Sunday Dining in Paris

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Couscous

Here’s a list of some restaurants in Paris that are open on Sunday. Note that some are quite basic while others may fall into the slightly touristy category. Nevertheless, I still think they’re worthy of a visit. All but the most basic restaurants prefer that diners make reservations.

Another Sunday dining option is to visit one of the outdoor markets and make up a picnic. Markets open on Sunday morning (9am-2pm) include Richard Lenoir (M: Bastille), Aligre (M: Ledru-Rollin), Raspail (M: Sèvres-Babylon), and Place Monge (M: Place Monge).

Astier
44, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (11th)
Tél: 01 43 57 16 35

Breizh Café
109, rue Vieille du Temple (3rd)
01 42 72 13 77

Excellent buckwheat crêpes served in a casual, yet sparse setting. Especially busy at prime lunch hours.

Café des Musées
49, rue de Turenne (3rd)
01 43 72 96 17

Excellent French food, especially the house-made terrine and steak-frites with bernaise sauce. Desserts always good, and wine by the carafe make everything go down better. (UPDATE: Café des Musées changed owners in the Fall of 2014 and I’ve heard mixed reports from locals and visitors. I haven’t been back since the change of proprietors so an unable to provide a personal report about any changes. But I will update this post when I return.)

Chez Paul
13, rue de Charonne (11th)
01 47 00 34 57

This traditional French bistro flies under the radar of many but is a great choice for Sunday lunch, especially after a visit to the nearby Richard Lenoir market. Hearty fare.

Chez Omar
47, rue de Bretagne (3rd)
(No reservations)

Terrific couscous and the best roast lamb (mechoui) in town. Good steak frites, too. Gets crowded but worth the wait. Only open on Sunday for dinner.

La Rôtisserie Beaujolais
19, quai de la Tournelle (5th)
01 43 54 17 47

Spit-roasted meats are the specialty here. Just on the banks of the Seine, few are disappointed with the roasted meats and poultry that come out of the open kitchen.

L’Europeen
21, bus rue Diderot (12th)
Tél: 01 43 43 99 70

Don’t let the location across from the gare de Lyon train station sway you away. Lot of travelers, and locals, come here for fresh oysters, seafood, and other French fare. I like to sit at the bar and watch the action. Because of its location, reservations often aren’t necessary, so it’s a good last-minute choice, or one if you want to eat late at night because they’re open until 1am daily.

Au Pied du Cochon
6, rue Coquillière (1st)
01 40 13 77 00

Time-honored Paris classic. Turns out bowls of French Onion Soup and breaded pigs feet 24 hours a day. Popular with tourists, as well as Parisians. Sticking with the basics is your best bet.

L’as du Falafel
34, rue de Rosiers (4th)
(No reservations)

Either take a seat in the newly-remodeled dining room, or stand on the street and fork in the most famous falafel in the world. Another choice is the stand Maoz, although there’s little room to sit.

Chez Marianne
2, rue des Hospitalières St Gervais (4th)
01 42 72 18 86

If you’re craving something other than French food, the middle eastern combination salads here offer a bit of a respite from rich, meaty fare elsewhere. A popular Marais hot spot, don’t expect the disinterested servers to dawdle as you decide. Choose your combo from the list (you can view them through the front window as well), and stick with house wine or beer.

Ma Bourgogne
19, place des Vosges (4th)
(No reservations or credit cards)

Dine under the arches of the Place de Vosges. Known for steak frites, generous salads, and good house Beaujolais (Fleurie), served cool.

Grizzli Café
7, rue St. Martin (1st)
01 48 87 77 56

Better-than-average café, with copious salads. Good people-watching, too.

Chartier
7, rue du Faubourg Montmarte (9th)
(No reservations)

The food here takes second-place to the stern, classic French service in the bustling, historic dining room. Inexpensive fare served without pretense. Don’t expect culinary fireworks, but Chartier is well-worth a visit anyways.

