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The once-run-down Marais is now the epitome of chic, but you can still find reminders of its down-to-earth past along Rue des Rosiers, where falafel shops and Eastern European delis jostle with designer boutiques. Truly ambitious restaurants are few and far between in the Marais, but picturesque old bistros, like Benoît and the wonderful Café des Musées, and smaller veggie-centric eateries are popping up all over. A brand-new generation of barista cafés serving gourmet snacks for breakfast and lunch have created their own niche, answering a need for better coffee and faster sit-down dining. The popular Breizh Café attracts young and old alike with its inexpensive and authentic galettes (buckwheat crêpes) made with quality ingredients and served with a crisp, delicious cidre from Normandy or Brittany.
This was Paris's first coffee bar, founded by former Guatemalan ambassador to France turned coffee ambassador, Gloria Montenegro. With three spacious rooms, all coffee preparations under the sun, and a daily special brew chosen from among dozens of varieties of meticulously sourced beans from plantations around the globe, this is a Paris institution.
This cozy bar is always packed, and tables often spill out onto the sidewalk. Come for a hearty meal, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.
It’s worth a visit to this popular café just to see the listed historic ceilings and delightfully old-fashioned interiors. The sweets may not reach the ambition of some of the designer pâtisseries in the neighborhood, but it’s as picturesque spot as can be for a coffee and a classic tarte tatin, eclair, raspberry tart, or a savory croque monsieur for lunch in the salon de thé or on the sidewalk terrace in warm weather.
To be enveloped in the aroma of freshly baked babka is almost as swoon-worthy as biting into a tender brioche babka filled with creamy pistachio-orange flower, chocolate-hazelnut, or buttery poppy seed at this unpretentious bakery a stone’s throw from the Place des Vosges. The pistachio-rose rugelach and the nougat-orange babka rolls are to die for, as are the deli sandwiches and savory breads.
It may not have the healthiest food in the Marais, and the coffee may not be third wave, but that doesn't keep chic locals from packing into it on a sunny (or even not-so-sunny) day. The people-watching from this choice spot—at the intersection of the à la mode shopping street Rue Charlot and the bustling Rue de Bretagne—is top-notch, and the café's 1950s film noir charm is irresistible.
A true neighborhood haunt, this bustling little bistro near the Musée Picasso offers a convivial slice of Parisian life at a good value. Traditional French bistro fare is adapted to a modern audience. The best choices are the old tried-and-trues: hand-cut tartare de boeuf; rare entrecôte served with a side of golden-crisp frites and homemade béarnaise; and the classic Parmentier, with pheasant instead of the usual ground beef.
All of Paris seems to collide at this lively corner café in the heart of the Marais, where you'll find pretty much whatever is your pleasure any time of the day or night. Slide into a red banquette, or take a seat on the wide wraparound terrace to watch the world go by while indulging in generous servings of all the French classics, a glass of wine, or coffee and dessert.
Pastry chef Myriam Sabeta’s carved out a whole new niche in French sweets with her creations influenced by her childhood in Aleppo, Syria. Her signature “nids” are based on kadaïf, the buttery angel hair pastries of the Levant, which Sabet fills with cream and dried or candied fruit in original flavors such as Damascus rose, chocolate-sumac, or lemon-cardamom. Her ambrosial baklavas may be layered with Piedmont hazelnuts and lemon or Iranian pistachio and orange blossom.
You’ll find all of this brilliant young pastry chef’s latest and classic creations at this handsome pâtisserie and café, but good luck choosing between the tasty options. Known for his ambitious and subtle flavor pairings and over-the-top decadence, you'll be wowed by pastries like the Entremets Isatis, a pecan biscuit with pecan praline, creamy vanilla-bean ganache, and vanilla caramel; his exquisite lemon merengue tart topped with a tangy dollop of lemon crème; or the signature Mille Feuilles Madagascar.
