Where to eat & restaurants around Notre Dame, Paris

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Paris has hundreds of fabulous restaurants and a plethora of dining options. Nevertheless, like many major tourist sites in the French capital like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, it can be especially hard to find a delicious meal around Notre-Dame Cathedral. However, you can avoid the mediocre establishments packed into the Latin Quarter. Drift a little further afield, and there are some excellent hidden gems and good food to be had. Enjoy delicious food at one of these best restaurants near Notre Dame. These are all within a five to ten-minute walk from the beloved city landmark.

Lunch near Notre Dame Paris

La Fourmi Ailée

A stone’s throw from Notre Dame on the Left Bank, La Fourmi Ailée is one of my favorite lunchtime venues. It is a former bookstore turned tea salon. The “Winged Ant” has a whimsical feel. There are shelves of books, a fireplace, a meditative Buddha statue, and a lofty ceiling painted with a blue sky and clouds. On its newsprint menu, you’ll find a good selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. These include reasonably-priced creative salads, quiches, vegan lasagna, and meat dishes.

Le Zimmer

Not far from Notre-Dame on the Right Bank is the legendary Paris restaurant Le Zimmer. It is located at the corner of the Chatêlet Theatre. Originally opened in 1896, it is one of the most beautiful restaurants on this list. Its interior is decorated with gilded wood paneling, dainty ceilings, paintings and velour curtains. Come at lunchtime and savor its rich history at a lower price (two courses for €30). You’ll find something for all tastes. Oeuf mimosa with crab, the guinea fowl with tarragon cream and sweet potato purée and the vegan bowl are some of the offerings.

Top place to eat in Paris for its Alsatian-inspired fare, Brasserie Zimmer is on the Place du Châtelet in Paris' 1st district and serves seafood like grilled octopus (left) and has old-world wooden and red velvet interiors (right). — Le Zimmer Paris

Best Cafés near Notre Dame

These cafés are good for lunch. So are Sergeant Recruiter, L’Invitée and Benoit, which offer affordable at lunch menus during the week.

Café Panis

This classic French café is located right across from Notre-Dame on the Left Bank of the Seine river. Café Panis attracts a lot of tourists, but still has a neighborhood feel. It offers a good-value two course meal at lunch at €19.50. You can also choose from its à la carte options like croque-monsieur sandwiches, burgers, vegetarian curry and their speciality – boeuf bourguignon.

Cafe des Deux Palais

Found right across from the Sainte-Chapelle and a few minutes’ walk from Notre-Dame is this attractive Second Empire-style café. Although it’s a bit touristy, locals also frequent Cafe des Deux Palais. Rub elbows with lawyers attending sessions at the Palais de Justice courthouse, which you can see from the terrace. Great day or night, it serves classic brasserie food. Think escargot to roast chicken and fries and from omelets to salads.

Best Cheap Restaurants near Notre Dame

Boulangerie La Parisienne

This branch is run by “best baguette in Paris” winner Mickaël Reydellet. It is found a block south of Notre Dame on the Left Bank. Pick up sandwiches at Boulangerie La Parisienne made of award-winning bread, salads, pastries, and more. Get food to go and head back down for a picnic on the banks of the Seine, overlooking the cathedral.

Chez Gladines – Saint-Germain

This cheap and cheerful eatery on Boulevard Saint-Germain has a fun decor of colorful wooden chairs and 1950s pinups on its long brick wall. Chez Gladines – Saint-Germain serves up copious plates of specialties from the Southwest of France. On the menu are Basque-style chicken or cassoulet, omelets with foie gras, large salads, and fried potatoes – all for a mere €5 to €19.

Crêperie des Arts

Skip the not-so-great crepe stands in the Latin Quarter and go to this real traditional crêperie instead. It is located a few paces from Place Saint-Michel. Since 1973 Crêperie des Arts been flipping authentic crepes filled with your favorite toppings. I always save room for a dessert crepe drizzled in caramel au beurre salé.

Best Classic French Restaurants near Notre Dame

Au Bougnat

Found on a small side street around the corner from Notre Dame, Au Bougnat is one of the best restaurants on Île de la Cité. With wooden benches and tables and a traditional bistro ambiance, local islanders keep coming back for more of this restaurant’s tasty foie gras and fig terrine, garlicky snails, savory coq au vin, and asparagus risotto. At around €22 for a main course, the prices are rather reasonable for the area and the quality reliable.

