Café du Coin
You’ll find Café du Coin right at the heart of the 11th arrondissement (get off at Voltaire metro station) on the corner of Rue Pétion and Rue Camille Desmoulins. This is a welcoming establishment with a cute little duck adorning the entrance. Inside, there’s a huge counter where you can eat a quick lunch on your own, as well as beautiful tables for business lunches. At lunchtime, there’s one menu with three starters, two main courses and two desserts that change based on the kitchen’s inspiration. You can be sure of one thing here: the food is fresh! The small dishes are created using seasonal produce. The chefs are passionate about cooking and – above all else – about flavour. You’re sure to leave feeling full, but with just one wish: to come back the next time you’re visiting Paris. If we had to recommend just one thing on the menu, it would be Café du Coin’s pizzettes. These are small pizzas that have different toppings every single day. You’ll come back just for the crispy base and the nostalgia.
📍 Café du Coin, Rue Camille Desmoulins 9, 75011 Paris, France. Daily set menu: starter, main course and dessert for just EUR 24.
L’Esquisse
Head over the hill at Montmartre to L’Esquisse – a small neighbourhood restaurant in Paris’ 18th arrondissement – on Rue Marcadet. A female chef runs this charming yet unusual restaurant that has the capacity to seat around fifteen patrons. This Parisian bistro with its open kitchen is anything but conventional. At lunchtime, the menu (on a chalkboard) is placed directly on your table. Let’s go! You’ve made your choice and your order has been sent to the kitchen. Sit back, relax and enjoy an exquisite starter, a delicious main course and a dessert to die for. Everything is prepared using seasonal produce. This charming little spot, tucked away behind Montmartre in the heights of Paris, has all the benefits of a somewhere much larger. At L’Esquisse, you’re guaranteed a generous helping of healthy food and drink. It is ideal for a relaxed lunch.
📍 L’Esquisse, Rue Marcadet 151 Bis, 75018 Paris, France. Daily set menu with starter and main course OR main course and dessert for EUR 17
Plan D
Pressed for time? Head for Plan D. There is no seating here – unless you count the seats along the Saint Martin Canal, right next to this establishment (which will make you fall in love with sandwiches all over again). Order one of the two sandwiches on special from the colourful window. Surprise! They are vegetarian. If you’re a meat lover, we won’t spill any more secrets. All we’ll say is that the surprise is definitely worth it. The flavour, the texture, the generous portion size, those crispy little matchstick fries that are to die for, those seasonal vegetables, those homemade sauces that we’d love to make ourselves at home… Plan D has everything to help you get your fill. Pick up your sandwich and head for the Saint Martin Canal. At the risk of making your mouth water, at the time of writing this article the sandwich to try is the ‘Red Dwich’: crispy aubergine, smoked paprika mayo, grilled pepper, tomato, basil, smoked sauce and bread from a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF, ‘Best Craftsman in France’). Yes, really! Will you stop off at Plan D before heading back to work?
📍 Plan D, Rue des Vinaigriers 22, 75010 Paris, France. ‘Dwich’ and chips for EUR 13.50.
Les Arlots
We’re staying in the 10th arrondissement for one top spot that never gets old. With its love of French classics, this little bistro is always packed at lunchtime – and with good reason. The menu includes veal tongue, sweetbreads, egg mayo, terrine, whiting and the famous sausage and mash that has the power to transport you back to your childhood. Les Arlots is a bit like a bouillon – in that there’s a lot going on – but it’s even better. A hearty lunchtime set menu prepared by chef Thomas Brachet costs around EUR 30. All you need to do is take an hour out of your day for a starter, a main course and dessert, then you’ll return to work feeling ready to take on the rest of the day. As you’ll have gathered, we’d recommend the superb sausage and mash. We hope it’ll be on the menu on the day you visit. We’d love you to try it!
📍 Les Arlots, Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière 136, 75010 Paris, France. Full lunch menu for around EUR 30.
La guinguette d’Angèle
La Guinguette d’Angèle is very popular among Parisians – especially vegetarians – for a spot of lunch. Just like at Plan D, you place your order for your chosen daily special to go at the window. A vegetarian lunchbox is extremely affordable, costing just EUR 10. It contains a brilliant blend of vegetables and spices, plus a mix of pulses, too. How delicious! Enjoy your tasty treat in the Jardins du Palais-Royal gardens, right next to the counter in Paris’ 1st arrondissement. We recommend treating yourself to a dessert (preferably a chocolatey one). You’ll thank us later!
📍 La Guinguette d’Angèle, Rue Coquillière 34, 75001 Paris, France. Lunchbox for EUR 10 and desserts from EUR 4.
Café des Ministères
A vol-au-vent, please! Cross the River Seine and head for the 7th arrondissement, near Les Invalides, to reach Café des Ministères. Not only is this café a neighbourhood institution; it has also evolved with the times. Here, you’ll enjoy good, seasonal, very French and sustainable cuisine. Café des Ministères is a favourite among Parisians on the Left Bank of the River Seine. At this establishment, the chef prepares traditional cuisine, serving up heart-warming French classics. One item on the menu that you absolutely must try is the house speciality: stuffed cabbage. You mustn’t miss out on this delicious culinary delight, so head to Café des Ministères at the right time: during cabbage season! This is an exceptional lunch that you can treat yourself to in between two meetings.
📍 Café des Ministères. Lunch served Tuesday to Friday. Stuffed cabbage for EUR 26 and a starter for between EUR 8 and EUR 13.
Explore the districts of Paris through our recommendations, which serve flavourful, sustainable, local and often affordable dishes! If you need to grab a quick bite to eat in between two calls or meetings, then sample some of the culinary delights that Paris has to offer. There’s no shortage of places to go.