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| Fish dish at Rallonge |
This is a lunch follow-up to my favorite dinner venues in Paris as we ease into the 2020s. It's a twice as long list, mainly because I tend to go out to lunch more frequently than dinner. I love partaking in the Paris lunch scene. There are a lot of things that disappoint me about Paris - the music scene is a disaster, for example - but the lunch culture lives up to its billing (as it does in Italy and Spain). Pick a decent, inexpensive spot to experience the animated conversations of a business or neighborhood crowd, have a glass or two of wine, and take advantage of great two or three plate daily specials, and you will see what I mean.
I repeat the caveat from my previous post - the list that follows does not represent my attempt at a 'best of' list, although you may find a few on the top critics' lists, but rather some of the establishments that I return to, time after time, on the basis of the following criteria : inexpensive 'formules', decent to high quality food, good atmosphere, comfortable for dining alone (given that my spouse works for a living), welcoming and efficient staff. I typically select an entree and plat for lunch, along with a glass or two of wine or beer, and typically this results in a bill of around 20 euros - a lot of times less, a few times more.
If you plan on arriving at peak lunch hour, say around 1 - 1:30 pm, you might be smart to reserve. I find that if I wander in about 45 mins. before closing - usually around 2:30 pm - I am led to a table without problem. Sometimes that strategy doesn't work, which is why I always go out to lunch with a Plan B in mind. And believe me, there is always a Plan B. A lot of the entries on my list can be found around Chemin Vert, as well as the Jacques Bonsergeant and Chateau d'Eau neighborhoods - funky, ethnically diverse, and non-touristy - call me an East-side kind of guy.
20 Favorites for Lunch (in alphabetical order)
1. BAR A IODE (Charonne)
18 rue Jean Mace - Paris 11 tel. 01 40 56 08 94
(there is also a Bar A Iode Saint Germaine, which I haven't tried)
Very fresh seafood (oysters, eperlans, couteaux), but my favorite is the entire grilled fish a la plancha.
2. BONHOMIE
22 rue d'Enghien - Paris 10 tel. 09 83 88 82 51
I really enjoy this modern place - sit at the bar and engage with the English-speaking staff who come from all corners of the globe. Great price/quality relationship.
3. BOUILLON PIGALLE
22 bvd de Clichy - Paris 18 tel. 01 42 59 69 31
The popular, traditional 'bouillons' trend really picked up in 2019 - large venues, often ornately adorned, with traditional French dishes at ridiculously low prices. You won't find these restaurants snagging Michelin stars, but the food is satisfying and fresh. At the more modern-looking Pigalle, don't miss the half bottle of red wine for 6.60 euros.
4. CHEZ JANOU
2, rue Roger Verlomme - Paris 3 tel. 01 42 72 28 41
I think this venue is sometimes unfairly maligned as a tourist trap. I've never had a bad lunch here, and although it is true that you'll often find English speakers at nearby tables, I'm a sucker for the Pagnol inspired decor and can't say no to a bistrot that offers 80 varieties of pastis.
5. CAFE DE L'INDUSTRIE
16 Rue St Sabin - Paris 11 tel. 01 47 00 13 53
The food here is far from fantastic, but it does the job, and the atmosphere makes up for any shortcomings. There's a really inexpensive lunch special that varies by day.
6. CHEZ MINNA
20 rue D'Hauteville - Paris 10 tel. 01 71 37 97 04
Decent Corsican restaurant with some pretty good daily specials that, unfortunately, often run out well before closing time.
7. GALERNA
7 rue du Cher - Paris 20 tel. 09 81 29 27 12
Relatively new Spanish restaurant near Pere Lachaise is rapidly becoming one of my favorite lunch spots. Classic lunch formula and fantastic, original tapas offerings for dinner.
8. GEORGIA
12, rue du Chateau D'Eau - Paris 10 tel. 01 42 40 85 68
Another new option, this one American, with good lunch deals. Unlike most of the other American restaurants in Paris - the ones that offer tasteless facsimiles of stereotypical American dishes -this one actually serves unique offerings with French accents. Disappointed by their crab cakes, but I'm from Baltimore, so sue me.
9. LE DAILY SYRIEN
12 rue des Petites Ecuries - Paris 10 tel. 01 42 29 33 86
(a 2nd around the corner at 55 Faubourg Saint Denis, haven't tried)
Always crowded and abuzz, terrific place for a Middle Eastern lunch. I usually sit at one of those tiny round cafe tables facing the window, and sip on a couple glasses of red wine during the often extended wait for a satisfying, filling, inexpensive meal.
10. LES RESISTANTS
16-18 rue du Chateau d'Eau - Paris 10 tel. 01 77 32 77 61
The food is here is more refined than many of the other options in this list - fresh and original dishes. Just a few meters from Georgia, this spot is a bit more expensive than what I noted above, but worth it.
