7 Best Restaurants in Around the Eiffel Tower, Paris

Don't let its veneer of a mere neighborhood café mislead you—this is one of the most sought-after tables in the 7e arrondissement and a great option after a visit to the Musée d'Orsay just a few steps away. Jean and Roxane Sévégnès have transformed it into a restaurant Parisians adore, focused on seasonal dishes with a southwest flair that mix traditional recipes, like tripe, tête de veau (veal brains), or that hard-to-find favorite vol au vent (truffled sweetbreads with chicken and spinach in puff pastry) with a contemporary touch. A list of well-chosen wines, including natural and organic choices, and gentle prices for the quality make this a good choice, whether you happen to be in the neighborhood or not. Be sure to reserve, especially at dinner.

This "best craftsman of France" revives the gastronomic art of French charcuterie in dishes like dreamy foie gras and succulent slabs of country terrine enrobed in a golden buttery crust. The small-but-choice menu also highlights specialties from the sea: shellfish soufflé or delicate fish quenelles (a specialty of Lyon, France's charcuterie capital).

To see what well-heeled Parisians eat these days, book a table at this chic little bistro run by Jacques Lacipière as soon as you get to town. The contemporary dining room is unusually comfortable, but it's the excellent, well-priced cuisine du marché that has made this spot a hit. The sophisticated fare sometimes features Salers beef and green asparagus, roasted lobster with mushroom risotto, and game in season. House-made desserts could include citrus terrine with passion-fruit sorbet or caramelized apple mille-feuille with hazelnut ice cream. The €45 prix-fixe dinner menu, featuring dishes with distinct haute-cuisine touches, is one of the city's great bargains.

Parisian gastronomic extravagance has largely disappeared in favor of leaner fare. But that is not the case at this beloved stalwart, where you can revel in such Gallic classics as towering soufflés, buttery frogs' legs, or a hearty steak smothered in sauce béarnaise. It's a favorite among politicians and locals, who feel the fare is well worth the tweak to the pocketbook (and the waistline).

At this most retro of brasseries that's constantly teeming with life, everything screams Paris, from its tiled floors and bentwood chairs to its moleskin banquettes and giant mirrors. Even though it's located off the tony Rue du Bac, it still feels every bit the down-to-earth neighborhood stalwart that it is. Uniformed waiters deftly deliver your order and whisk away your empties, whether you’re there for an espresso or staying for lunch or dinner. The menu of brasserie classics remains one of the more authentic in Paris: think fat, buttery escargots; buttery steak with crispy frites; lush steak tartare; homemade duck terrine; and billowy mousse au chocolat for dessert. The café also serves a classic Parisian breakfast. All-day hours (from 7:30 am until 10:30 pm) are a big bonus and the sidewalk terrace is the best in the neighborhood.

It's not just this contemporary bistro's chic black storefront and floor-to-ceiling windows that stand out among the elegant neighborhood's pale sandstone buildings and pricey dining. A frisson of excitement in fresh, imaginative, and unfussy dishes paired with small-producer wines brings a breath of fresh air.

Acclaimed chef Pierre Siewe’s move from his lively restaurant in laid-back Pigalle to the more discriminating 7e seems to have freed rather than constrained the talented chef, who shines in this warm and colorful dining room. Siewe’s mastery of French technique and the palpable pleasure in pairing unexpected ingredients from his native Cameroon (cocoa, hibiscus, yam, and spices, including the signature Penja pepper) culminate in an ever-evolving menu of colorful, meticulously executed dishes arriving from the open kitchen. Options might include pollack fish with spiced parsley cakes, pumpkin purée, and orange-blossom hollandaise; tender braised beef with coffee condiment, red onions, capers, and hibiscus mustard; and ras el hanout-braised lamb shoulder with sweet red onion, a touch of lemon, attiéké (fermented cassava), and herbed veal jus. For dessert, the traditional Mont-Blanc gets a jolt from an invigorating green pepper ice cream. Prix fixe menus (with your choice of dishes) are €25-€45 at lunch and €55-€95 at dinner.