All the Paris Arrondissements, Ranked by Their Food & Drink

There is a lot of food and drink in Paris. A lot. But what if you could only have some of it? What if you could only choose one neighborhood to eat in... forever?? Which would you choose? Some are packed out with Michelin-starred eateries, while others are known for their cheap, but nourishing street fare. These rankings take all of that into consideration, and look at each arrondissement’s culinary reputation in its entirety, not just the number of award-studded restaurants that they might have.

Residential and ritzy, this isn’t the city’s hotspot for hip dining. But if you’re traveling to the 16th to eat, be ready to spend some money. This is the neighborhood that L'Astrance and Restaurant PAGES call home. There’s also the super-fancy, haute cuisine establishment La Grande Cascade, right in the heart of Bois de Boulogne.

Restaurants in the 15th are also on the higher end of the dining budget scale. Neige d’été is all about French terroir and products; more towards Montparnasse is L’Epicuriste, a bistro loved by epicureans (as the name would have you believe) that has over 100 natural wine references on the menu. Le Grand Pan serves up French fare from the Southwest part of the country -- particularly meat -- in copious servings. Those in search of a more low-key affair at a slightly lower price, hit up Le Petit Pan, which has plenty of tapas and homemade sandwiches to fill you up.

While you may go to Montparnasse to catch a train at some point, the likelihood that you hang out in this neighborhood on your down time is almost nil. There was a time, however, when Montparnasse was a happening place, and because of that, a visit to Le Dôme is a must (Hemingway was a regular!). Other neighborhood notables are L’Assiette, where the specialties are the heavy stew and cassoulet, and Ti Jos, which opened in 1937 and is the 'hood’s oldest creperie.

Without any huge tourist attractions, the 17th has remained more of a residential neighborhood, but it is not without its gems. In the Batignolles neighborhood you will find local wine bar favorite L’Etabli, neo-bistro Coretta, and the salon de the Acide, which is known for its macarons. And Gare au Gorille recently joined the crowd, a new endeavor by two chefs previously from Septime.

The notable neobistro in the 19th is Ô Divin. If classic French food is more your thing, specifically steak frites, right across from where the old slaughterhouses of Paris were located, there’s Au Bœuf Couronné, where meat is obviously king. Hobbes is the new, hip brunch spot, with organic and vegetarian-friendly fare, and everything is made in-house, including the vegan burger bun. Wine lovers will want to head to Chapeau Melon.

The 13th is the hub of killer Asian food. Local cult favorites include the banh mi at Thieng Hang and a warm bowl of pho at Pho Banh Cuon 14 or Pho Bida Vietnam. For more iconic French fare there’s L’Ourcine. Closer to the Seine, on the rooftop of la Cité de la Mode et du Design, Nüba is the famous spot in the neighborhood, both a restaurant and night club. Then there’s also a nightly food truck selling burgers from 8pm onwards.

In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the 7th arrondissement draws an older, wealthier crowd. There are longtime staples like Basque restaurant L’Ami Jean, and flashy places like L'Arpège and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, where you are sure to drop a few euros. If you want small plates and wine, try Bellota-Bellota, which specializes in Spanish cuisine, in particular, jamon Iberico.

The 12th often gets the shaft, especially since its bigger, more popular counterpart the 11th gets all the hype, but it's starting to come into its own with slick new additions like Dersou and Will. The Marche d’Aligre covered market has always been a hub for locals, and Le Baron Rouge is known for its casual atmosphere with inexpensive wine & oysters on Sundays. Le Siffleur de Ballons is another local favorite spot for natural wines.

With La Sorbonne, Jardin des Plantes, and the Pantheon, this neighborhood is the definition of “Postcard Paris.” Big-name restaurants in the neighborhood are Terroir Parisien, Les Papilles, and La Tour d’Argent which overlooks Notre Dame. Called “the tower of gold,” you might just want a wallet made of gold too. Right behind the Pantheon, you’ll find the neighborhood haunt Cafe de la Nouvelle Mairie, a bistro, restaurant, and wine bar open all day long.

Roseval and Chatomat are the two restaurants of note in this neighborhood, which is starting to become more and more of a hotspot. Craft beer bar Les Trois 8 calls the 20th home, as well as Belleville Brulerie, which supplies many of the specialty coffee shops in town. And down the street is new local favorite cafe CREAM. For a trendy weekend brunch head to Mama Shelter, and for a classic wine bar, Le Baratin.

Slapped right in the center of of town, the 4th is probably most well known for its falafel spots, like institution L'As Du Fallafel, and Israeli newcomer Miznon. Pozzetto is there for legit Italian gelato, and right next door to it is Comme à Lisbonne, which serves up traditional Portuguese pasteis de nata. For cocktails, look no further than Sherry Butt, and if beer is more your thing, there’s Parisian brewer Demory’s flagship bar.

