Gourmet hotspots in Paris

Hidden gems have their place, but the French capital boasts many well-known names it would be wrong to ignore. Here are our top gourmet hotspots, from Café de Flore to Fauchon. Paris wouldn’t be the same without them…

Cafés

Café de Flore, 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain – perennially popular
Maxims, 3 Rue Royale – international symbol of Art Nouveau
Les Deux Magots, 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés – favoured by Picasso, Hemingway, Sartre…
Angelina, 226 Rue de Rivoli – the place to go for un chocolat chaud
Le Café des Chats, 16 Rue Michel Le Comte – trendy café full of cats
Ladurée, 16 Rue Royale – tea room and shop selling macarons of every colour and flavour, including seasonal specials
Water Bar, 213 Rue Saint Honoré – take a break from browsing Colette’s latest collection to peruse the extensive water menu at its in store café with bottles from around the world
Coutume, 47 Rue de Babylone – for the discerning coffee drinker

Restaurants

Le Jules Verne, Tour Eiffel – 125m up, owned by Alain Ducasse
Le Train Bleu, Gare de Lyon – regulars included Coco Chanel and Jean Cocteau
Pierre Gagnaire, 6 Rue Balzac – modern French cuisine
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, 133 Avenue des Champs-Élysées – no. 24 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Guide 2013
L’As du Falafel, 34 Rue des Rosiers – for falafel you eat on the street, attracts long queues

Food Shops

Poliâne, various – established by a baker from Normandy in 1932
Berthillon, 31 Rue Saint Louis en l’Ile – offering the widest range of ice cream and sorbet
Mariage Frères, various – selling more than 500 high quality teas over the counter and by mail-order
À la Mère de Famille, various – specialities include orangettes, florentines and mendiants

Pierre Hermé, various – the man that Vogue calls “the Picasso of Pastry”
La Grande Epicerie, 38 Rue de Sèvres – 30,000 gourmet products over 3,000m2
Hediard, 21 Place de la Madeleine – luxury French épicerie
Fauchon, 24-26 Place de la Madeleine – gourmet food, Made in Fauchon, Made in France
Helmut Newcake, 36 Rue Bichat – gluten free patisserie and café