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The best restaurants in the Marais
© Laurie GrossetCandelaria

Restaurants in the Marais

Our recommendations for the best restaurants in the Marais and Beaubourg areas

Written by
Flora Hudson
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One of the chicest and unfortunately most expensive areas in Paris, the Marais (sandwiched between Metro stations St-Paul and République) overflows with impressive restaurants in its charming narrow streets, stretching west towards Beaubourg. While the area is known for its bustling falafel strip on the Rue de Rivoli, it has more to offer than just that, from top-notch crêpes at Café Breizh to crispy pizzas at Il Prezzemolo. It’s also prime territory for art lovers, with its heavy concentration of museums and art galleries. So if you’re looking for a post-gallery meal, or simply a pleasant spot to while away an evening, our handy guide to the best restaurants in the Marais is here to help.  

Recommended: The best bars in the Marais

Our pick of the absolute best places to eat in the Marais

  • Restaurants
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
The team behind Glou has worked out how to seduce Parisians: with quality products, a good dose of humour, and a vibe that’s cool without being achingly trendy (despite the financial involvement of Marion Cotillard). The menu, though not extensive, has something for everyone, ranging from the classics (e.g. Black Angus and Aubrac steaks, accompanied by sautéed potatoes seasoned with thyme) to ‘quality junk food’, such as the Jaja hot dog...
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Bistros
  • 4e arrondissement
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended

If you have a picture in your head of a golden age of Parisian dining, it probably looks something like Benoit. Though the outside of the restaurant is fairly plain, it has a plum position just moments from the imposing Hôtel de Ville, and is set on the border of the Marais, today a humming area full of hip bars, cafés and boutiques. Inside is where the magic really happens – the shining brass fittings, the warm, polished curves of wood, the brilliant red velvet banquettes, the dark green spikes of house plants and the serene blue sky of the ceiling’s trompe l’oeil, scattered with fluffy white clouds...

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Crêperies
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
With its modern interior of pale wood and its choice of 15 artisanal ciders, this outpost of a restaurant in Cancale, Brittany, is a world away from the average crêperie. For the complete faux-seaside experience, you might start with a plate of creuse oysters from Cancale before indulging in an inventive buckwheat galette such as the Cancalaise, made with potato, smoked herring from Brittany and herring roe...
Grand Cœur
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Le Marais
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended

Once a coaching inn in the 17th century and now an elegant restaurant in the heart of the touristy Marais, Grand Coeur is the latest offering from Mauro Colagreco, probably best known for his double Michelin starred address Mirazur in Menton. But forget overly formal, regimented fine dining – this homey restaurant eschews any pretensions, mainly thanks to its welcoming, chatty atmosphere and a vibrant seasonal menu from Brazilian chef Rafaël Gomes...