Benoit

Travel back to the early 20th century at this swank historic bistro, within the culinary kingdom of star chef Alain Ducasse. Dating to 1912, Benoit was owned by the Petit family until 2005 and was one of the neighborhood institutions of the grand era of the former Les Halles market. These traditions are upheld today with well-prepared French classics like pâté en croûte, parsnip velouté with croutons, pan-seared black pudding with two styles of apples, casserole of sweetbreads with foie gras and Armagnac savarin topped with lightly whipped cream, some of which are included in their three-course lunch menu at €42.

Atélier Maitre Albert

If you’re looking for a more gastronomic meal, this chic and cozy restaurant is the perfect place for you. Tucked away in the little-visited cluster of medieval streets south of the cathedral in the 5th arrondissement, the Atélier Maitre Albert occupies the ground floor of a building dating to the 1400s. The menu itself is more modern, designed by Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy, however, it does evoke the olden days with its focus on rotisserie meat, and in winter you can even sit by its toasty fireplace. On the spit is pork, pigeon, or farm-raised chicken, served with an array of veggie sides and available at lunch in menus of three courses for €42.

Fish carpaccio and fresh figs (left) at the cozy Atelier Maitre Albert with a large private dining space (right), one of our favorite restaurants on Paris' Left Bank — Atelier Maître Albert Restaurant Paris

Best Family restaurants

La Dame de Paris

This classic restaurant is found only a short block away from Notre-Dame. A great option for families looking for traditional French cuisine, the menu at La Dame de Paris features dishes that could appeal to younger palettes such as croque-monsieurs, quiche Lorraine, omelets, steak-frites, and pinzas (similar to pizzas). They also have a to-go counter selling sandwiches and pastries.

Le Bon Moment

On a quiet non-touristy street on the edge of the Latin Quarter is this kid-friendly café. Ideal for families with smaller children who need a break while sightseeing, Le Bon Moment has a kids’ corner with books and toys. On the menu are great coffee and specialty drinks, brunch style items like avocado toast, some Asian dishes and a range of desserts.

Best Contemporary or Gastronomic Restaurants near Notre Dame

Le Sergent Recruteur

This restaurant of Alain Pégouret has one Michelin star and is situated on Ile Saint-Louis, a short walk from Notre Dame. With ancient stone walls and contemporary seating, the dining room at Le Sergent Recruteur is both stylish and cozy. You can enjoy top-quality modern dishes like white asparagus with Viennese soft-boiled egg, creamy artichoke and smoked parmesan, haddock with sea fennel steam, sweet onion pissaladière, or roast guinea fowl with daikon radish confit, date purée and bok choy. Come for lunch when you can have these delights within its menus at €42 and €52.

La Rôtisserie de la Tour d’Argent

A perfect way to enjoy a taste of the historic fine dining restaurant La Tour d’Argent, without breaking the bank is by paying a visit to their more casual rotisserie, La Rôtisserie de la Tour d’Argent, located across the street. A stylish venue with an old-school look, it serves main courses like the establishment’s signature dish: its world-famous duck recipe, with polenta and Armagnac juice. Other amazing food on the menu includes steak with Roquefort cheese sauce and fries, free-range chicken with mashed potatoes and other well-prepared French classics.

A steak au poivre and roasted chicken dish with mashed potatoes from Rotisserie La Tour D'Argent. — La Rotisserie de la Tour d’Argent

L’Invitée

On a quiet side street a little further south of the touristy restaurants, but still in the heart of the Latin Quarter is this stylish bistronomic restaurant. The luminous and stylish dining room at L’Invitée is decorated in sea blue tones where you can sample chef Matthieu Bureau’s refined menu of seasonal modern cuisine with international twists. This might include marinated salmon with beetroot and horseradish whipped cream, orzo risotto with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, piquillos and parmesan or soy-glazed duck breast with Vietnamese eggplant caviar, cucumber and mint cream. Come by during the week to make the most of their excellent value lunch two-course lunch menu with coffee for €20.