The Angel’s Paris

A très grande guide to eating and drinking in the City of Light

The view from Belleville at sundown during the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Outside of L.A. and New York, Paris is the city I know best. My first overseas trip was to Paris with my mom, sister, aunt, and grandma. I was eight, and the first bite I took of a French butter croissant catalyzed a lifelong obsession with the purist’s pastry. In high school, I spent several summer months in France’s capital. Then, a few short trips throughout my 20s culminated in a six-week stint in the summer of 2022, during which I conducted extensive reconnaissance. Now in my 30s, I have a pretty good grasp of the Parisian food scene. I visit at least once a year, if not twice.

I like to shop for clothes almost as much as I like to eat in Paris, but to keep things manageable, this list will stay focused on my beat: where to eat, drink, and (as an added bonus) buy food gifts and kitchen essentials.

A few notes on neighborhoods and getting around. I most frequently find myself in Oberkampf (on the border of the 10th and 11th arrondissements), Belleville (just underneath the beautiful Parc des Buttes-Chaumont), and Le Marais. But Paris is an exceptionally walkable city with a smooth-sailing metro system and a surplus of electric Lime bikes, so don’t be afraid to pick seemingly far-away places to dine.