9 Best Restaurants in Les Grands Boulevards, Paris

Those unable to score a sought-after table at chef Katsuaki Okiyama's restaurant Abri should have better luck at this small soba bar tucked away on a back street off the Faubourg-Montmartre. The chef's savory homemade buckwheat noodles are the big draw—enjoy them hot or cold, paired with duck and leeks, fried tofu and mushrooms, or more imaginative concoctions like eel, cod intestine, and the freshest sashimi. Reservations aren't accepted, so try to arrive before noon for lunch or 7 for dinner to avoid waiting in line.

This classy brasserie in the heart of the Passage des Panoramas, Paris's oldest and most picturesque covered gallery, has much more going for it than just good looks. Every item on its tempting menu of French classics—from oeufs mayonnaise and soupe à l'oignon to frogs' legs and octopus à la Provençal, a house specialty—is made with the freshest market ingredients and perfectly cooked, beautifully presented, and served with a smile. To really take in the atmosphere, grab a terrace table in the bustling historic passage. An extensive wine list offers plenty of excellent bottles and well-priced choices by the glass, and waiters are happy to help you with pairings.

Lodged in one of Paris's most picturesque historic passages, the Italian Caffè Stern—a listed monument updated by designer Philippe Starck—is loaded with the sort of antique charm that makes a cup of coffee and dessert feel like a romantic moment in time. Full meals are a more elegant—and expensive—affair, though teatime (3 pm–6 pm) and the prix-fixe lunch (€30) make for a more manageable splurge.

Set in a brick- and stone-walled building on a pedestrian street near Rue Montorgueil, Frenchie has quickly become one of the most hard-to-book bistros in town, with tables reserved months in advance, despite two seatings each evening. This success is due to the good-value, €145 five-course dinner menu (prix fixe only); boldly flavored dishes such as calamari gazpacho with squash blossoms or melt-in-the-mouth braised lamb with roasted eggplant and spinach are excellent options. Service can be, shall we say, a tad brusque, but for some that's a small price to pay for food this good.

If this weren't one of Paris's most outstanding wine bars, the wait and the metal tractor seats might be a deterrent. Yet wine lovers would be hard-pressed to find a better venue for sampling a great list of French wines and inspired selections from Italy and Spain—every one of them sold by the bottle or glass—with superb tapas to match. Feast on yummy small plates like the "coleslaw" of citrusy calamari, black-olive coulis, and a sprinkling of pine nuts; bresaola with apples, spicy mizuna leaves, and dollops of creamy horseradish; and a wedge of Stilton served atop a paste of speculoos biscuits with poached pears and smoked walnuts. Get here right at 7 pm when the restaurant opens or shortly afterward to avoid waiting for a table.

After a takeover by the French-trained American star chef Daniel Rose back in 2015, this bistro stalwart transformed from a duckling to a swan, with elegant revamps of its bistro decor and an upgrade on its deeply satisfying French comfort-food classics. All meals begin with superb gougères (warm, cheesy puffs), and, if you're wise, will end with dessert.

A head-turning variety of luscious pastries, classic French breakfast sweets and breads, ice cream, chocolates, and homemade jams will tempt every sweet tooth at this charming bakery and tearoom. Tucked into the historic covered Passage Jouffroy, Le Valentin is a picturesque spot for breakfast, lunch, or teatime—or buy a box of irresistible French-Alsatian sweets to enjoy on the go.

This tiny gem of a coffee shop may not have the ambience of Paris's historic brasserie cafés, but it does have something you won't find in any brasserie in Paris—reliably excellent coffee served with care and enthusiasm. What's more, a small menu of delicious homemade sweets and sandwiches and salads at lunchtime pretty much covers all your restorative needs.

Once described as the "center of the civilized world," this grand café was a meeting place for the Belle Époque's glitterati. It's an elegant spot to enjoy a drink (or meal) in the shadow of the Opéra Garnier.