the most beautiful aspect of the Musée’s restaurant: the views from the terrace. Sit facing south to bask in the Louvre’s Carousel Gardens. Face westward and it’s the Jadin des Tuileries as far as the eye can see. Look east, and see I.M. Pei’s shimmering pyramid. There are sculptures in the park, the Eiffel Tower peeking over the rooftops, and the brilliant Paris sky above. And the food isn’t so bad either. Enjoy anything from a light and tasty king crab salad with avocado and mango to “le vrai cheeseburger” to a hearty pork chop with mashed potatoes.

107, rue de Rivoli, 1er, 01 42 25 49 55. Open daily from noon until 2 a.m.

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Written by Amy Thomas for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

WRITTEN BY

Amy Thomas

Amy Thomas is a sweets-obsessed writer based between New York and Paris. She published her best-selling “foodoir” (food writing meets memoir), Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate). This was followed up with the 2018 book Brooklyn in Love: A Memoir of Food, Family and Finding Yourself. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, T Magazine, New York Post, National Geographic Traveler, New York Magazine, Town & Country, Bust, Every Day with Rachel Ray and others.

10 Comments

  1. loveLOVElove the Café Suedois. She was obsessed with everything swedish, and lucky her, ended up marrying a hockey-playing, salmon-eating, blonde swedish man 🙂

  2. Great list of picks! Café Suedois is one of my all time Paris favorites. A couple more Paris museum restaurants I might throw up there if I was going to super (duper mega!) splurge on museum dining: Cristal Room Baccarat http://bit.ly/o32Q7n and Les Ombres http://bit.ly/nuVf2K

  3. Indeed food is part of the city for sure!
    I wanted to report my last food experience: i am quite fond of cooking and meeting new friend so i had a cooking lesson with a Parisian guy at his place, he has a nice terrace close to the eiffel tower and that was really good time i found his class on cook-o.com his name is Chef Greg, he offers us Champagne at arrival.. i really recommend the experience!

    He is giving a course late this month about macaron i think.

  4. Art + Food. My favorite combo! Great list and I’m happy to report I’ve been to nearly all. My recent favorite being the outside terrace of ‘Le Saut de Loup’, gorgeous! A bit pricey but well worth the outdoor ambiance.

  5. So cute, great post! But what about Restaurant Georges at the Pompidou? Gorgeous views, cool crowd, and yummy cocktails http://ow.ly/6opIN

  6. I really love all your posts and I’ve got a question for you!
    I am looking for a real streetstyle blog in Paris, not people from fashion show, just normal people.
    I know Style and the city but it’s too much caotic and he shoots a lot of people from fashion business like models etc
    I followed garance doré but she doesn’t shot anymore street, I do not like personal blogs of outfits like the blog of Betty, cherry blossom, etc.
    I would like to have a realistic overview of Parisian style, par hasard you know anything like this?
    thanks anyway!

  7. Wonderfully informative post as usual. I’ve saved most of your posts in my “Paris” file which is now so full of good ideas that I’ll have to come and stay for about 6 months in Paris to enjoy them all – and you’ll be posting more!

  8. What can be better than dining surrounded by world renowned art and creatively inspired dishes to delight both the eyes and the taste buds!

    Come and enter my Fashion Giveaway from Fresh Produce.

    xoxo
    Karena

    Art by Karena

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