It’s an unfortunate reality that the closer you are to a major monument in Paris, the worse the food tends to be. But fear not! There are a few gems within spitting distance of can’t-miss sites in Paris – and as of right now, they’re no longer a secret.
Emerging from the infamous Notre Dame Cathedral, it might seem like you have food choices aplenty, but if you want to eat something delicious, options immediately become fewer and further between. The area around Notre Dame, also known as the Latin Quarter, is famous for serving up low-quality food, often simply reheated from frozen.
Luckily, you won’t have to suffer through these “restaurants” on your next trip.
Quick and Easy/Cheap Eats
If you’re just looking for a little snack to stave off hunger pangs, the area around Notre Dame has tons of options.
Odette (77 rue Galande) is home to my favorite cream puff in Paris. The shop boasts a few tables, so you can enjoy your choux with a view up the narrow cobbled street to the imposing cathedral just across the way. You could also try a kouignette, a miniature kouign amann, at Georges Larnicol (19, rue de la Harpe). The tiny sugar-swirl pastries hail from Brittany; their name, in Breton, means “butter cake.”
You could also pull up a chair at Shakespeare and Co. Café (37 Rue de la Bûcherie), the coffeeshop outpost of Paris’ most famous Anglophone bookshop.
(North) America also adds its influence to the neighborhood with Circus Bakery (63 Rue Galande), a Canadian bakery boasting the city’s best cinnamon bun, tons of delicious artisanal breads, and house-made sourdough pizzas.
Mid-Range
For mid-range restaurants that are worth the price, I recommend venturing a 10-15 minutes’ walk to Odéon, where you can enjoy the plethora of options championed by Chef Yves Camdeborde, the founding father of the neo-bistro. His French tapas bars dot these streets and include L’Avant-Comptoir de la Mer (3 Carrefour de l’Odéon) and L’Avant-Comptoir du Marché (14 Rue Lobineau).
One equidistant option I absolutely love is the Café de la Nouvelle Mairie (19 Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques), a classic bistro with an excellent natural wine list just next to the Panthéon, which sets you up for a visit of Victor Hugo’s tomb or the Mouffetard market after lunch.
You could also head to the Cardinal Lemoine area, another great jumping-off point for the Mouffetard market, and home to one of my favorite spots in all of Paris, Hugo&Co (48, rue Monge).
If you’re willing to walk a teeny bit further, the Marais also offers some fantastic mid-range options.
High End
My favorite high-end spot near Notre-Dame is undoubtedly the Alain Ducasse restaurant Allard (41, rue Saint André des Arts). A French bistro classic with a badass female chef at the helm, it’s one of my special occasion favorites – and even boasts a totally reasonable lunchtime prix fixe.
Another spot I love is Le Christine (1 Rue Christine), located on the diminutive rue Christine right around the corner from jazz bar Café Laurent (33 Rue Dauphine).
Did I miss a restaurant near Notre Dame you love? Let me know in the comments!