5 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.

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.

Though Parisian purists may not approve, the rest of the world has joyfully embraced this hybrid restaurant/pastry shop that rose to global TikTok fame with the “crookie,” an unabashedly decadent mix of French croissant and American-style chocolate-chip cookie. You’ll feel better about indulging if you first partake of the many healthy items on the brunch, lunch, and dinner menus offering French classic dishes like country paté, a creamy veggie soup of the day, escargot in garlic butter, roasted duck leg, and a juicy American-style hamburger on a homemade French brioche bun.

There's something about this sleek little wine bar that attracts top talent before they really hit the big time. Currently, it's a whole new culinary adventure under the helm of Mexican chef Robert Mendoza, whose sublime concoctions have Parisians coming back again and again. The spare decor is the perfect backdrop for the chef's deliciously colorful plates, and you can watch the cooks master the open kitchen as the enthusiastic crowd gets more lively as dishes arrive and wine is poured.