Mon Vieil Ami
69, rue St Louis-en-Ile (4th)
01 40 46 01 35

The house specialty is vegetables, but the rest of the food is good. Large communal table, which single diners appreciate. Reserve in advance. (Note: I’ve heard recent grumblings about the service, but haven’t been back to confirm.)

Lastly, some of the Flo brasseries are decent, and good value, although they lack soul and some of the food uninspired. The best of the lot are La Coupole and Terminus Nord. The pricier Brasserie Balzar is fine as well, but I avoid Bofinger due to being treated poorly on more than one visit.



Related Links

Eating & Drinking in Paris (French menu translation guide)

Paris Dining and Travel Guides

Favorite Paris Restaurants and Dining Tips

Paris Restaurants

Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris

Time Out Paris Eating & Dining

Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City’s Best 102 Restaurants

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30 comments

    • La Reveuse

    You forgot the market on Avenue Auguste Blanqui in the 13th, Metro Place d’Italie (5,6,7) or Corvisart (6). It’s a big one, too (also there Tues. and Fri.)

    Ask the cremier/fromagier for the “special butter”. It’s divine, and she even offered to mail it to me in the US when I told her we were moving back. I wish I had taken her up on it! And the good baker’s forestiers and madeleines are unbelievable. He displays in brown baskets and is on the right when headed downhill after the fruit dudes.

    • David

    Thanks Reveuse: I just mentioned the markets that visitors might be most likely to go to. There’s a few in the north as well, which are off the beaten path, but interesting, too. (Although that butter sounds like it’s worth a special trip!)

    Folks can find a complete list of Paris Markets at this link.

    • Ms. Glaze

    Just about everything in the Latin Quarter is open (my hood) including Guy Savoy’s chic bistros: Atelier Maitre Albert and Les Bouquinistes. Forget about Monday though. Monday is dead like a doornail.

    • Babeth

    Great couscous pix! You made want to have one for dinner alalalala ;-)

    • Susan

    Chartier was a favorite haunt in my impoverished student days. Not exactly haute cuisine, but affordable, and those Provencal mushrooms were scrumptious!

    I was amused to note that when I move the cursor (Mac) over the “dear guests” link, the whole page shakes violently and the link turns into a question mark! The service always was a bit brusque. (on the French site the link lets you compose and print your own menu)

    • Fr Chris

    Breakfast in America is also open 7 days a week.

    As much as I *loved* eating out in Paris at a wide range of restaurants when I was there, it was also nice to stop by BIA for a cheeseburger and a Dr Pepper (one of the few places in the city I found Dr Pepper). They also have good shakes.

    • J. Savile

    How about Les Ailes the best Tunisian restaurant in Paris? Kosher, so Sunday opening hasn’t been a problem when I’ve visited. Just round the corner from Chartiers, pretty much next door to the Folies Bergere.

    • Luisa

    I am having a serious bout of homesickness for Europe these days and your first two Sunday picks made me palpitate: Chez Paul and Chez Omar, my stalwarts from my Paris days…

    • Gwen

    Luisa, I adore Chez Omar. Stayed right down the street from it during my last visit and ate there twice in the span of maybe 4 days. It’s a real bargain, too. My husband and I both had appetizers, a couscous main, and shared a carafe of house something-or-other for under 40EUR.

    • Kim

    Oh, how I wish I was in Paris to try some of your suggestions. But I am in Charleston and just received your lovely book The Perfect Scoop. Made the Creamy Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream (not served together) and they were fabulous. I did try a hand at the candied citrus peel and it flopped, was gooey but I will try again. I made the mistake of turning my back from the stove. Thanks!

    • American in London

    I’d add that on Sundays in Paris, eating in one of the Vietnamese places in “chinatown” is always a good bet. I never say no to good, cheap pho in Paris. Also, when I was last in Paris (a few weeks ago), I took your rec of visiting Lao Lane Xang 2 for a Sunday dinner and had a delish meal there. I was surprised at how good the food was considering the menu was all over the place (Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese).