With Montmartre in its center, the 18th is a dichotomy between the tourist highway and off-the-beaten-track spots. It’s home to several great spots for a solid Parisian meal (Le Grand 8, Miroir, Jeanne B, etc.), and brunch lovers will be tempted by Le Bal Cafe, which has an English-inspired menu (think, scones) and the Venezuelan Bululu Arepera. The 18th is also home to a high concentration of craft beer spots, including Le Supercoin, À La Bière Comme à la Bière, and La Brasserie de la Goutte d’Or.

Besides being close to attractions like the Louvre and Palais Royal, the 1st is packed with a lot of food. The street Rue Sainte-Anne is the go-to place for Japanese food; there’s the iconic wine bar Willi’s and just a stone’s throw away is fried chicken destination Verjus. The 1st is also home to a few Michelin-lauded spots, most notably Le Meurice, Yam’Tcha, and La Dame de PIC, run by Anne-Sophie Pic, one of the few Frenchwomen to ever have earned three stars.

This arrondissement is home to Paris’ oldest covered market, Marché des Enfants Rouge. If you want a sit-down setting, Breizh Cafe is world renowned for its savory buckwheat crepes. Besides French food, there’s plenty of foreign influence; tacos and guacamole at Candelaria, and nowadays, you can even get straight-up American BBQ at The Beast, while Le Mary Celeste and Little Red Door deliver on the cocktail front.

The 6th is essentially defined as Saint-Germain, the top destination of any first-time tourist in Paris. If you’re a meat lover, Le Relais de l’Entrecôte and Le Comptoir du Relais were made for you. More modern diners may opt for Le Timbre or Cafe Trama. Drinking holes of the 'hood include the restaurant and wine bar Fish La Boissonnerie and cocktail bar Prescription Cocktail Club. This is also the epicenter of the sweet side of Paris, with shops like Laduree, Henri Leroux, Pierre Marcolini, and Patrick Roger.

Several big-name restaurants and neobistros call the 2nd arrondissement home, including Frenchie (and the foodie-loving street Rue de Nil, which also houses Frenchie to Go), Saturne, and Ducasse’s Aux Lyonnais. The neighborhood is also home to the more classic Chez Georges, where you’re sure to get a frisee salad with lardons. Burger lovers can treat themselves to Big Fernand or Blend, and for wine and small plates, there’s no better place than Racines.

If cocktails are your jam, then the 9th arrondissement is your 'hood. There are plenty of notable restaurants in the 9th, like Le Richer for modern French food that you don’t need a reservation for, and Caillebotte, but it’s here that the cocktail bar reigns. Longtime classics that still draw a crowd are Glass and Dirty Dick. If you like fancy nibbles with your mixology, head to Artisan. There’s also a bit of a New Orleans thing going on in this arrondissement as well, with the newly opened Baton Rouge and Lulu White.

While it’s an arrondissement out of most normal people’s price range, the 8th get’s the number three spot merely for the concentration of high-end, world-renowned establishments that are located here. If you want to pick up a few Michelin stars, the 8th is the place to do it. Triple-starred restaurants Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Epicure, and Pierre Gagnaire are all here. Other spots in the neighborhood with a Michelin star or two to their name include Lasserre, Apicius, Le Cinq, and Le Taillevent. An institution, Le Forum is a cocktail bar that has been run by the same family since the '30s.

It should come as no surprise that the 10th arrondissement comes in second place. Thierry Breton’s trifecta of Chez Michel, Chez Casimir, and La Pointe du Grouin has something for everyone, particularly for those with Brittany leanings. Breakfast lovers flock to Holybelly; the vegan and healthy crowd swoons over Sol Semilla, and bistronomists head to Abri or Hai Kai. For cocktails, there’s the new CopperBay, Le Syndicat, and Bar Le COQ, where the name of the game is traditional French liqueurs.

The 11th wins hands down. It has become the hub of the new food scene, and it almost feels like a new neo-bistro or cocktail bar opens up there on a weekly basis. There are the gastronomic favorites like Le Chateaubriand, Au Passage, Bones, and La Cave de Septime and newer hotspots like Le Servan and Yard. But besides well-thought-out modern French food, it’s also a neighborhood full of more eclectic choices. It’s here that you can get a taco and a specialty coffee (Cafe Chilango), gluten-free cookies and cakes (Thank You My Deer and Chambelland), or a cocktail on a rooftop (Le Perchoir). Craft beer lovers flock to La Fine Mousse and those searching for a glass of natural wine pop into La Buvette. In the 11th, there is something for literally everyone.