Forget French Fine Dining—Try These 7 Parisian Gastropubs Instead

Airy and efficient, the trendy Bouillon Pigalle is one of the newest restaurants in the bustling Pigalle neighborhood of Paris. Upon entry, you’ll notice the space is gorgeous and large, accented with gold fixtures and a spiral staircase leading to the upstairs dining room, which overlooks the square (Place Pigalle). The menu is affordable with casual bites like cheese soup and chicken legs, and wine and cocktails are served up “by the pitcher,” from the carafe to the oversized jeroboam.

Want to enjoy a beer and comforting bar food? Look no further than The Green Goose in the 11th arrondissement, one of the few places you’ll hear English from the friendly bartenders and fellow guests looking for a bit of Irish hospitality in Paris. Check out the exceptional draft beer list as you watch a football match on one of the television screens in the dining room. The menu specializes in homemade food that uses the best Irish products—we recommend the eggs benedict with Irish organic smoked salmon for brunch. You also can’t go wrong with the classic shepherd’s pie, made with Irish lamb and seasonal veggies.

Le Bon Georges, one of the newer gastropubs in Paris, is a wine and beef heaven with a vast selection of vin—curated by three sommeliers—and a menu specializing in bouef Polmard, a specialty breed from France. Simply put, this is the kind of restaurant you could languish in for hours, sipping a red or white and enjoying creative dishes crafted with top-notch French ingredients (the restaurant proudly boasts its producers and responsible sourcing values on its site) while the world goes by outside in the 16th arrondissement.

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On the outside, The Publisher Pub looks like any Irish pub you’d find in any Irish town—but once you step inside, you’re reminded that you’re in Paris, after all, one of the culinary capitals of the world. This approachable and fun-filled pub serves a menu of comfort food with a French touch, like thick fillets of fried fish served alongside the house frites, with plenty of tartar sauce for dipping.

Opened in 2015, this quaint gastropub near Pigalle is one of the coziest restaurants in the neighborhood, with its dining room outfitted in muted taupes and grays, plus plenty of plush seating for diners to get comfortable in. Puce is known for their freewheeling, global menu of small plates that combine flavors from all over the world with French technique. If that sounds fussy, fear not: the actual dishes, as the restaurant describes, are reminiscent of what we all eat as children and secretly love best. While it’s easy to fill up on the pork ribs or popcorn chicken, be sure to save room for dessert—the ice cream flavors are always changing, and the chocolate mousse is not to be missed.

The vibe at this casual restaurant in the trendy Marais neighborhood is like a dinner party at the home of your impossibly stylish French friend who also happens to be a great cook. Les Petites Bouchées translates to “small bites,” and the menu is accordingly broken down into little plates meant for sharing among a group. The highlight? Tiramisu with strawberries served in a jam jar.

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This unassuming eatery near the Seine may not look like much, but its homey French cooking served in a stripped-down dining room showcases some of the best local ingredients. Amarante’s menu is like a greatest hits of Parisian bistro dishes, pared back so each technique and ingredient shines through. Tuck into one of the corner booths and enjoy classics like seared foie gras with toast, braised veal with carrots, and escargots.