Best Marais Restaurants: Where to Eat in Paris

The Marais is one of the most popular places to visit in Paris and with good reason. The historic district in the heart of Paris is filled with charming streets, alluring squares like the Place des Vosges, wonderful museums like the Musée Carnavalet, art galeries and excellent boutiques. While the area does have a wide range of restaurants, many of these are either below-average cafés or quick cantine-style venues which don’t necessarily provide a welcoming and pleasant setting. To avoid having a bad meal and help you find the perfect restaurant to suit your desires and budget on your next trip, we’ve brought together the top selection of where to eat in the Marais. 

Best Marais Restaurants for Lunch

These venues are also a great option if you’re looking for vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the Marais.

Le Loir dans la Théière

A neighborhood favorite since 1996, Le Loir dans la Théière is a cozy and reasonably priced lunch spot. Decorated in mismatched armchairs, sofas, old posters, and other flea-market finds, the restaurant was inspired by a story in Alice in Wonderland, illustrated on the mural in the second room. I usually choose one of their inventive quiches, but I can also be tempted by their salads and daily specials – all of which are made in-house and using seasonal ingredients. No matter what I pick, I always save room for a piece of their incredible pies and cakes.

Breizh Cafe

Satisfy your hunger while strolling in the Upper Marais at this famous creperie. The word for “Brittany” in the Breton language, where crepes traditionally come from, Breizh Cafe has a few branches around the city, but this is their original venue in Paris. It stands apart from other creperies courtesy of its exceptional-quality ingredients, which are mostly organic. The menu has creative versions of classic buckwheat flour   crepe recipes, like the one I had on my last visit — le Vendangeur, which included Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese, grapes, pine nuts, pine honey, and salad with cider vinaigrette.

Le Used Book Café

Combine some shopping in the Upper Marais with a laid-back lunch at the literary-inspired café of the Merci concept store, Le Used Book Café. Surrounded by shelves packed with 10,000 books, the atmosphere couldn’t be cozier as you enjoy modern lunch time fare from soups and salads to terrines and cheese plates.

Benedict 

As you might guess by its name Benedict, this all-day breakfast spot specializes in eggs benedict — but with a twist. The menu features different benedicts, topped with ingredients like avocado, pulled pork, truffles, or prepared shakshuka style. Pas de problème if you’re not into eggs, they also have salads, burgers, and seasonal specials.

Season

Tucked away on a side street of the North Marais, the organic café Season is great for brunch. It has a selection of breakfast-style dishes, a whole section of decadent pancakes, avocado benedicts and toasts, salads, and other main courses. These all go well with their selection of fresh pressed juices, smoothies, or “super-lattes,” including my favorite — cacao, coconut, and turmeric.

Best Cheap Restaurants in Le Marais

L’As du Fallafel

A Marais institution since 1979, this is no ordinary falafel shop. L’As du Fallafel shot to stardom after American musician Lenny Kravitz declared it one of his favorite places on the planet. It’s worth the wait for one of their mouthwatering, overflowing falafel sandwiches. They have some tables inside, but I usually take my sandwich to enjoy in the nearby hidden Parc Rosiers-Joseph-Migneret or on one of the benches found around the corner in the little plaza on Rue des Hospitalières Saint-Gervais.

Miznon

If you’re looking for a different street food option in Marais, try this creative Israeli sandwich shop, located a mere few paces from the Rue des Rosiers. Miznon serves up a changing array of pita sandwiches stuffed with roasted eggplant, ratatouille, boeuf bourguignon, or kebab-style lamb. Despite these tempting options, I usually revert to my favorite, “la Blanche,” filled with roasted cauliflower, tahini, tomato salsa, and spring onion.

Robert et Louise

Slightly under the radar, this is a local favorite restaurant, serving top-notch classic French dishes. It’s a particularly good option for steak lovers. With wooden beams and photos of its founders, Robert et Louise, the cozy dining room doesn’t look like it’s changed much since the restaurant opened in 1958. It specializes in wood-fired grilled meats, so you’ll find starters like foie gras, various main course options like steak, lamb chops, duck breast, some seafood and vegetarian dishes plus classic desserts like crème brûlée

Les Vitelloni

For excellent-quality Italian food within a cozy setting in the North Marais, seek out Les Vitelloni. An homage to a Federico Fellini film of the same name, you’ll find movie posters dropping the walls and cool old train benches as seating. I usually start with a mix aperitivo platter, before continuing with their signature dish, “olio, aglio, piccante” (spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes), and finish with the chocolate panna cotta.

Best Modern Restaurants in Le Marais

Boubalé

Located in the new fashionable boutique hotel, Le Grand Mazarin, and featuring eclectic decor, Boubalé is run by Michelin-starred executive chef Assaf Granit. His menu includes modern takes on Ashkenazi cuisine, well-suited for its location near the Marais’s historic Jewish quarter. You can enjoy these delectable dishes in the cozy dining room or the sublime winter garden. Finish off with a cocktail in its stylish cocktail bar or secret underground lounge.

Les Foodies

Tucked away on a small side street north of Hotel de Ville is the stylish contemporary restaurant Les Foodies. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, chef Davide Galloni prepares a regularly changing menu of dishes blending the flavors of France and his native countries: Thailand and Italy. His creative menu features the likes of pink risotto with beets, scallops, and mussel mousse or grilled octopus with caramelized fennel, marinated tomatoes, chorizo, and Romesco sauce. In the evening they have a range of small plates, however, during the week at lunch, there’s a good-value two-course menu at 25 €.

Jaja 

Hidden in a small courtyard next to busy rue Vieille du Temple is the secret culinary oasis Jaja . The countryside feel of the verdant terrace extends indoors thanks to its glass atrium. No matter where you sit, you’ll be treated to the creative modern bistro cuisine of chef Eduardo Gonzalez which could include green asperges vertes from the Loire Valley, capers, eggs and mustard sauce or a rack of veal from the Basque Country served with potato mousseline and peas. They also have a reasonably-priced lunch menu during the week with two courses for 21 € and three courses for 25 €.

Grand Coeur

Nestled in the peaceful courtyard next to the Café de la Gare theatre and Le Centre de Danse du Marais, Grand Coeur is one of my go-to chic eateries in the Marais. The spacious terrace beckons in good weather or enjoy the serene and luminous ambiance of the interior along with delicious creative modern dishes such as fresh summer soup with yellow zucchini and pesto and pressed lamb shoulder with baby carrots and kumquats.