Le Marais, nestled on the Right Bank of the Seine, spans across the third and fourth districts of Paris. After visiting famous landmarks, such as the Place des Vosges or the Picasso Museum, make sure to stop by these 10 must-try restaurants in the trendy Le Marais, whose delicious restaurants will definitely not disappoint.
Máncora Cebicheria offers a culinary trip inspired by Máncora, the coastal resort located in the north of Peru, whose city of surf offers a welcome escape. Cebiche is their prized dish made up of raw fish marinated in lime juice, based on four key ingredients: fresh fish, green lime, red onion and Peruvian spices. The fresh fish is cut into dices and marinated in a sauce known as leche de tigre. Máncora Cebicheria also transforms traditional Peruvian dishes, such as octopus with Peruvian olives, anticuchos and causa, into exciting tapas to share.
HANK stands for Have A Nice Karma and the story behind this vegan fast food restaurant points to the idea of paving the path towards a better world. HANK’s adventure started four years ago and enjoys inspiring positive health and ecological impact, as well as denouncing the exploitation of animals. These fresh burgers are handcrafted with a unique recipe that begs to be followed by one of their homemade desserts, such as cookies and carrot cakes. Their side dish, cheese drizzled on crispy potatoes and topped with a secret veganaise sauce, is particularly popular.
The City of Light may be a couple of hours away from the sea, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy its delicacies when visiting Paris. Les Pinces is a top seafood restaurant in Le Marais that works around the philosophy that good quality lobster can still be enjoyed at a reasonable price. They serve fresh lobster with the best homemade french fries drizzled in a dazzling selection of sauces. It’s not just seafood on offer here, though, as they also serve succulent helpings of meat, such as a delicious 500-gram prime rib (beef).
The concept at this restaurant is to spoil visitors with a stream of small tapas plates made up of mostly seafood with lots of prawns. The owners value the idea of sharing and conviviality while allowing the tasting of various delicacies on the menu. What’s impressive is that while some restaurants change their menu every few months, the menu at this restaurant actually changes every week. They’ve spent the last three years developing a niche speciality of tapas delivered straight from an open kitchen set-up that breaks down the sense of mystery. The prices are modest, ranging from €8 – €35, depending on how many small dishes you can manage.
Au Bourguignon du Marais specialises in recipes from Burgundy and they’ve worked up an incredible reputation to prove it. Their homemade beef bourguignon is practically famous among the locals and goes down accompanied by a glass of one of their 100% Burgundy wines. At lunch, there is a set menu priced at 20 euros, which is reasonable considering it includes a delicious starter and a main course, or a main course and dessert. Add another five euros and you can treat yourself to a three-course marathon.
L’Aller Retour in Le Marais is a top wine and meat restaurant offering an extensive choice of wine (an astounding 100 varieties or more) to accompany a wide range of meat (Angus, Simmental etc), all home-roasted on their BBQ. Their most popular dishes are the carpaccio de boeuf and tartare de boeuf au couteau, both priced at a very reasonable €14. Rarely will you find such good quality burgers much cheaper in Paris. They are open every night from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm, but open for lunch from Monday to Friday if you’re feeling peckish midday.
Gaspard de la Nuit might be the most expensive restaurant on this list, but that is because it is one of the most luxurious. Their gourmet menu will set you back 75 euros plus wine or 125 euros with wine pairings, but their fresh, traditional French cuisine is simply sublime. Their homemade foie gras terrine is the ultimate gem to try, but there is gastronomic excellence in almost every dish.
Le Ruisseau Burger in Le Marais takes great pride in the fact that they handcraft and bake their buns on-site every day, whereas most other burger restaurants simply order pre-packed buns in bulk. It’s no surprise that when they get their weekly deliveries of potatoes, they serve them up as homemade fries, too, but only after cooking them twice to perfection. The meat inside the burger is just as carefully sourced, exclusively from local farms that ensure sustainable practice is central to their production of top quality meat.
This cosy Italian restaurant boasts a menu bursting with fresh produce, locally sourced from small family farms. They pride themselves on promoting regional specialities and generations of know-how, whose treasured family secrets bring unique products to perfection. While it’s slightly more expensive than your typical pizzeria, it’s definitely worth a visit. The two former bankers who run this place take pleasure in serving food of the finest authenticity.
In the heart of the historic Marais hides a true gastronomic gem, Le Colimaçon Marais. This rustically decorated restaurant boasts one of the best Parisian bistro experiences in the whole city. You’ll have the pleasure of savouring traditional cuisine served by friendly southwestern French accents. They take pride in excellent customer service, enhanced by a personal and original touch, with a smile to brighten any day. In terms of cuisine, it’s rich and appetising and their portion sizes are generous. The wine list offers a decent choice and is regularly renewed and enriched with new flavours.