    Thanks for this list, by the way. Your advice is always helpful and spot-on.

    • Craig

    Thanks for a timely article. Just this last week I was looking at Sunday Paris restaurants since it looks like my September trip has to work around a schedule that will only allow time in Paris on Sundays & Mondays over two weekends.

    I found a few more Sunday places recommended on the Chowhound website:
    http://www.chowhound.com/topics/418315

    • Vanessa

    L’Entrecote de Paris at 29 Rue de Marignan is open for Sunday lunch. We dined there on Easter Sunday and the place was full of French families eating delicious steak, frites, and salad.

    It’s easy enough to find. Walk from the Place de Concorde towards the Arc de Triomphe. After you view the surrealist sculpture garden, cross the Champs and proceed toward the Arc (you should be on the left side of the Champs). Once you find Laduree you will turn left and there it is.

    Also La Source at 49 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg is open on Sunday. It is a lovely bistro adjacent to the War Museum and Napoleon’s tomb. We had steak tartar, croque monsieur, onion soup, and frites. Another perfect meal and again we were the only Americans.

    I love Paris and I can’t wait to return.

    • Tim P

    David, so glad to hear someone warn people away from Bofinger–it’s the one Paris restaurant I always tell visitors to avoid! My favorite Flo brasserie is Le Vaudeville on rue Vivienne just across from the Bourse. Such a lovely old room and friendly staff. Coming in September, cannot wait.

    • ChazFrench

    Le Sigh…

    I’ve been busy having fun in Paris and hadn’t checked my google reader, had I read this post last Sunday when you made it, I could have had a decent meal, rather than the worst 80 meal I’ve ever had.

    It was an Italian place in the 14th, If I have a chance in the morning I’ll get the name and do a follow up here so others can avoid it.

    On the upside, I’ve had some really amazing meals this trip which I’ll be writing about when I get back.

    I’ve also got over 1,200 photos to go through and decide what to post.

    • Teresa

    Great tips. Most people might not know that dining choices in Paris aren’t as wide on Sunday as other days of the week. We had a very nice dinner at Terminus Nord. The choices off the daily menu board were great, well priced, and the food was wonderful.

    Can’t wait for another visit to Paris and try out the other recommendations.

    • R.O.Diaz

    La Coupole: Went there last Saturday (5/24). Couldn’t get reservations, but the Maitre’d said if we ordered drinks at the bar we’d have a better chance of getting a table. So we did. there were 5 of us it was about 8:15. It was extremely warm, we later found out that the air conditioners weren’t working. It took an act of God to get drinks. The bartenders favored pretty young women to loud aggressive men to serve first. We got our table about hour an a half later. We have to admit got a lovely corner table albeit in a warm area since it’s quite a ways from the front door.

    Everyone in the restaurant were making makeshift fans. It look like the “birds” with all these papers flapping. Surprisingly, the food was excellent. Considering what the kitchen staff must be going through in this heat. The menus were in French, considering the large number of English speakers, I would have thought they’d have an English translation. Thank God we read French, and some of us speak it fairly well. We had the speciality of lamb curry, and treated ourselves to the sea food platter, albeit expensive it was worth it. Dessert was good. Only down side was we must’ve lost 10 lbs of liquids sweating like crazy. I think we’ll go when the air conditioners are working.

    Only advise to them, if their airconditioners are not working, they should let us know upfront. We shouldn’t have to ask.

    • David

    Hi R.O: Thanks for the report! Even if the AC was working, most folks find French AC a bit ‘lacking’ anyways. There are waiters there who speak English: on my last visit, the waiter lived for a few years in Massachusetts…and showed me his US drivers license to prove it.

    Often if you’re an anglophone, they’ll seat you in the area w/ the English-speaking waiter and consequently, you’ll often find yourself surrounded by other Americans (or English-speakers) instead of French people. I do recommend visitors bring along a menu translation guide to avoid similar situations.

