17 Best Restaurants in Around the Louvre, Paris

A favorite with the French and expats alike, this neighborhood bistro blends great dining with an inspired wine list and a handy location a stone's throw from the Louvre. Exquisite French ingredients are given an inspired, often slightly lighter, makeover by chef Romain Roudeau, although hearty homemade terrines and foie gras as well as slow-cooked meat and game are frequently featured on the eclectic menu.

After taking over the original La Régalade, chef Bruno Doucet kept some of what made the old restaurant so popular (country terrines, reasonably priced wines, convivial atmosphere), but he also had a few tricks under his toque, notably creating a successful haute-cuisine-meets-comfort-food destination. With its reasonable €52 prix-fixe menu, this chic bistro has evolved into a staple of the neighborhood.

One of the area's most historic (and romantic) spots has welcomed everyone from Napoléon to Colette to Jean Cocteau beneath its mirrored ceiling and is still a contender for the most beautiful restaurant in Paris. This once-Michelin-starred spot has made a few changes of late, transitioning to a menu of far more reasonable (but still delicious) fare. The no-choice prix fixe is reasonably priced at €57 for two courses or €68 for three.

This fine-dining restaurant located steps from Palais Royal breaks from tradition in more ways than one. In a converted stone cellar, just one massive dining table awaits guests who take their seats alongside strangers to embark on a nine-course culinary voyage from chef Matan Zaken. The menu embraces influences and ingredients from France and beyond, often playfully toeing the line between sweet and savory.

One of the most creative yet affordable tasting menus awaits at this restaurant founded by American husband-and-wife team Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian. The €98 prix-fixe menu sees plant-forward, seasonally driven food paired with a modern selection of wines. Order your own or opt for the €62 wine pairing.

Set in the Galerie Vivienne, Paris's loveliest covered passage, this charmingly authentic 19th-century bistro feels both cozy and welcoming, and the food and drink are well above average. With all-day hours as well as a double terrace either inside Galerie Vivienne or on a picturesque street a few steps from the Palais Royal gardens, this is a satisfying spot for a quick coffee or glass of wine, a snack, or a full meal.

If you were to ask Parisian bankers, aristocrats, or antiques dealers to name their favorite bistro for a three-hour weekday lunch, many would choose Chez Georges. The traditional fare is very good, particularly the massive céleri remoulade or salade lyonnaise meant for sharing, as well as the offal ranging from liver to sweetbreads. The lively historic atmosphere that evokes 1940s Paris is even better. Be sure when reserving that you're choosing the restaurant on rue du Mail; many share its name but not its reputation.

Don't let the chic, updated decor fool you: this tiny, reliable bistro hasn't sacrificed substance for style. The servers are friendly, the wine list is small but well curated, and the dining is first-rate, with a €48 three-course dinner menu (you can order à la carte, but it's less of a bargain) of original dishes marrying terroir-driven ingredients like Charolais beef or farm-raised chicken from the Landes with contemporary touches and pretty plating.

Jean-François Piège has breathed new life into A l'Epi d'Or, harking back to the 1920s, when Paris was filled with delightful classic bistros. The allure of the old-fashioned zinc bar, tiled floor, and dark wood tables invites you in; the mastery of authentic French cuisine begs you to stay. There are only a few à la carte options like croque monsieurs, steak frites, slow-cooked beef, and steak tartare. It's in the daily specials that the chef truly shines. 

This Michelin-starred establishment from Anne-Sophie Pic features a Provençal-accented tasting menu of specialties from the chef's native Valence, with produce-driven dishes and Southern cheeses. The dining room leans into the chef's feminine side, with pale pink accenting the cozy space otherwise decked out in leather and wood.

When Jean-François Piège took over this restaurant overlooking the former Les Halles market, he gave it a much-needed makeover while also retaining its vintage appeal. Slide into one of the red leather banquettes and peruse the menu of exquisite upscale bistro classics hailing from the height of bourgeois bistro fare (the 19th century through the 1950s) with prices to match.

Equal parts café, bar, and restaurant, Le Fumoir is a timelessly popular place to sip coffee and read the paper or enjoy an after-dinner drink. Reservations are recommended for the prix-fixe dinner as well as for the copious Sunday brunch from chef Henrik Andersson.

With its globe lamps, molded ceilings, and giant mirrors, this romantic neighborhood institution feels elegant yet not overpolished, attracting a wonderfully Parisian mix of elderly lone diners, business lunchers, tourists, couples, and the post-theater crowd, all of whom come for the enormous seafood platters, duck foie gras with Sauternes jelly, steak tartare, and roasted chicken rendered famous by Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give. Open every day, Le Grand Colbert is also a pleasant destination for a quick bite between 3 pm and 6 pm, when most everything else is closed and the restaurant offers a French-style teatime complete with a pastry.

With a reasonably priced set menu, this restaurant from the owners of Willi's Wine Bar is an ideal spot for a relaxed meal after visiting the Louvre. Natural light streams through the interior, and a broad, curved staircase leads to a spacious upstairs salon: the perfect place to enjoy the seasonally motivated menu.

More restaurant than wine bar, this British-owned spot is a stylish haunt for Parisians and visiting gourmands who might stop in for a glass of wine at the oak bar or settle into the wood-beamed dining room. The selection of reinvented classic dishes changes daily and in accordance with the seasons, and while the kitchen closes from 2:30 pm to 7 pm, the bar opens at noon and keeps serving until midnight.

There's no shortage of Japanese restaurants around the Louvre, but this one is a cut above much of the competition. The menu has something for every palate, from warming donburi to sushi and sashimi. The black-and-white space is refreshingly bright and modern, and you can perch at one of the counters for a quick bite or settle in at a table. A no-reservations policy at lunchtime means you've got as good a chance as anyone at snagging a seat.

An exquisite jewelbox setting and a Michelin star have placed L'Ecrin at Paris's dining forefront. An ethereal, highly refined cuisine highlights origins, seasons, and delicate flavor pairings, like succulent Breton langoustine with lightly caramelized fennel and a sauce laced with tart Japanese yuzu. Desserts are both luxe and homey, like Riz à l'Imperatrice, an exalted rice pudding with raspberry confit and star-anise ice cream, as well as a luscious take on the humble tarte tatin.