For steak in a Paris bistrot, we start at Bistrot Paul Bert in the 11th and order the entrecôte. Gavroche, near the Bourse, makes its own fries and serves them with beef tartare. Beyond steak, these are the bistrots for slow-cooked beef, bone marrow, roast chicken and sausage with mash.
The short list
9 places, in the order they appear below.
- 01Bistrot Paul BertEntrecôte with maître d'hôtel butter11th
- 02GavrocheBeef tartare with house friesBourse
- 03Chez Fernand ChristineBoeuf bourguignon and a deep wine listSaint-Germain-des-Prés
- 04La Vache et le CuisinierBeef cheek bourguignonMontmartre
- 05BizetroRoasted bone marrow, duck tartareChaillot
- 06Cantine du TroquetBasque charcuterie, axoa de veau15th
- 07Les ArlotsSaucisse-purée10th
- 08Le Coq & FilsWood-fired chicken for twoMontmartre
- 09Bistrot des TournellesChicken cordon bleuLe Marais
Where can I order steak and fries in a Paris bistrot?
Two bistrots do this order best.
Bistrot Paul Bert is a room of zinc and paper tablecloths. Ask for the entrecôte saignant. The kitchen will cook it that way and won’t try to change your mind.
Bistrot Paul Bert
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sat 12:00–14:00, 19:30–22:30 · Sun closed
Address: 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, Francia
Gavroche is a family bistro by the old stock exchange, and its house fries go with whichever meat you choose: beef tartare, grilled andouillette or a farmhouse pork chop. Share a bottle from the long Beaujolais list instead of drinking by the glass. Bankers fill the room at lunch, and the neighbourhood takes over at dinner.
Gavroche
Hours: Mon–Fri 08:00–00:00 · Sat 17:00–00:00 · Sun closed
Address: 19 Rue Saint-Marc, 75002 Paris, France
Which Paris bistrots are known for beef bourguignon?
For bourguignon, head to Saint-Germain-des-Prés or Montmartre.
Chez Fernand Christine, an old Left Bank room, simmers its boeuf bourguignon for hours. The cellar runs past two thousand references. Rather than guess from the list, let the waiter pick a bottle for the bourguignon. The weekday lunch menu is the easiest way in.
Chez Fernand Christine
Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–14:30, 19:00–23:00
Address: 9 Rue Christine, 75006 Paris, France
La Vache et le Cuisinier sits on one of Montmartre’s stepped lanes and takes real care over where its meat comes from. Its beef cheek bourguignon is the dish to order, with lamb tournedos as the alternative. The dining room is small and warm, good for a birthday or a long evening after a walk on the hill. It fills early at weekends. Book.
La Vache et le Cuisinier
Hours: Mon–Thu 18:00–23:00 · Fri 18:00–23:30 · Sat 12:00–15:30, 18:00–23:30 · Sun 12:00–15:30, 18:00–23:00
Address: 18 Rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris, France
Where can I order bone marrow, tartare and charcuterie?
For the meatier end of the bistrot repertoire, go to Bizetro in Chaillot or Cantine du Troquet in the 15th.
Bizetro is a dim room of dark wood and brass, and regulars start with the roasted bone marrow. The menu also runs to knife-cut duck tartare and eggs meurette, but look to the daily specials on the board, where the kitchen puts most of its effort. The room feels warmer than the formal streets around it, and people from nearby offices settle in for long lunches.
Bizetro
Hours: Mon 12:00–15:00 · Tue–Fri 12:00–15:00, 19:00–23:00 · Sat–Sun closed
Address: 6 Rue Georges Bizet, 75116 Paris, France
Cantine du Troquet cooks Basque-leaning comfort food: axoa de veau and piperade stay on while the rest of the menu changes with the seasons. Open with the Basque charcuterie board. The wine list leans toward the southwest, and the staff will walk you through the bottles without fuss. The cooking is pitched at the neighbourhood as much as at visitors.
Cantine du Troquet
Hours: Mon–Sun 08:00–00:00
Address: 53 Bd de Grenelle, 75015 Paris, Francia
What else should I order in a Paris bistrot besides beef?
Plenty of good bistrot cooking in Paris has nothing to do with beef.
Les Arlots in the 10th cooks from a short blackboard, with everything made from scratch, and its saucisse-purée has a cult following. Without a reservation, lunch is the simpler time to get a table.
Les Arlots
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sat 12:00–14:00, 19:30–22:00 · Sun closed
Address: 136 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 75010 Paris, Francia
At Le Coq & Fils in Montmartre, named chicken breeds from specific farms are roasted over a wood fire. Read the farm notes on the menu before you choose a breed, then order the chicken for two. Start with the fried wings. They’re rich.
Le Coq & Fils
Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–14:30, 18:30–23:00
Address: 98 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris, Francia
With its vintage mirrors, marble bar and Art Deco lamps, Bistrot des Tournelles, a few steps from Place des Vosges, looks a century old. It is actually a recent opening. The room is tiny and full of Marais locals who planned ahead, so reserve, and make the chicken cordon bleu your main. Regulars swear by it.
Bistrot des Tournelles
Hours: Mon–Sun 19:00–23:00
Address: 6 Rue des Tournelles, 75004 Paris, France
Which bistrot should I pick for which dish?
Several close on certain days of the week, so check each card before you set out. Le Coq & Fils and La Vache et le Cuisinier are both in Montmartre, an easy dinner after an afternoon on the hill. If you’re spending the day in the Marais, Bistrot des Tournelles is close to Place des Vosges.