    (Even though the AC wasn’t working, on the bright side, at least you didn’t order tripe by accident!)

    • Eric

    Have you ever tried La Cagouille? Excellent seafood in an impossible to find location near Montparnasse, with a nice garden in warm weather.Also Le Pere Claude in the 15th, good, basic rotisserie chicken and meats, highly satisfying…..

    • Nora

    Hi David,

    I have been visiting Paris for years and living here (in the Marais) for 16 months. I thank you for your restaurant recommendations; my husband and I have tried many of the establishments you recommend, and for the most part – agree with your assessments. There is one exception that comes to mind – Chez Omar. Their food quality varies drastically from day to day – as does the quality of the service. Not a bad place overall but if I had only 2 or 3 days in Paris – I would not take the risk of having an unpleasant experience…

    Nora

    • Leslie

    When I was in Paris I stayed in the Monteparnesse area or the artists district. We ate at this tiny little restaurant down the street from our hotel called Wadja. Not a very french sounding name we first thought, but you will find it is the essential Parisian dinning experience for those who like something different.

    • suedoise

    As for Sunday markets do please venture in that undiscovered paradise in Paris and get thee to Place des Fetes around any of the two metro exits. Absolutely no tourists and yet this is the Paris you have been looking for.
    Buy your picnic ingredients taking your time (no later than 1 pm) and then walk down the steep rue Crimé at the beginning passing a tiny utterly wonderful Jewish bakery for some unbeatable goodies on your left, look at the incredible old long stone stairs on both sides as you reach rue Botzaris you have the gorgeous park Buttes Chaumont to your left there is nothing like it. Here do spread your picnic on the grand pelouse and meet Parisians of all ages doing the same. You will have the time of your life. Should you prefer a brasserie there is a very good one just at the corner rue Crimé and Botzaris. Or walk down through the park and arrive at the other end opening to the Place Armand Carrel where you have several brasseries such as the Napoleon III then either take Sunday bus 75 taking you to Pont Neuf or go down the pretty avenue Laumière to the metro station with the same name.

    • Sylvia

    I really enjoy your site. I do wish I could print out information without the extra stuff on the pages. Am I missing something?

    • David

    Hi Sylvia: Unfortunately that’s something I would have had to have added when I began the site. Right now, there are almost a thousand entries and I’d have to manually reformat all of them to add a print option. You can cut and paste text, using a program like Word. Hope that helps!

    (There are sites on the internet which allow you to put in the URL of a website and it will print it out, without the extraneous material. You can find one perhaps searching via Google.)

    • Mario

    Hi David,

    My compliments for your highly entertaining and informative book, The Sweet Life in Paris. I enjoyed reading it and preparing for my trip to Paris!

    May I make a suggestion for future editions: to attach the arrondissement number to your Bonnes Adresses? I’m visiting this Sunday and it would have been easier to track down the shops listed if I knew where to look.

    • Beth B

    We were desolee when we called la rotisserie beaujolais and they said it was closed. From what I understood, there was some kind of problem in the building. We went by and it looks like work is being done. Or might be being done. Or is being considered. Do you know what happened?

    • David

    Beth: No, I don’t know why they’re closed. I noticed some work being done inside so perhaps they’re remodeling. Good thing you called ahead, which is something I always advise.

    Mario: Thanks for the feedback. In the newest editions, I’ve added neighborhood and métro stops. Glad you liked the book!

    • marie

    Hi David,

    have you tried Grenouille, on rue Blanche, cooking from Normandie…

    mm

    • E. Jane Beckwith

    Is there a contest for best baguette each year? If so, which one won and do you have favorite baguettes besides Poilaine? JB

    • Susan Apel

    For Sunday dinner, Bistrot d’Henri on rue Princesse. Small, cozy, reasonable, and judging from my last couple of Sundays there, always packed.

A

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