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Le Baromètre
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
This unpretentious little bistro in the heart of the Marais is a good place for bacchanalian carousing. The chalkboard menu lists the sort of dishes a country French grandmother might have cooked, made with top quality products and accompanied by sophisticated local vintages. When they’re on the menu, we recommend the moist and savoury scallops, matched with a Pouilly Fumé. If you’re on a budget, a very respectable daily set menu is on offer at €13...
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Cafés
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
The new fairtrade concept store Merci is all about feeling virtuous even as you indulge, and its basement canteen is a perfect example. Fresh and colourful salads, soup and risotto of the day, an organic salmon plate, and the assiette merci (perhaps chicken kefta with two salads) make up the brief, Rose Bakery-esque menu, complete with invigorating teas and juices. Rustic desserts add just the right handmade touch...
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Le Tambour
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Bars and pubs
  • Wine bars
  • Réaumur
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
Banal during the day, Le Tambour is the late-night haunt of all the neighbourhood’s night owls and insomniacs, staying open until 3.30am. The atmosphere is warm, though it can get a little crazy between the drinkers draped over the bar and the gruff, strapping barmen. Here, you can satisfy any cravings for andouillette,a malodorous intestine sausage, for pig’s feet or simply for steak, at any hour of the day or night...
Chez Jenny
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Seafood
  • Folie-Méricourt
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended
Alsatian restaurant Chez Jenny, done out all in marquetry, statues and frescoes of provincial scenes, is a legendary brasserie that’s something of a local monument in Parisian gastronomy.As well as the famous choucroute (sauerkraut) and the traditional oyster bar, the menu features perfectly-executed Alsatian specialities such as flammekueche, a salad with saveloy sausages, caramelised pork shank, strudel and kouglof...
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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
Petit Marché's menu is short and modern with Asian touches. Raw tuna is flash-fried in sesame seeds and served with a Thai sauce, making for a refreshing starter; crispy-coated deep-fried king prawns have a similar oriental lightness. The main vegetarian risotto is rich in basil, coriander, cream and al dente green beans. Pan-fried scallops with lime are precision-cooked and accompanied by a good purée and more beans...
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Bars and pubs
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
This micro-bar in the heart of the Temple area stands in stark contrast with the trendy dives that crowd the Marais. Despite the influx of hipsters, the Formica tables haven’t moved, the prices haven’t soared, and the menu hasn’t changed. Food is homemade dishes like marinated chicken skewers, tender rump steak with pepper sauce, or grilled lamb chops: good, simple and plentiful, it only costs around €10 for lunch or dinner...
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • 4e arrondissement
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
With its terrace overlooking the Stravinsky fountain next to the Centre Pompidou, Dame Tartine is a pleasant surprise in the busy Marais. After a visit to the museum, come here to relax in the calm and the sunshine and enjoy much more reasonable prices than other bars in the area, plus friednly efficient waiters, a rarity in this very touristy area. This bistro-restaurant offers a varied menu of huge warm or cold sandwiches for €10...
Candelaria
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Bars and pubs
  • Cocktail bars
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
Has Paris woken up to the temptations of the taco? Apparently so, thanks to this taqueria, with its almost totally expat clientele (English and American rather than Mexican). The tiny white room with its open kitchen, a few stools and communal tables doesn’t give a hint of the hip bar behind, where the neighbourhood’s youth come to sip margaritas. On the food front, you have the choice between tacos and tostadas at very reasonable prices (€3 for one, €5.50 for two)...
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Vegan
  • Le Marais
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended
This organic vegetarian eatery near Beaubourg is proof that you can fit an entire restaurant into a shoebox: You will be fighting for elbowroom with strangers on tables crammed in along one wall, but what the Potager du Marais lacks in space, it makes up for on the plate with luscious, homemade dishes brimming with pulses, tofu, fresh, crunchy vegetables and beans. The mushroom terrine, served with gherkins and salad is a real winner...
L'Ilot
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
At l’Ilot, you don’t have to pay Parisian prices for the best catch of the day. The venue is tiny but beautiful, with big slate menus, earthenware pots and white parquet, a bay window, a few photos on the walls and a terrace for nice days – it all has a solid, comfortable charm. €5 for a serving of taramasalata or tuna or salmon rillettes, €4.50 to €9.50 for pink or grey Madagascan prawns, €6.50 for whelks and €8 for a half crab...
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
An old Italian film is projected on the back wall, each table has a pair of scissors for cutting the thin-crust pizzas, and charming waiters with heavy Italian accents attend to the customers. Opening the door to this tiny, neighbourhood trattoria is visiting an Italy without pretension, expressive and generous. On the menu, antipasti – fresh vegetables, lovely cheeses and authentic charcuteries – and pizzas...
La Pulpéria
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Argentinian
  • Roquette
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
The Meat at La Pulpéria comes with a capital M, served in a noisy, welcoming little dining room and whipped up in white-tiled kitchen by talented Argentinean chef Fernando Di Tomaso and his South American team. The menu changes daily, but on our visit it all began with crunchy calf’s sweetbreads accompanied by a few girolles mushrooms and a cep sauce, and a pretty cod ceviche surrounded with fine slices of sweet potato, avocado purée and a splash of lemon juice...
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Le Georges
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Diners