11. LE ROBINET D'OR
17 rue Robert Blache - Paris 10 tel. 01 44 65 14 50
The small corner hotel up from the Quai de Valmy has a roomy restaurant, with some inexpensive lunch specials that hit the spot.
12. LUZ VERDE
24 rue Henry Monnier - Paris 9 tel. 01 70 23 69 60
Although the carte of this Mexican spot in Pigalle is more limited at lunchtime, at least it's not packed to the gills as it often is at dinnertime, and the guacamole is really good.
13. MI RANCHITO PAISA
35 Rue de Montholon, Paris 9 tel. 01 48 78 45 94
I don't get over to this traditional Colombian restaurant very often because the neighborhood doesn't do much for me, but for a change of pace, I've found the few, cheap meals I've had here to be hearty and good. They're not wasting their money on light bulbs inside, so if you are looking to hide, this is a good spot.
14. PAGE 35
4 rue du Parc Roya Paris 3 tel. 01 44 54 35 35
I've never gotten around to asking why this Breton-based restaurant on the edge of Le Marais bears its name, but the inexpensive specials vary by day and are usually good. I just wish they'd give that goddam clichéd French music that plays non-stop a rest. The restaurant also serves as a quasi art gallery, so just plug your ears and enjoy the art on the walls while you are eating and everything will be fine.
15. RALLONGE
4 rue du Parc Royal Paris 3 tel. 01 44 54 35 35
Out of the many options listed here, Rallonge may be the cream of the crop in terms of high quality lunch cuisine. Rallonge offers a traditional lunch formule, with dishes elevated to a level that far exceeds the bargain price. Like Galerna, Rallonge transforms into an excellent tapas restaurant for dinner. Not in the most exciting neighborhood, but worth the trip.
16. SOON GRILLE
78 Rue des Tournelles Paris 3 tel. 01 42 77 13 56
This elegantly designed Korean restaurant was a late 2019 discovery for me, and I'm not sure how I missed it. It's in an area resplendent with eateries (Chez Janou, Page 35, Les Caves Saint Gilles) and one of my favorite photography galleries in Paris (Polka Galerie). The offerings are far more expansive than the typical Korean BBQ fare (which is available as well), and though it may get a bit pricey for dinner, I had a terrific, reasonably priced lunch there a couple months ago and plan on going back.
17. SHOUK
59 Rue de Lancry Paris 3 tel. 09 87 57 87 68
The atypical Israeli restaurant Shouk is the third point of my Lancry triangle, along with Les Resistants and Georgia. I've often gotten off at the Jacques Bonsergent metro stop and visited all three restaurants, comparing menus and checking out which has some available tables and a still available lunch deal. As far as the latter, Shouk often strikes out, but the food is very good and the options, a bit pricier outside the lunch formule, are numerous, thankfully beyond the typical Israeli falafel and houmous fare. Along the way to Shouk are other reasonable options, such as the Mexican El Guacamole and the very good Vietnamese spot, Le Mekong. I've often also been tempted by the highly rated Sur Mer, but have yet to try it. You won't go hungry on rue de Lancry.
18. STREET BANGKOK GRILL & BEER - CANAL
3 Rue Eugène Varlin Paris 10 tel. 01 42 05 22 51
Sometime last year, I returned to rue des Petites Ecuries to lunch at one of my favorite Asian fast food joints, W for Wok, only to find that it was gone - boarded up and done. In its place is the more inventive Asian restaurant Bruce, where I lunched once without great results (although the dinner menu seems to have more potential). My go-to Asian fast food in W's wake is Street Bangkok, a few steps from the Quai de Valmy. Here, I order my calamar salad, and the fiery curry du jour, washed down with a couple beers because there is no wine. If all the seats at the picnic tables are taken, there is the casual Le Valmy on the corner, and the aforementioned Le Robinet d'Or up the street.
19. WALY FAY
3 Rue Eugène Varlin Paris 11 tel. 01 40 24 17 79
My long-time favorite Senegalese restaurant in Paris is one I haven't managed to get back to for dinner in over a year, but I've made up for it with a couple of reasonably priced, satisfying lunches.
20. ZICATELA REX
42 Rue Poissonnière Paris 2 tel. 01 73 75 70 84
This casual, authentic (at least by Paris standards) Mexican restaurant probably wouldn't have made the list if one of my favorite Spanish restaurants, Pessic, hadn't closed last year. Nonetheless, Zicatela Rex offers copious meals, including excellent enchiladas, at reasonable prices.
There are several venues I couldn't quite get to in 2019 that I will make it a point to visit this year. At the top of the list are Saul's, Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond, Mokoloco, and the Oyster Club. You just might be reading about them at this blog before you know it.
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| Typical lunch fare at Le Daily Syrien |