  • 4e arrondissement
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended
When the Pompidou Centre closes at 9pm, those in the know head to the top floor via the transparent escalators to Georges, the museum’s panoramic French-fusion restaurant.  You’ll be fighting for table room with trendy after-work crowds, and the ice-cool service can be slower than an escargot, but it’s a small price to pay for such an unbeatable vantage over the whole sparkling city. Make sure you reserve in advance...
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Burgers
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
This is a tiny, noisy room, which regularly has people queuing down the Place des Vosges on a Sunday morning. It’s worth getting there early on weekends so you’ll be in pole position to sample the succulent scrambled eggs served as part of the legendary brunch. There are no reservations, but they do operate a waiting list – so be prepared to take a long walk around the block before you’re able to enjoy your breakfast...
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Le Hangar
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
It's worth making the effort to find this bistro by the Centre Pompidou, with its terrace tucked away in a hidden alley and excellent cooking. A bowl of tapenade and toast is supplied to keep you going while choosing from the comprehensive carte. It yields, for starters, tasty and grease-free rillettes de lapereau (rabbit) alongside perfectly balanced pumpkin and chestnut soup...
Ambassade d'Auvergne
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • 3e arrondissement
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
This rustic-style auberge is a fitting embassy for the hearty fare of central France. An order of cured ham comes as two hefty, plate-filling slices, and the salad bowl is chock-full of green lentils cooked in goose fat, studded with bacon and shallots. The rôti d'agneau arrives as a pot of melting chunks of lamb in a rich, meaty sauce with a helping of tender white beans. Dishes arrive with the flagship aligot, the creamy, elastic mash-and-cheese concoction...
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Schwartz's Deli
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • American
  • Le Marais
  • price 3 of 4
  • Recommended
A little corner of kosher Brooklyn lost in the Marais, Schwartz’s is all hot dogs, pastrami, pecan pie and onion rings. The area’s locals swap family news with the waiters, and mix easily with hipsters among the old film posters, red leather banquettes and checked tablecloths.A must-try is the pastrami sandwich, a mountain of dried beef wedged between two hunks of bread, served with fries and a little pot of coleslaw for €16.50...
Les Comptoirs de Carthage
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • British
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
This unpretentious family-run restaurant located near the Carreau du Temple offers fusion cooking mixing French, English and Tunisian styles. The service is laid-back and affable, so you almost feel like you're in someone’s home.Well-seasoned and creative dishes are cooked with organic ingredients, and the menu changes regularly according to what is available at market and l'humeur du chef, and are wonderfully cheap...
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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Diners
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
Bobo, yes, but still lovely. Insulated from the honking horns of the city, this place is a true oasis in central Paris. This small, organic canteen is warm and welcoming, a tavern for weary urban travellers in the heart of the Enfants Rouges market. Though somewhat difficult to find, it is far from secret – especially in summer when the colourful chairs come out to allow customers to enjoy the aromas of the market...
Chez Nénesse
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
The original ‘Nénesse’, the owner Ernest, has moved on – but his replacements, a friendly family from the Le Sart area, are keen to maintain tradition, keeping the sign and the name. It’s a really old-fashioned restaurant, where time stopped somewhere in the 1960s – mismatched tiled floor, retro fittings, uncovered wooden tables dressed with pink tablecloths in the evening, ancient oil-fired stove...
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Cru
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Global
  • Le Marais
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
Opening a raw-food restaurant is a gamble, so the owners of Cru bend the rules here and there, offering root vegetable 'chips' and a few plancha dishes. Still, the extensive menu has plenty for the crudivore, such as some unusual carpaccios (the veal with preserved lemon is particularly good) and intriguing 'red' and 'green' plates, variations on the tomato and cucumber. The food is perfectly good, but the real reason to come here is the gorgeous courtyard terrace...
Derrière
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Arts et Métiers
  • price 1 of 4
Derrière restaurant on the edge of Paris’ Marais district is a clandestine restaurant that is one of the hottest meals in town. First, locate the unmarked door between the 404 restaurant and Andy Wahloo that leads into a courtyard and from there into eccentric Derrière. Dining at Derrière is like dining in a restaurant and also in a friend’s boho-chic home. Chef Lionel Delage brings real French culinary nous to his menu of modern French cuisine that features lots of salads and dishes like slow-simmer beef cheek bourguignon...
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Jewish
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
By noon on a Sunday there is a queue outside every falafel shop along rue des Rosiers. The long-established L'As du Fallafel, a little further up the street, still reigns supreme, whereas Hanna remains something of a locals' secret, quietly serving up falafel and shawarma sandwiches to rival any in the world. A pitta sandwich bursting with crunchy chickpea-and-herb balls, tahini sauce and vegetables costs €4 if you order from the takeaway window...
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Le Marais
  • price 1 of 4
  • Recommended
The once-fashionable Omar doesn't take reservations, and the queue can stretch the length of the zinc bar and through the door. Everyone is waiting for the same thing: couscous. Prices range from €11 (vegetarian) to €24 (royale); there are no tagines or other traditional Maghreb mains, only a handful of French classics (duck, fish, steak). Even on packed nights, there's an offer of seconds - gratis - to encourage you to stay a little while longer...
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